1 . A new study finds sales of sugary drinks obviously fell across several US cities, after they carried out soda taxes (汽水税) aiming those drinks — and those changes continued over time. Taxes ranged from 1 to 2 cents. For a 2-liter bottle of soda, that comes out to between 67 cents to $1.30 extra in taxes.

“While prior (先前的) studies have looked at the impact of soda taxes, they usually studied one city at a time. This new study looked at the overall effect of the taxes on several cities to get an idea of what might happen if these taxes were more widespread — or enlarged to the state or national level,” says Scott Kaplan, an economics professor and the study’s lead author.

Kaplan and his co-workers found that prices for sugary drinks went up by 33.1% and purchases (购买量) went down by basically the same amount. So when people had to pay more for sugary drinks, they reduced their purchases — the effect was large and continued.

As Kaplan notes, “Sugary drinks make up a quarter of all the added sugar we see in the average adult American diet. And that’s a really big amount.” Jennifer Pomeranz, a professor at the School of Public Health, says, “Taxes that aim sugary drinks are good public health policy because these drinks have no nutritional (营养的) value, but they are linked with diet-related diseases. Too much added sugar is linked to a host of poor health outcomes, including overweight and heart disease.” Last month, WHO called on countries to increase taxes on sugary drinks as a way to promote healthier diets.

Today, the sugary drink industry’s strategy of offering consumers more choices with less sugar is working, and nearly 60% of drinks sold have zero sugar. The calories that people get from drinks have decreased to the lowest level in decades.

1. What’s the difference between the new study and the prior ones?

A．The range.

B．The challenge.

C．The expense.

D．The benefit.

2. How did the people respond to the rising prices of sugary drinks?

A．They bought them in overseas markets.

B．They turned to the government for help.

C．They cut down the drinks’ consumption.

D．They added sugar to drinks by themselves.

3. Why were soda taxes introduced according to Jennifer Pomeranz?

A．To better protect people’s health.

B．To encourage research into drinks.

C．To improve the nutrition of drinks.

D．To make more money for the government.

4. What can be inferred about the continuation of the soda tax policy?

A．It is a short-sighted decision.

B．It is a success story.

C．It benefits sugary drinks industry.

D．It upsets customers.

2 . Recently it has dawned on the government that closing more than 1,000 of England’s railway station ticket offices would not be very smart politics.The transport secretary, Mark Harper,announced that train operators had been asked to withdraw the cost-cutting strategy, which the government itself had originally pushed on them.The writing was already on the wall in the summer,when public anger led to an extension of the consultation period on the proposed closures.By the time it ended,750,000 responses had been recorded,99%of them negative.

The public’s concerns were over future access to travel advice and information,assistance for disabled people,safety at understaffed stations,and consequences for the digitally excluded. But the passionate opposition also underlined a widespread sense that railway stations must be more than transit(交通)zones.Combined with a reformed ticketing system,that insight should now inform a positive approach to breathing life into England’s railways and attracting more people back on to trains.

As a report published this autumn by the Campaign for Better Transport sets out,there is an urgent case for fairer ticketing reform across the network.For over a decade,the relative cost of taking the train rather than the car has skyrocketed,as fares have risen while fuel duty has been frozen.Over a third of the public are confused by the numerous types of ticket available,and the complex regulations that apply to them.Why should an anytime return from Chelmsford to London cost &32.60,when to cover the same distance from Grays to London costs E 13.40?

The failed attempt to shut down ticket offices had its roots in a short-term ministerial response to falling revenues(收入).But as the country strives to achieve a challenging green transition,the government should work to establish a simpler,fairer ticketing system that offers imaginative rewards to take the train;and to develop an ambitious plan for our stations —one that reflects their important role in the lives of the travelling public.

1. What does the underlined words in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．The public expressed their anger.

B．The proposal was put up on a wall.

C．Unfavorable outcome was expected.

D．The government adopted the policy.

2. What can be inferred about England’s railways?

A．They have expanded their services.

B．They have undergone ticketing reform.

C．They have included more transit zones.

D．They have seen a decline in public favor.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly focus on?

A．The popularity of car ownership.

B．The development of ticketing reform.

C．The problems of the ticketing system.

D．The application of complex regulations.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Rising Prices of Train Travel

B．Urgent Calls for Rail Revival

C．Failed Closure of Railway Stations

D．Tough Route to Green Transit Initiatives

3 . My phone was an extension of myself. I couldn’t go anywhere _________ it. I scrolled through my friends’ _________ into late night and turned my phone on before my eyes were fully open. I enjoyed having it until that day when I realized that what had started as a useful tool had turned into a(n) _________. So, I made a _________ decision to turn off that smartphone and _________ my old dumb phone out of hiding.

When I was watching TV shows or movies and there was a boring part, I _________ picking up the phone and checking out “what everyone else was doing.” Now I had to pay attention or find a way to _________ myself with my thoughts instead. When I visited New York City, I had to write out _________ and ask people where an intersection (十字路口) was _________ pulling out my phone.

I have welcomed silence into my life with open arms and am enjoying the increased __________ from not constantly having to fight with the __________ to check my phone while I’m trying to get something done. I am allowing my thoughts to speak to me instead of my phone. I am connecting with others in a __________ way that isn’t all about me. Instead of always posting about what’s going on in my __________ perfect life, I am connecting with my friends one-on-one, talking about the reality of our lives and being there for them from a place of __________.

As much as having a smartphone was __________, not having one is freeing on a much bigger level.

1.

A．through

B．without

C．despite

D．upon

2.

A．updates

B．instructions

C．assessments

D．decisions

3.

A．symbol

B．responsibility

C．reality

D．addiction

4.

A．conscious

B．shameful

C．foolish

D．random

5.

A．sell

B．pull

C．throw

D．mind

6.

A．avoided

B．denied

C．missed

D．allowed

7.

A．assist

B．improve

C．associate

D．occupy

8.

A．requests

B．thoughts

C．directions

D．comments

9.

A．instead of

B．regardless of

C．but for

D．apart from

10.

A．creativity

B．productivity

C．knowledge

D．independence

11.

A．routine

B．necessity

C．loneliness

D．temptation

12.

A．genuine

B．grateful

C．direct

D．desperate

13.

A．naturally

B．certainly

C．seemingly

D．gradually

14.

A．wonder

B．imagination

C．interest

D．authenticity

15.

A．depressive

B．comfortable

C．stressful

D．boring

4 . Desk toys are simple toys made for office workers. They make wonderful presents for those who spend lots of time on the job and need a break from a stressful working environment.     1     So they can be easily available in toy stores and gift stores, as well as many websites.

    2     Cheap and unfashionable items like Barrels of Monkeys, Mr. Potato Head dolls, or Rubik’s Cubes which kids like are often given as desk toys. These toys can give you a sense of familiarity and nostalgia (怀旧) and can help reduce stress.

One consistently popular office toy is the Zen garden.     3     Usually the set includes polished stones or small towers, as well as tools that are used to brush the sand into patterns. Many people find this a relaxing experience and enjoy rearranging the setting in pleasing ways.

Allowing workers to have fun items such as desk toys will make them feel more comfortable, more appreciated, and more at home in their office. In large corporations, it can also show potential customers or clients that the organization is made up of individuals rather than being faceless. However, too many displays can damage a healthy and serious working environment.     4    

Finding desk toys for a hard worker can be fun, and the large selection allows for many tastes. Not all desk toys are childish in nature.     5    

Choose desk toys to match the personality of the owners, but take care to consider their working environments and whether the toys are appropriate.

A．Those toys are usually inexpensive and popular.

B．Anyone who works in an office needs a desk toy.

C．Some desk toys are actually children’s toys for adults.

D．However, these toys actually prove the complete opposite.

E．It usually consists of a shallow wooden box filled with sand.

F．So many offices and workplaces disapprove of or forbid the use of them.

G．In fact, many can add to the beauty and interesting atmosphere of an office.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What happened to the woman at the beginning?

A．She lost her phone.

B．She couldn’t find the way.

C．She was trapped in heavy snow.

2. Why did the woman turn off the engine?

A．The car was running out of gas,

B．She stopped to answer a call.

C．The engine couldn’t work properly.

3. How did the woman keep warm?

A．By drinking hot tea.

B．By using the car heater.

C．By having more clothes on.

4. What did the emergency services do?

A．They called an ambulance,

B．They led the woman to her home.

C．They helped the woman go to the main road.

6 . From AI-made jokes to Harry Potter fashion videos, AI can be used to make funny stuff. But can it be as funny as a human? And if it can, does it present a danger to comedy writers in the future? That’s something performers have been looking at in this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, running from Aug. 4 to Aug. 28.

Anyone can put on a show at the Fringe, and this year even robots were getting in on the act. One of Fringe’s big shows used a small robot to come up with jokes from audiences’ suggestions, which were then performed by humans. The results could be very funny, but sometimes they weren’t funny at all. That was part of the point, explained Piotr Mirowski, the show’s co-maker. “We do not use humans to ‘show off’ AI; instead, we use AI ‘to show’ its limitations, to showcase human creativity on the stage,” said Mirowski, according to The Guardian.

Comedian Pierre Novellie said that it will take a long time for AI to get good at creating comedy. “Comedy is the last thing that AI is going to get near,” Pierre told Sky News. “Even normal human comedians struggle to ‘tune’ their jokes ‘for’ the right crowd at the right time, every time. But that’s what’s interesting about stand-up (独角喜剧) and fun.”

But Peter Bazely, a performer at the Fringe, said he’s using AI to make jokes for him because he’s out of ideas. One of Bazely’s shows had him playing a supporting role to “an entirely computer-generated comedian” called AI Jesus.

The Fringe review website, Chortle, talked about today’s AI concerns: “In a world where artists are worried that AI could end up doing their jobs for them, Bazely is said to be praying this one will do exactly that.”

The reasons for companies wanting to use AI are certainly understandable, but the dangers they present to many people’s jobs are becoming more and more real, and that’s not very funny. In May, leaders in the AI industry signed a document warning that AI could present an extinction-level danger and “should be a global priority alongside pandemics and nuclear war”.

1. What does the underlined “That” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Performing jokes made by robots.	B．Robots’ jokes are very popular.
C．Robots’ jokes sometimes are not fun.	D．Using humans to show off AI.

2. What do Novellie’s words imply?

A．AI limits the creativity of humans.

B．It is not easy for AI to replace comedians.

C．AI responds well to audiences’ suggestions.

D．The audience of comedy is hard to appeal to.

3. Why does Peter Bazely welcome AI?

A．He has got difficulty in making comedies.

B．He doesn’t want to play supporting roles any more.

C．He believes AI Jesus won’t replace human comedians.

D．He thinks jokes made by AI can make his shows popular.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this article?

A．To promote the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

B．To display the joys and sorrows of comedians.

C．To warn the public of the existing danger of AI

D．To raise public concern for the possible threat of AI.

7 . Josie, who is 17 years old, said, “Why do my parents do the same things they tell me not to do? For example, my mum stops me from shouting through the walls and asks me to go and speak to her face-to-face, but she always shouts through the walls to me. What can I do?”

That is a very good point. Parents can be completely inconsistent (不一致), and usually they don’t realize it. You see this a lot in many things like smartphones. Parents always say to their kids, “Oh, you can’t use that. That device (设备) is bad for you, so stop using it at the table. It’s harmful.” But then they are on theirs continually. So what do you expect teenagers to do?

The whole “Do as I say, not as I do” thing is an annoyance, especially for a teenager who is dying for independence and respect but isn’t getting them.

What can teenagers do with it? I would say you should point it out by calmly saying something like “You tell me not to scream through the walls, but you do it to me, so you can understand where I’m coming from. That’s not ideal.” They might object to it, but I think most parents who care about being parents would logically say, “That’s a reasonable point.”

There are a lot of conflicts (矛盾) going on between teenagers and their parents, but a lot of studies show that the conflicts are resolved a lot more when they turn into a dialogue.

If you can talk at a time when you’re both feeling a bit calmer, like just in the kitchen or doing something unimportant, then go in and say, “Can I just mention it? You tell me not to do this, but you do it too.” If you can approach it in a more calm and stress-free manner, most parents will respond positively.

1. How did Josie feel according to her words in paragraph 1?

A．Hopeful.

B．Bored.

C．Proud.

D．Confused.

2. What does the underlined word “theirs” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The parents’ smartphones.	B．The tables in the house.
C．The devices in the house.	D．The teenagers’ points.

3. What should teenagers do with their parents’ inconsistency?

A．Object to it personally.	B．Complain of it continually.
C．Talk with their parents calmly.	D．Do some studies differently.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the last paragraph?

A．To list a fact.	B．To offer a suggestion.
C．To show a result.	D．To ask a new question.

8 . Many of us are lonelier than ever. We can go shopping and avoid speaking to a single person. Automated voice son phones and machines suck the contact and relational element out of day-to-day life, so much so that experts say that we are experiencing a loneliness disease.

According to Dr. Lalitaa, loneliness is the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. But loneliness is not always the same as being alone. Loneliness is a state of mind linked to wanting human contact but feeling alone. People can be alone and not feel lonely, or they can have contact with people and still experience feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness is a universal human emotion that is both complex and unique to each individual. There are many contributing factors to loneliness, such as illness, relationships breaking down, moving country, changing jobs or not being understood by co-workers, retiring, starting university, etc.

We cannot underestimate the impact loneliness can have on our physical and mental wellbeing. According to research, loneliness has comparable health risks to smoking 15cigarettes a day, and people who feel lonely are more likely to die earlier and suffer from heart attacks. Dr. Lalitaa says, “People often say to me, ‘It’s too late to meet new people as an adult.’ Having human connect ion can look different for each person, but this can become a block, stopping them going out, trying new things and connecting with new people. Remember, it is never too late to make good, meaningful connections.”

However, don’t put pressure on yourself. A meaningful relationship takes time. It is not just created overnight. Also, take some time to sit with yourself and venture (冒险) into some of the things that you like doing. “The first thing I would say is not to deny or distance the feeling. Acknowledge it and then you can choose to focus on ways to help yourself,” says Dr.Lalitaa.

1. How does the author clarify what loneliness is?

A．By stating arguments.	B．By giving examples.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By employing figures.

2. Why is smoking cigarettes mentioned in the text?

A．To explain the causes of loneliness.

B．To illustrate the harm from loneliness.

C．To overestimate the impact of loneliness.

D．To emphasize the universality of loneliness.

3. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Lack of appealing reward.

B．Dependence on the network.

C．The regret for the passing youth.

D．The idea of being too late for new relations.

4. What does Dr. Lalitaa consider as priority when dealing with loneliness?

A．Having new experience.

B．Telling it from being alone.

C．Being aware of and recognizing it.

D．Making friends from all walks of life.

9 . It was America’s deadliest wildfire in at least 100 years. The fire was caused by_______ electricity transmission (传送) lines in the town named Paradise. It burned for 17 days and _______ 153, 336 acres north of Sacramento. _______, the fire destroyed nearly 19, 000 buildings. The glory of this_______ named place was gone.

Shane Grammer, who grew up 15 miles away in Chico, _______ the news of the deadly fire’s path from Los Angeles, where he _______ as a creative director for Disney’s theme parks to support his family. When seeing his childhood buddy Shane Edwards post pictures of his white chimney (烟囱)— the only part of his house to_______, Grammer said to himself, “I’ve got to_______ that chimney.”

Then amid the rubble (瓦砾), Grammer spent three hours creating a black-and-white image of a woman on the chimney — a _______, perhaps, of the beauty of life, or even just of life itself. The victims of the fire, especially, couldn’t ________ themselves. “Beautiful and unforgettable,” they said.

Grammer realized that what he had thought was a purely artistic________ had transformed into something deeper. “There is hope and beauty in the ________,” he believed. Grammer’s work in the town has now become a(n)________ — he has traveled the world, painting in________ places that extremely need some light. “I want to do something ________ ,” he said.

1.

A．effective

B．scary

C．faulty

D．impressive

2.

A．blew up

B．burned up

C．took up

D．cut up

3.

A．After all

B．In all

C．At all

D．Above all

4.

A．originally

B．particularly

C．appropriately

D．beautifully

5.

A．expected

B．reported

C．followed

D．announced

6.

A．spoke

B．served

C．performed

D．volunteered

7.

A．shake

B．fall

C．suffer

D．survive

8.

A．paint

B．rebuild

C．sweep

D．photograph

9.

A．concept

B．reminder

C．prediction

D．souvenir

10.

A．enjoy

B．suit

C．contain

D．behave

11.

A．talent

B．tradition

C．discovery

D．expression

12.

A．ashes

B．parks

C．fires

D．trees

13.

A．trial

B．procedure

C．campaign

D．entertainment

14.

A．poor

B．distant

C．dark

D．dangerous

15.

A．funny

B．familiar

C．successful

D．powerful

10 . The characteristic (特征) of shyness is to feel frightened and nervous in new social situations or when being the center of attention. Whether shyness is part of your children’s personality or just something they feel when they are in front of a group of strangers, it is a common experience, according to a study.

To look at shyness, researchers brought 152 children aged 7-8 into a lab and told them they would give a speech, which would be filmed and shown to other children. The study showed that about 10% of the children showed a level of stress over time when giving the speech. About 25% of the children were not reported to be shy in the eyes of their parents, but in fact showed a level of social stress from giving the speech. This finding provides the fact that shyness may be a part of these children’s temperament (性情).

For children at this age, shyness may be a quite common and normal experience when they face a speech task. For a smaller group of shy children, however, being the center of attention may be stressful at different times and environments.

A shy temperament isn’t always valued by society like an outgoing personality, but that doesn’t mean there is something wrong. Everyone can feel shy at times depending on the environment. And those who are particularly shy often have happy social lives—they just aren’t likely to be the liveliest people in a crowded room.

Although shyness itself may not necessarily be a problem, parents should pay attention to signs of worry, particularly in their shy children. Importantly, however, we know that not all shy children are the same, and that many shy children grow up to be well-balanced adults.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．Shyness is not an unusual characteristic.

B．Shyness is born with personality.

C．Shyness will appear when one is in public.

D．Shyness means not communicating with others.

2. What is the finding of the study?

A．Few kids like to give a speech to others.

B．Some kids can get shy while giving speeches.

C．Some kids appear less shy with their parents.

D．Some kids are stressed when being separated.

3. What does the author advise parents to do when facing shy children?

A．Bring them to crowded space.

B．Care for them and give them confidence.

C．Keep them away from shyness.

D．Let them be alone.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．When are people shy?	B．Ways of beating shyness
C．Why is shyness a bad thing?	D．The discoveries about shyness