1 . According to a research, the average reading score of students in the USA this year declined in comparison to the previous study last year. The study indicates that there is a significant_________in reading ability levels in grades 7-12. The result confirms what American secondary teachers have been saying, that both high and low achieving students are often unmotivated to read. This_________of motivation has been the major reason for their poor reading ability.

Perhaps it is no surprise to researchers that the decline in reading ability_________American students’ decreasing freedom in choosing reading method and time. One of the best ways to deal with the situation is for teachers to provide time in the academic day for voluntary reading of texts. There may be objections to the use of already_________academic time, but the research indicates that time spent reading in school_________academic performance. Most students who are given   extra reading time in school get higher scores in reading tests. This is true even for the “light” or _________reading of young adult literature.

An argument for providing_________ in the school day for reading practice is the comparison to the necessary practice one needs in order to become skilled at a sport: the increased practice hours increase performance. Even 10 minutes a day of reading can have dramatic effects by simply _________ students to multiple texts. Ten minutes of daily book reading in middle school will increase about 700,000 words of reading each year for a student. And this additional volume of reading can bring huge_________to the students.

Besides, compared with the crowded casual classroom environment, independent reading libraries in school can help students produce a sense of being__________. Students can discover authors, explore topics that__________them, and improve their reading habits.

The research concludes that there are millions of students who do not have the basic reading __________that are needed to locate relevant information or make simple judgement. The effects of underdeveloped reading ability on the student and on the economy of the American society can mean the__________ of billions of dollars in wages and earnings over a lifetime.

Therefore, secondary educators need to guide students to associate reading with enjoyment by offering time and choices. This__________can result in making reading a desired activity and   making students__________to read.

1.

A．balance

B．drop

C．reflection

D．concentration

2.

A．lack

B．input

C．feedback

D．operation

3.

A．harms

B．includes

C．matches

D．prevents

4.

A．boring

B．unique

C．random

D．limited

5.

A．improves

B．provides

C．realizes

D．breaks

6.

A．innocent

B．fun

C．precious

D．serious

7.

A．rules

B．teaching

C．time

D．fund

8.

A．adding

B．exposing

C．attaching

D．mailing

9.

A．benefits

B．symbols

C．hobbies

D．friends

10.

A．dependent

B．traditional

C．formal

D．inferior

11.

A．interest

B．defeat

C．cheat

D．invent

12.

A．resources

B．companions

C．opportunities

D．skills

13.

A．income

B．method

C．loss

D．presence

14.

A．production

B．link

C．knowledge

D．discovery

15.

A．social

B．reluctant

C．keen

D．practical

2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. access       B. balance       C. device       D. issues       E. pursuits       F. review       G. separate       H. signs I. social          J. staying        K. waking

Why taking a phone break is so good for you

You are probably too attached to that needy black rectangle you carry around everywhere you go. Although it’s not formally recognized as an addiction—yet— “problematic smartphone use” interferes with many aspects in life, say Jay Olsen, a postdoctoral scholar in psychology at McGill University who has researched the topic. “It could be interfering with your concentration. It could be that you feel less     1     when using your phone. It could be that you’re sleeping less well, because you’re     2     up late scrolling.”

Those     3     likely sound familiar, because smartphone overuse “affects almost anybody who has a     4     at this point,” says Dr. Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. “The digital content is just so appealing, and we have such easy     5    .” Smartphone use also intensified during the pandemic’s first lonely years.

But failing to     6     from your screen could have harmful implications. Research links smartphone overuse to a wide variety of physical and mental-health     7    . People who are glued to their phones tend to get worse sleep and less of it. And according to a     8     published in Frontiers in Psychology in August, smartphone overuse can lead to anxiety, stress, and depression. All that scrolling also consumes your time and attention, leaving less to spend on healthy     9     like exercise and spending time with loved ones.

Take some space from your phone—even for short amounts of time—can help restore your     10    , attention, and even faith in humanity. “I think disconnecting matters to everyone,” says Adam Alter, a professor of marketing at NYU.

3 . The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. “Yet when we think of health, we tend to ________ physical well-being at the expense of mental health. Instead, we should tackle mental health the same way we tackle physical health-with an eye towards preventing disease by addressing the foundational forces that cause us to be sick or well.

About 15 percent of the world’s diseases are mental illnesses. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, ________ an estimated 300 million people around the world. Depression is so widespread that the WHO has ________ that, by 2030, it will be the leading cause of the global disease burden.

Mental illness may be even more common than we think. Many mental health challenges are likely ________ . There are a number of reasons for this. They include differences of opinion within the mental health field about the characteristics of these disorders, as well as changes to how we study them across populations and cultures. We also have a long way to go before we create a culture where stigma no longer ________ people with mental illness from getting assistance. Thirty-eight percent of Americans have said they are “definitely or probably”________ to have a person with mental illness move next door to them. Their attitudes make it more likely that many people with mental illness will remain under the radar, making it ________ to accurately assess their true numbers.

Health — both physical and mental — is a ________ of the social, economic, and environmental conditions in which we live. Our minds, just like our bodies, are shaped by complex factors. including where we live, our genetics, our childhood experiences, and our ________ to material resources. Income, ________, is one of the most significant influences on health and is linked to a number of common mood — anxiety disorders. From 2009 to 2013, 8. 7 percent of people with annual incomes below the federals poverty line were reported to experience “serious psychological distress,” compared with the lower levels of psychological distress reported by individuals with higher annual incomes.

If we ________ an arm or develop an infectious disease, it will be difficult for anyone to consider us healthy. If, however, we struggle with mental illness — such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — it is possible that our disease will ________ few outward symptoms. At the same time, the stigma that is still too often ________ to mental illness can make those who develop a disorder less likely to seek the help they need. Given these challenges, and the reasons I have listed, it is ________ that we address mental health with as much energy and insight as we apply to physical concerns. Our health deserves ________ less.

1.

A．prefer

B．prioritize

C．preconsider

D．prejudice

2.

A．suffering

B．changing

C．affecting

D．insulting

3.

A．predicted

B．designed

C．criticized

D．advertised

4.

A．posed

B．misunderstood

C．found

D．underreported

5.

A．helps

B．kills

C．prevents

D．requires

6.

A．unwilling

B．evaluated

C．relaxed

D．eager

7.

A．possible

B．necessary

C．convenient

D．hard

8.

A．factor

B．product

C．creation

D．foundation

9.

A．imagination

B．concept

C．access

D．use

10.

A．instead

B．for example

C．however

D．therefore

11.

A．open

B．raise

C．cross

D．break

12.

A．hide

B．present

C．relieve

D．improve

13.

A．adjusted

B．adapted

C．attached

D．appointed

14.

A．efficient

B．effective

C．obvious

D．critical

15.

A．nothing

B．something

C．somebody

D．nobody

4 . University students have wasted nearly £1bn on empty rooms in flat shares and halls of residence that they have been unable to use because of coronavirus restrictions this _______year, according to a new estimate.

The average student has so far paid £1, 621 in rent for empty rooms for which they have not received a _______, according to an annual survey of 1, 300 university students by money advice website Save the Student.

Two in five (43%) respondents said they had spent under three months on campus, while nearly half (46%) would have made _______decisions about where to live had they understood the likely impact of the pandemic on their education. One in three plan to ask their landlords for a break clause next year to give them more _______.

Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, the National Union of Students’ vice-president for higher education, said: “Students have been consistently _______during this pandemic. We are seen as cash cows, with many _______paying extortionate rents for properties they either cannot use or cannot afford.”

Students’ anger with high rents, which Save the Student estimates take up three-quarters of their maintenance loans at an average of £146 per week, _______on UK campuses this term as students launched the largest rent strike in 40 years.

There has been a patchy response from universities, private halls of residence and landlords, with some _______discounts while others have offered full rebates. The survey suggests a third of students have been offered a discount, which averages at £75, though this has been _______to just 6% of students in private rentals. Half of those surveyed were unhappy with their accommodation provider’s response.

On 14 February, 92 students at the School of Oriental and African Studies became the first to ________the outstanding 50% instalment of their tuition fee payments in protest at their university’s coronavirus response. They were ________by 1, 000 students-a fifth of the student body-who signed a petition asking for fee reductions.

The government has so far responded to students’ financial concerns with £70m in additional hardship funding, a figure that falls short of more ________packages in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Most students have been asked to remain at the address where they spent Christmas-in many cases their family homes-during lockdown. Plans for their ________are expected to be announced next week, ________university leaders are preparing for the possibility that many students will not be allowed on campus until 17 May, shortly before the end of the teaching year. St Andrews University and the London School of Economics have already told students that most will study online for the ________of the year.

1.

A．unpredictable

B．educational

C．academic

D．sentimental

2.

A．refund

B．deposit

C．pension

D．commission

3.

A．cautious

B．inexpensive

C．mindful

D．different

4.

A．accountability

B．flexibility

C．stability

D．availability

5.

A．exploited

B．dismissed

C．mistreated

D．unfavoured

6.

A．sufferers

B．stuck

C．potentials

D．engaged

7.

A．held up

B．boiled over

C．consumed up

D．crossed over

8.

A．legitimizing

B．skinning

C．proposing

D．refusing

9.

A．accumulated

B．relevant

C．incomparable

D．extended

10.

A．trick

B．incline

C．withhold

D．proclaim

11.

A．joined

B．established

C．cornered

D．characterized

12.

A．humane

B．authoritative

C．generous

D．distinctive

13.

A．return

B．accommodation

C．revision

D．curriculum

14.

A．considering

B．given

C．though

D．supposing

15.

A．sake

B．settlement

C．approaching

D．remainder

5 . At the start of every vacation, many parents spend their time wondering: What will the children do? When I was a child in the 1950s, the answer was easy. The children would play. We played feely with other children, in our own chosen ways, away from adults. When we got bored, we found ways to overcome it. We took up _________, took risks, sometimes hurt ourselves, got into trouble, and _________ how to get out of it.

During such play, we acquired knowledge and skills that couldn’t be taught to us in school. We learned how to take _________, make our own decisions, solve our own problems, get along with peers as equals, experience fear and then find ways to manage it, experience anger and then find ways to overcome it. We also discovered our interests, _________ them, and became skilled at them—interests that for many of us later became _________.

Over the past 60 years, however, we’ve seen a huge _________ in children’s freedom and opportunity to play on their own. Over this same period, we’ve also seen a dramatic increase in the rates of _________ and anxiety disorders among young people- five to eight times what they were in the 1950s.

Our children love to play in moderately _________ ways. Through such play, they acquire the physical, social and emotional capacities required for healthy development. They learn to get along with one another by playing socially, and they learn to deal with emergencies by playing in ways that involve risk.

Why is such play so _________? It can cause injury, so why hasn’t natural selection __________ the inner desire for it? We have some clues from laboratory experiments.

Researchers have found that when young rats or monkeys are deprived (剥夺) of play during critical periods in their development, the animals grow up as emotional cripples (跛者). They are __________ disabled when placed in new, slightly frightening environments to which normally raised animals would __________. They repeated between incapacitating fear and inappropriate aggression when placed with __________ peers. So it is no surprise to me that play-deprived human children grow up insufficient in the social and emotional skills required to deal well with life’s inevitable stressors (应激源). They may also grow up __________ the abilities to think creatively, take initiative, and assume responsibility.

We have deprived children of free, risky play, probably for their own good. In the process we have denied them the opportunity to learn how to be __________ by playing in risky ways.

Our children need more freedom, not more adult control.

1.

A．expeditions

B．adventures

C．violence

D．disasters

2.

A．figured out

B．looked over

C．made for

D．turned out

3.

A．measures

B．action

C．initiative

D．risks

4.

A．created

B．pursued

C．captured

D．demonstrated

5.

A．addictions

B．predictions

C．expectations

D．careers

6.

A．increase

B．amount

C．decline

D．demand

7.

A．depression

B．obesity

C．digestion

D．cancer

8.

A．friendly

B．funny

C．risky

D．learned

9.

A．dangerous

B．frustrating

C．striking

D．appealing

10.

A．strengthened

B．eliminated

C．multiplied

D．identified

11.

A．psychologically

B．physically

C．medically

D．biologically

12.

A．devote

B．stick

C．adapt

D．seek

13.

A．identical

B．modest

C．miserable

D．unfamiliar

14.

A．missing

B．involving

C．lacking

D．showing

15.

A．obedient

B．adaptable

C．optimistic

D．practical

6 . Twenty years ago, the Urban Land Institute defined the two types of cities that dominated the US landscape: smaller cities that operated around standard 9-5 business hours and large metropolitan areas that ran all 24 hours of the day.

In recent years, many mid-sized cities have begun to adopt a middle-of-the-road approach incorporating the excitement and opportunity of large cities with small cities’ quiet after midnight.     1     What is underlying this new movement in real estate, and why do these cities have so much appeal?

18-hour cities combine the best of 24-hour and 9-5 cities, which contributes to downtown revitalization. For decades, many downtown cores in small to mid-sized cities were abandoned after work hours by workers who lived in the suburbs.     2     This generated little commerce for downtown businesses in the evenings, which made business and generating tax revenue for municipal upkeep difficult. With the rise of a new concept in urban planning that aims to make life easier and more convenient, however, increasing popularity for urban areas that caused the real estate pushes, in major cities like San Francisco or New York, has inspired a type of forward-thinking urbanity in smaller cities.

Transforming downtown areas so that they incorporate modern housing and improved walkability to local restaurants, retail, and entertainment — especially when combined with improved infrastructure for cyclists and public transit — makes them appeal to a more affluent demographic.     3     Access to foot traffic and proximity to transit allow the type of entertainment-oriented businesses such as bars and restaurants to stay open later, which attracts both younger, creative workers and baby boomers, nearing retirement alike.

These 18-hour cities are rapidly on the rise and offer great opportunities for homeowner investment. In many of these cities such as Denver, a diverse and vigorous economy attracted to the urban core has offered stable employment for residents.     4    

A．Because of their smaller size, most keep hours that allow people to enjoy themselves, then have some quiet after midnight.

B．These 18-hour cities are beginning to make waves in real estate rankings and attract more real estate investment.

C．Analyzing and comparing cities using the lens of this basic divide gives interesting context to how investment capital flows and housing prices have shifted.

D．These adjustments encourage employers in the knowledge and talent industries to keep their offices downtown.

E．The right urban mix has propped up home occupancy, increased property values, and attracted significant investment capital.

F．Movement out of city centers was widespread, and downtown tenants were predominantly made up of the working poor.

7 . In July, a big study came out in the journal JAMA. It was titled “Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence.” This big headline seemed to confirm what a lot of people have been saying—that screen time is horrible for young people.

The study followed over 3,800 adolescents over four years. Part of what the investigators measured was the teens’ amount of screen time, including time spent on social media, as well as their levels of depression symptoms. One of their main findings was that higher amounts of social media use were associated with higher levels of depression. That was true both when the researches compared between people and compared each person against their own mental health over time. Case closed? Not so fast. Let’s take a closer look at this and other studies, and ask ourselves: What exactly is the relationship between social media use and depression? It turns out there are several caveats.

Caveat #1: The association between social media use and depression is, on average, tiny.

In this big JAMA study, the investigators compared social media use and depression between teens and found that those who used social media more had higher depression scores. Specifically, for every hour per day that one teen spent on social media more than her peers, she likely had a 0.64-point higher depression score. Within each teen, increasing their daily social media use by 1 hour was also associated with a 0.41-point increase to their own depression score. You may be asking, “But what does a 0.64-point increase mean? How much more depression is that?” Depression was measured on a 28-point scale, so these less-than-one-point increases are tiny.

Caveat #2: Not everybody has the same relationship with social media.

A different study published in 2018 identified five distinct types of social media users, and the take-home finding was that “problematic social media use” was one of the main themes for people whose mental health was affected by social media. What makes for “problematic” use? The researchers adapted the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale to cover all forms of social media. It includes questions like, “You use Facebook in order to forget about personal problems” and “You have tried to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.” These sound similar to questions about other types of addiction like alcoholism. You can have alcohol in your life without it being a problem, or your alcohol use may become problematic. It’s the same with social media.

Caveat #3: We don’t know if it’s really social media use causing depression.

There’s one important thing to remember about survey research—just because two things happen together, it’s not necessarily true that one causes the other. Another possibility is that something else entirely is causing some people to have both high levels of depression and social media use. For example, one interesting study shows that childhood maltreatment was associated with greater current social media use. It’s not hard to imagine that people mistreated in childhood also had higher levels of depression. In this case, depression may have nothing to do with how much someone is using social media.

1. The study published by the journal JAMA ________

A．found screen time is the cause of adolescent depression.

B．has researched more than 3,000 young adults over the span of four years.

C．concluded that teens who used social media more suffered from more depression.

D．found that teens who spent one more hour on social media had a 0.41-point higher depression score than their peers

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “caveats” (para.2)?

A．warnings

B．approaches

C．faults

D．suggestions

3. Which of the following statements will the author most probably agree with?

A．Almost all types of social media users experience problematic social media use.

B．The influence of social media use on depression has not been exaggerated.

C．People who are depressed always choose to spend more time on social media.

D．People mistreated during their childhood suffer from depression probably due to their childhood experience rather than social media use.

4. What can we learn from the article?

A．The more people use social media, the more depressed they will feel.

B．Social media use actually has nothing to do with people’s level of depression.

C．Higher depression scores will certainly stimulate people to use social media more.

D．People need to be more cautious when making judgments about the relationship between social media and depression.

8 . ● The human population has never been bigger, but in some ways the planet seems to be     1         2         3    . In the past, travelers from     4         5         6     spent months at sea. Now you just have to sit on a plane for a few hours. When you arrived in another country a hundred years ago, you saw     7         8         9     of clothing and buildings and discovered a     10         11         12     culture.（Fill in each blank with the missing words according to the text.）

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best firs each blank.

The Rising Trend of Nationalism and Anti-Globalization

As technology advances and connectivity increases, countries are closer to each other than ever. Economically, trade blocs (集团，阵营) have increased partnership among countries and encouraged production specialization. Politically, countries are moving towards a free market and competing     1     additional foreign investments. However, it seems that these trends     2    (go) in a slightly different direction in the past few years. Governments are encouraging more domestic investments and developments. A stronger sense of nationalism is developing while the term “globalization” now seems to have a negative connotation to some audiences.

Brexit (脱欧), for example, had been in the media spotlight for the past several years. The word is shorthand for Britain’s separation from the European Union. First     3     (bring) to the surface by a referendum (公投) in 2013, it had always been a controversial topic. Supporters of Brexit wanted sovereignty, the power that a country has to govern     4     both economically and politically. They were eager to leave the EU because they felt     5     the organization had been off the track and would no longer provide them with enough benefits as a member. As the sentiment of nationalism increased,     6    did people’s willingness to pull back after years of social mobility and cultural exchanges. In the end, Britain officially left the EU on Jan. 21, 2020. Undoubtedly, Brexit,     7     outcome will be unpredictable in the next few years, is sure to transform the lives of many. However, whether the U. K. will change for the better in the long run remains     8     (see).

The Italian government is also going through some intense criticism from its people. There has been a constant voice against immigration and the European Union in Italy. Some people are in favor of Italy     9     (pull) back from the EU and deporting 500,000 illegal immigrants that were already in Italy.

Britain and Italy are just two examples of the surfacing trend of nationalism. Many other countries are tightening up on trade negotiations and foreign policies as well. Who knows     10     will happen in the next five years? The effects of these changes are unknown and can only be discovered in the future.

10 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. serve       B. shape       C. sharing     D. released   E. spread F. willingly   G. questioned   H. separately   I. practice   J. preparing K.creating

Communal Eating?

In China, communal eating (合餐共食) is considered very important for forming a close relationship. In the memories of most Chinese, one of the happiest moments in their lives was seated around a table with families or friends,     1     dishes and chatting over wine.

In the campaign against the COVID-19 outbreak, this dining tradition has been greatly     2    . Since each diner picks food out of the communal plates on a bite-by-bite basis with their chopsticks, the virus can be transferred from saliva (唾液) to chopsticks to the dish. What’s worse, diners often     3     others with their own utensils, such as chopsticks or spoons, to express friendliness and care. Several cases of coronavirus are thought to have     4     through families when sharing food during the Chinese New Year period.

Communal eating has thus become a target of both governments and restaurants. Posters have been     5     by local governments to encourage people to use serving utensils. Concerned about customers being very careful about returning to restaurants, the catering industry (餐饮业) has     6     joined the campaign. For example, many restaurants, once allowed to reopen, have immediately sprung into action, particularly offering set meals for one single person.

These changes are likely to continue and could be encouraged by local regulations, as eating together     7     can always protect the public health. The measures will     8     the traditional mealtime manners.

The move away from a traditional cultural     9     is ongoing. But as an expert said, “In modern times to eat individually may lose some tradition, but it can also mean more opportunities for     10     something new in Chinese food and eating habits.”