1 . German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed concerns that growing Chinese competition is a threat to the local automotive industry, while welcoming Chinese carmakers to Europe’s largest auto show, IAA Mobility 2023, in Munich.
The six-day event officially opened on Tuesday. Scholz said increased competition from China was good for the German auto industry. “Fair competition stimulates business. It is in the interest of consumers,” he said, “as Chinese electric vehicle companies show eased several new fully electric models, out shining some German automotive giants.” Competition should stimulate us on, not scare us.
“The countries that have achieved great prosperity in the course of globalization, the workers there, have no less right and no less claim to the opportunities of modernity than we do,” Scholz said of China.
“In the 1980s, it was said (that) Japanese cars would overrun the market. Twenty years later, it was cars made in South Korea and now supposedly Chinese electric cars,” Scholz, who wore a black eye patch due to an injury from a jogging accident on Saturday, said.
The German chancellor also expressed confidence in his country’s strengths. “There is no question about the international competitiveness of Germany as a car country,” he said, adding that “Germany is still the linchpin of the auto industry and will remain so.”
Jun Jin, an auto industry expert, said the international market provides great opportunities for Chinese EV (电动汽车) makers, given their strength in technology and costs. “But this does not simply mean repeating their China success story; they need to succeed by adopting local practices,” Jun told China Daily.
Chinese companies, he said, still count on exports and have a long way to go before manufacturing vehicles overseas, arranging global supply chains and improving services for local customers.
1. How did Scholz view increased competition from China in auto industry?| A．Scholz thought that Chinese competition is not a threat to the local auto industry. |
| B．Scholz was not concerned about the competition from China in auto industry |
| C．Scholz thought increased competition was harmful to the German auto industry. |
| D．Scholz thought that consumers of auto industry would be interested in the competition. |
| A．Developing countries has no right to achieve modernity. |
| B．China has the equal right and claim to seek modernity. |
| C．The workers in German has more opportunities than others. |
| D．The course of globalization will favor developed countries more. |
| A．serious problem | B．noticeable weakness | C．angry consumer | D．key role |
| A．Chinese EV makers has no advantage in technology in international market. |
| B．Chinese EV makers should adopt local practices in international market. |
| C．Chinese companies still have a long way to go in manufacturing vehicles. |
| D．Chinese companies is good at arranging global supply chains and services. |
2 . Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down (否决) a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.
The company of Airbnb fiercely opposed the rule, Proposition F. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.
Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.
The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image. Middle-class families rent a spare room out to help make ends meet. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional (传统的), better-regulated (监管更好的) housing market and contributes to rising costs.
San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Located on a narrow land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley. Consequently, the average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4,000.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, some San Francisco residents supported the rule simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.
1. The intention of Proposition F is to ______.| A．place time limits in local election | B．set limits on short-term rental |
| C．strike down a debatable rule | D．urge users to vote against Airbnb |
| A．It reduces the living space of middle-class families. |
| B．Users are taken advantage of by the service financially. |
| C．It helps regulate the house market effectively. |
| D．It indirectly leads to high house rental price. |
| A．Explosion of the living cost. | B．Its historic characteristics. |
| C．Inflow of migrant population. | D．Development of local economy. |
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic | C．Subjective. | D．Indifferent. |
3 . The Internet has become part of teenagers’ life. There’s a report on 3,375 students aged from 10 to 18 in seven Chinese cities. It says that 38% of them believe they use the Internet often. While most of them get useful information and use the Internet to help in their studies, some are not using it in a good way. Many are playing online games too much. A few even visit Web sites they should not look at. Bad things can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet.
In order to help young people use the Internet in a good way, a textbook on good Internet behavior has started to be used in some Shanghai middle schools this term. It uses real examples to teach students all about good ways of using the Internet. Some students also make online friends. But if you are meeting a friend offline, let your parents know.
Teachers and parents all think the book is a very good idea. It will teach students how to be a good person in the online world. It will be a guide for teens using the Internet and keep students away from bad sites.
1. The underlined word “it” means________?| A．the book | B．the report | C．the Internet | D．the information |
| A．3,375 | B．1,280 | C．2,100 | D．5,523 |
| A．Because it helps with the students’studies. |
| B．Because it is used in Shanghai middle schools. |
| C．Because it teaches students how to use the Internet in a good way. |
| D．Because it is easier to understand. |
| A．The Internet is very useful. | B．Students can’t use the Internet. |
| C．Be careful when using the Internet. | D．The advantages and disadvantages of Internet. |
In a heartwarming event that has touched the nation, a police officer in Warren, Michigan, was considered as a true hero by saving the life of an 18-month-old boy who had suddenly stopped breathing. This event happened on the evening of August 29 and has since touched the hearts of many.
Officer Brandan Fraser was on duty, focusing on speed and absent-minded driving, when he noticed a car speeding past him. What in the beginning seemed like a common traffic violation (违规) rapidly turned into a life-and-death crisis.
As Fraser came up to the car, he was met with a sad cry from a woman, who screamed, “We got a baby in here dying. Help! Help!” Both the woman and the man in the car were frightened as they handed over the baby boy, who appeared to be lifeless, not breathing and turning blue.
Rather than giving in to the pressure of the moment, Fraser immediately sprang into action. He examined the baby and doubted that he might be choking (窒息). Fraser quickly positioned the baby on his forearm and performed a series of back blows to force any obstruction (阻塞物) from the baby’s airway out.
However, the baby still showed no signs of breathing. Fraser’s heart raced, but his training kicked in here. After making sure the baby’s airway was clear, he then continued to perform CPR on the baby. His hands pressed the baby’s tiny chest and at the same time, he blew some air into the baby’s mouth to help make his heart beat again. Fraser continued these life-saving efforts tirelessly, knowing that every second counted.
Surprisingly, the baby began to breathe once more. Fraser described the moment, saying, “The baby started breathing, and you saw that color started coming back around his lips. You realized that something happened here, and we were heading in the right direction.”
注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After a while, the baby gave out a cry, a sign that life was returning.
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Then the baby was quickly transported to a nearby hospital.
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5 . Are you really boring? Or is it just in your head? The first crucial step, which you absolutely mustn’t skip, is to question this idea that you are boring, check it rationally (理性地), and try to determine if indeed it’s true.
You see, of all the people I’ve coached over the last 7+ years who believed they’re boring, getting to know them and their conversation style, for well over half of them I’ve concluded that this belief was just in their head. It was a false, limiting belief; and they came to see that too. So, statistically, there is at least a 50% chance that you’re not really boring. Think about this, very seriously.
If indeed you discover that the idea you’re boring is mostly a limiting belief, then it’s important to begin ignoring it and change your behavior accordingly. Try to open up, talk to people more and be more social, reminding yourself it’s okay to do so.
More important thought is to understand that the limiting belief you’re boring reflects a lack of confidence, and work on fixing this deeper issue. Only by learning to believe in yourself and gaining self-confidence will you be able to fully and permanently dismiss the perception that you are boring.
Now, confidence building is no invaluable process. It involves certain steps and actions, which if done correctly, lead to visible progress at a rapid pace. I lack the space here to go deeper into this topic, but I have created a special presentation in which I discuss it in detail.
Go here to watch the presentation and learn my step-by-step process for improving yourself-confidence and social confidence, which has been used successfully by hundreds of people before you. And make sure you watch it all the way.
1. Why does the author ask two questions in the first paragraph?| A．To criticize the phenomenon. | B．To introduce the topic interestingly. |
| C．To ask readers to answer them. | D．To show the author’s questions. |
| A．When we feel boring, then we are really boring. |
| B．The belief that we are boring just doesn’t exist. |
| C．Over a half people who are boring are not really boring |
| D．The statistics show that people actually don’t feel boring. |
| A．Because we have plenty of time and have nothing else to do. |
| B．Because we lack confidence and deeper work on the issue. |
| C．Because we don’t work on fixing this deeper issue. |
| D．Because we should dismiss the perception of being boring. |
| A．Certain steps and actions to improve one’s self and social confidence. |
| B．Some step-by-step process to lead to quick progress in learning. |
| C．Some step-by-step process to lead to success in the future. |
| D．Tips to help bored people to relieve their stress in lack of confidence. |
6 . It’s common nowadays for people to schedule a fitness plan. Whatever the drive behind it, whether health-related, performance-related or just plain vainglory (虚荣心), it is not uncommon for people to take regular exercise.
But if you’ve never done it before, what’s the best way to go about it? Well, many people make use of a PT — that’s a personal trainer. This might be because they’re wet behind the ears or maybe they just don’t want the trouble of designing their own workout plan. A PT will create a plan based on the aim of an individual. They will tailor it to your current abilities and, better still, they will teach you how to move in a proper way.
However, the trade-off with a PT is the price. Each hourly session can be steep considering the double whammy of having to pay both the PT and membership of the gym. If you are at all strapped for cash then regular sessions might be out of your budget.
So what’s left? Well, if you have the grit for it, you can make your own plan. It’s relatively easy to do if you have the know-how. But before you do, here are some basic pointers.
First, keep your fitness goal in mind. Are you looking to slim down, bulk up, or get shredded? Whatever it is, make sure you choose to be in pursuit of that goal. Next, do your research. Social media is full of fitness videos and advice. Watch as many as possible, but make sure to be critical of them — everyone has a different body. Finally, keep your feet on the ground. Be patient with yourself and set realistic goals — it takes at least three months to see realistic body changes. A good workout is difficult and challenging, but never painful. Pain means you are damaging yourself.
1. What drives people to go to the gym?| A．To keep a fit figure. | B．To make friends. |
| C．To avoid vainglory. | D．To become a celebrity. |
| A．A student short of budget. | B．A busy workaholic. |
| C．A green hand in exercise. | D．A professional athlete. |
| A．Bear in mind our fitness goals. | B．Be a member of the gym. |
| C．Set a training timeline. | D．Watch latest fitness videos. |
| A．The necessity of exercise. | B．How to make a fitness plan. |
| C．The practical skills of workout. | D．How to be a personal trainer. |
7 . While many Americans joke about their poor math, labor experts say the nation’s decreasing math skill threatens U. S. economic competitiveness and national security (安全). Jim Stigler, a professor studying the process of teaching. and learning, said, “The advances in technology that drive where the world goes will come from other countries, because they have the intellectual capital (资本) while we don’t.”
Concerning the math crisis facing schools, the U. S. military has called for a major program to support education in science, technology, education, and math (STEM). Government labor experts say the number of jobs in areas requiring math skill will increase by more than 30,000each year through the end of 2030, much faster than most other kinds of jobs.
Mathematics is becoming a part of almost every career, but most American students aren’t prepared. In the recent PISA tests in math, U. S. students tested lower than students from 36 other education systems worldwide. Only one in five American high school students planning to attend college are prepared for college -level study in STEM, say experts.
However, students from other countries are preparing to lead in these areas. An official report says only one in five graduate students in math-heavy fields at U. S. universities are American. The rest come from other countries. Most will leave the U. S. when they finish their programs.
“We’re just not starting students on career paths related to math and computer science to stay competitive,” said Josh Wyner, a vice president of the Aspen Institute, a think tank. It urged decision-makers to make education an important national security goal. “We are no longer keeping pace with other countries,” the Aspen report says, calling this a dangerous failure.
In Massachusetts, employers are expecting a shortage (短缺) over the next five years of 11,000 workers in the life sciences alone. “It’s not an educational question alone,” said Edward, director of an education program, warning that this may damage national security.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?| A．Americans don’t care about their poor math. |
| B．Poor math skills will bring America disadvantages. |
| C．Intellectual capital is a must for future development. |
| D．Labor experts can shoulder the duty of national safety. |
| A．The army will open STEM programs soon. |
| B．Students are prepared for math-heavy jobs. |
| C．There will be a sharp rise in math-related jobs. |
| D．America will be behind in STEM education. |
| A．American students fall behind in math learning. |
| B．American students fail to get math-related jobs. |
| C．America has lost its attraction to foreign students. |
| D．America fails to lead other countries in education. |
| A．It can be solved in the next five years. | B．It’s an evidence of overall math failure. |
| C．It will cost the U. S. its lead in world affair. | D．It’ll do harm to America’s national security. |
8 . Public Health England (PHE) is targeting pizzas, ready meals, ready meat and takeaways. The government has also required the food industry to start using healthier foods and encourage the public to choose lower-calorie foods.
It is all part of an effort to decrease calorie intake by 20% by 2024. The aim will point to 13 different food groups. If action is not taken, PHE said, it would be prepared to ask the government to pass laws.
PHE would be strictly monitoring progress by looking at which products people were buying and would be prepared to punish companies which do not take their duties. The government is also organizing a program encouraging adults to consume (消耗) 400 calories at breakfast and 600 calories each at lunch and dinner. At present, adults consume between 200 and 300 calories more than they should each day. PHE chief nutritionist Dr. Alison Tedstone said the 400－600－600 tip would make it easier for people to make healthier choices.
How many calories should we eat? It is suggested that women eat no more than 2,000 calories a day, while men should limit their intake to 2,500 calories. For children, it depends on age. A four-year-old should consume no more than 1,300 calories, while for teens aged 17 and 18, it is about 3,000 calories, but overweight children are eating up to 500 calories more than that.
Prof Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said it was a necessary move. He said, “Over the past 40 years, there has been a slow growth in food sizes, with pizzas and hamburgers simply much bigger than they were in our parents’ time.” The convenience of fast food at pocket money prices and the advertisement of unhealthy foods and drinks to children add to the problem.
1. What does the underlined word “decrease” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Encourage | B．Cut | C．Contain | D．Balance |
| A．It will be punished by PHE. |
| B．It will have to pay extra money. |
| C．It will be forced to stop producing foods. |
| D．It will be asked to throw away all the foods. |
| A．Adult men | B．Adult women | C．Children aged 4 | D．Teens aged 18 |
| A．The calorie intake needs to be controlled. |
| B．The growth of food sizes meets people’s need. |
| C．The fast food should be chosen for its convenience. |
| D．The problem about higher-calorie foods will be solved. |
9 . Teenagers who travel around the world alone have been making headlines quite often. A young person alone in a dangerous situation attracts attention and supporters. Young sailors also attract various views. For example, Jessica Watson was asked by the government to call off her solo trip across the ocean, yet the Prime Minister (总理) called her “a hero for young Australians” when she returned. It seems views are poles apart on the ability and independence of young people.
Some experts tell us that teenage brains are likely to make wrong judgments. But such ideas often do not apply to specific individuals (个体) . Between the ages of 14 and 18, teenagers differ greatly in their abilities. The amount of independence that each is allowed should be determined not simply by their ages but by discussion with the related, responsible adults. Some teens are certainly inexperienced and make childish mistakes, but the ones who attempt dangerous journeys normally do so by winning the confidence of hard-headed and experienced adult supporters.
But it’s also wrong to think that any 16-year-old can make a hit as Jessica Watson. Watson calls herself “a common girl who had a dream”. Her purpose is to encourage teenagers but this idea can have the opposite effect of making them feel not good enough because great achievements are beyond them. Should all teens have such wild dreams? Actually, individuals face different conditions that limit their dreams.
Teenagers who travel around the world alone should not be judged by preconceived (先入为主的) views about young people. Nor should young “common” teenagers feel pressure to long for extraordinary personal goals. In fact, I believe the example of solo sailing overstresses what an individual can do. The teenage years are when most of us “common” people learn that we can achieve great things in cooperation with others.
1. Why is Jessica Watson mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To set a heroic example for teenagers. |
| B．To point out the public’s interest in young people. |
| C．To introduce different opinions on teenagers’ adventures. |
| D．To show the Prime Minister disagreed with the government. |
| A．Different journeys. | B．Brain development. |
| C．Communication with adults. | D．Confidence in themselves. |
| A．She likes dangerous journeys. | B．Teenagers can make success. |
| C．She can accept she is common. | D．Teenagers should go travelling. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Uncertain. |
10 . A new trend called “praise groups” or “in-need-of-praise” chat groups has become popular on Chinese social media. In Chinese culture, where modesty (谦逊) is valued, openly seeking and giving praise is uncommon. These chat groups provide a platform for people to receive compliments (赞扬) and encouragement, which are often lacking in their daily lives.
To join a praise group, users can pay a fee on e-commerce sites, starting at 50 yuan for five minutes of compliments. The group members will then show the person with praises and kind words. The compliments can be designed for a friend or loved one as well. Participants have found that being praised by strangers can help lift their spirits and improve their self-confidence.
For example, Meng Zha, a student at Shanghai’s Tongji University, tried the service and found it amusing and uplifting. She received compliments on her appearance and even quotes (引用) from popular songs. Ms Meng couldn’t help but laugh at the compliments and expressed her desire to post such high-quality praises in the future.
Praise groups have appeared as a way for people in China to seek and receive compliments and encouragement that may be lacking in their daily lives. It provides a positive and uplifting experience for participants, improving a sense of happiness and self-worth.
Those who support the groups, see them as an antidote to extremely bad moods (情绪) which are often associated with things happening on the Internet. “At first, the purpose of this group is to make us learn to praise others and accept others’ praises confidently. Here we can drop everything, and use our heart to praise and support others,” one member said. But the life journey is long and there are some unexpected situations that we can only count on ourselves to face when there is no one out there to offer help.
1. What is the purpose of praise groups?| A．To make praise popular. | B．To have everyone supported. |
| C．To share common interests. | D．To give people hope and happiness. |
| A．She was not strong enough. | B．She was under working stress. |
| C．She was satisfied with the service. | D．She was a gifted singer in her area. |
| A．A way of making new friends. | B．A kind of medicine. |
| C．A method of being confident. | D．The wisdom of solving problems. |
| A．Objective. | B．Critical. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
