1 . While screen time is known to affect sleep, new research suggests that interactive (互动的) activities, such as texting friends or playing video games, put off and reduce the time spent asleep to a greater degree than passive (被动的) screen time like watching television, especially for teens.
The team studied the daytime screen-based activities of 475 teenagers using daily surveys. They asked the teens how many hours they had spent that day communicating with friends through social media and how many hours they spent playing video games, surfing the internet and watching television or videos. Finally, the researchers asked if they had joined in any of these activities in the hour before bed.
Next, the team measured their sleep time for one week. The researchers found that the teens spent an average of two hours per day communicating with friends via social media, about 1.3 hours playing video games, less than an hour surfing the internet and about 1.7 hours watching television or videos. For every hour throughout the day that they used screens to communicate with friends, they fell asleep about 11 minutes later averagely. For every hour to play video games, they fell asleep about 9 minutes later. Those who talked, texted or played games in the hour before bed lost the most sleep: about 30 minutes later.
Interestingly, David, lead author of the study, said the team found no obvious relations between passive screen-based activities and sleep. “It could be that passive activities are less mentally exciting than interactive activities,” said Anne, co-author of the study. “It’s a tricky situation,” she said. “These screen tools are really important to everyone nowadays, so it’s hard to put a limit on them, but if you’re really looking out for a teenager’s health and well-being, you might consider limiting the more interactive activities, especially in the hour before bed.”
1. Which of the following belongs to interactive screen activities?A.Seeing movies. | B.Watching videos. |
C.Texting friends. | D.Surfing the internet. |
A.Lucy who watched a three-hour movie before going to bed. |
B.Jack who had a 30-minute video chat with his brother before bed. |
C.Sam who played computer games for two hours throughout the day. |
D.Amy who chatted with her friends on WeChat for one hour in the morning. |
A.Frightening. | B.Awkward. | C.Hopeless. | D.Encouraging. |
A.Screen time activities cut down our sleep hours |
B.Interactive screen use reduces sleep time in teenagers |
C.Passive screen use is better than interactive screen use |
D.Parents should prevent children from using social media |
Being nearsighted is far more common than it once was. The case rate of myopia (近视) in Americans
Myopia results when eyeballs are
Some experts connect the myopia to the many hours young people spend in staring at
This new study shows that a lack of direct sunlight may damage vision. Strong correlations (关联) were found between current eyesight and
3 . 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. |
A.The parents’ smartphones. | B.The tables in the house. |
C.The devices in the house. | D.The teenagers’ points. |
A.Object to it personally. | B.Complain of it continually. |
C.Talk with their parents calmly. | D.Do some studies differently. |
A.To list a fact. | B.To offer a suggestion. |
C.To show a result. | D.To ask a new question. |
4 . Walking in the city is very different from walking in the park. A small psychology study suggests urban(城市的) environments can slow your step and possibly increase your mental load. A walk through nature, on the other hand, appears to ease your mind and quicken your pace. The findings show that natural settings may potentially reduce cognitive (认知的)tiredness and improve reaction times straight away. The study, which includes two experiments with two different approaches, was conducted among 65 university students in the lab.
The first of the two experiments in the new study focused on people’s way of walking and cognitive load. During this trial, participants were fitted with sensors and a dozen motion control cameras were set up to watch them repeatedly walk down a 15-metre room at their natural speed. The wall opposite them showed an image of either a nature scene or a city scene. After each walk, participants were asked to rate their feelings of discomfort in the visual environment. On the whole, when walking in city settings, people reported more discomfort and they walked at a slower pace, indicating a higher cognitive load.
The second experiment dug into some of the higher-level cognitive processes that might be at play. In the trial, participants were asked to distinguish between basic visual shapes on the computer while also in the presence of a natural or urban image(the same ones from the first experiment). Measuring reaction times in both natural and urban settings, the team found results to support their idea. In urban environments, participants were slower in distinguishing between simple shapes. The authors think this is because urban environments are more distracting(令人分心的) for our brains and take longer to process, but more research is needed to prove that idea.
1. How were the experiments conducted mainly?A.By comparing. | B.By giving data. |
C.By giving examples. | D.By explaining facts. |
A.It can make us feel relaxed and react quickly. | B.It can activate our thinking and speed up our step. |
C.It can make us less tired and improve our memory. | D.It can make us become more focused and creative. |
A.They had a lower cognitive load. | B.They had to slow down their pace. |
C.They couldn’t concentrate properly. | D.They felt uncomfortable after walking. |
A.Urban environment makes us more concentrated. | B.People’s feelings are decided by their pace of walking. |
C.The result of the experiments is widely appreciated. | D.People tend to get tired more easily walking in the city. |
5 . An immersive and slow-paced Citywalk is becoming trendy across China. In contrast to rushing past overcrowded tourist landmarks, the new trend has emerged as a popular alternative to explore bustling markets, ancient streets, and charming alleys at a leisurely pace.
The appeal of Citywalk caters particularly to the younger generation often caught up in demanding work schedules. As evidenced by the increasing popularity of hash tags like “City walk for vacation” on lifestyle sharing platform Xiaohong shu, with a staggering 465 million views and nearly 464, 600 engagements, the trend is truly capturing unbelievable attention.
Citywalk, or meandering through the urban landscapes, means the act of walking freely along city streets unburdened by exhaustive plans. It offers people an avenue to intimately experience urban culture and local traditions. Citywalk is not merely about sightseeing. It creates an opportunity for social interactions and deep connections with the cities. Citywalk routes are tailored to the specific interests of both out-of-town tourists and locals. For tourists, the focus is on sharing local customs and traditions, while for locals, discussions revolve around the city’s past, present, and future. The growing trend of Citywalk reflects a changing attitude towards life, embracing a warmer, more relaxed, and slower-paced lifestyle.
As Citywalk expands beyond first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, to second-and third-tier cities across the county, it brings fresh opportunities for the tourism industry, in such areas as dining, shopping, and accommodation.
Governments in Beijing and Shandong have recognized the potential of Citywalk, incorporating it into their action plans to promote cultural tourism and leisure activities. In Shanghai, public bus lines specially designed have been introduced to elevate the overall Citywalk for participants.
“By slowing down and delving into the narrow alleys, observing the lives of city residents, and immersing oneself in the context of museums and art galleries, one is entitled to embrace the pleasure of life,” said Luo Jun, a cultural tourism enthusiast.
1. What’s the main reason for the popularity of Citywalk among young people?A.It mainly focuses on urban sightseeing. |
B.Social media offer many tempting videos. |
C.Busywork schedule limits the choice of people. |
D.Conventional tourist landmarks are losing charm. |
A.Astonishing. | B.Rewarding. | C.Embarrassing. | D.Shrinking. |
A.An immersive route for foreigners to enjoy the alleys in Chengdu. |
B.A holiday travel to hurriedly visit crowded landmarks in Shanghai. |
C.A free walk including visiting museums and old towns in Qingdao. |
D.A leisurely tour along Qiantang River to experience city transformation. |
A.Facilities in the museums have been enhanced. |
B.Cooperation has been strengthened among cities. |
C.Opportunities have been offered to third-tier cities. |
D.Specific public transportation routes have been introduced. |
6 . 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. |
7 . Was it probable that Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai and Western hero King Arthur meet and fight against each other? Yes. In a game called King of Glory, created by Chinese company Tencent, King of Glory has been one of the most popular MOBA games in China since 2017.
About one in every seven Chinese people plays the game, and 55 million of them play it every day. The game is easy for beginners. Social media like QQ and WeChat have also helped the game’s community grow. New players can be invited to play the game by their WeChat contacts, with some seeing it as a good way to keep in touch with old friends and make new ones.
The game has more than 60 characters to unlock and play as you progress, each with their own special styles and abilities. The characters cover different times and countries. Some are real historical characters, like Li Bai. Some are not. Players use them to fight against each other or team up to fight. The winners can reach higher ranks.
However, some people think King of Glory gives the students incorrect information about events and people in history. For example, the poet Li Bai is described as a killer; Jing Ke, the man who tried to kill the first emperor of China, is a girl in the game. But more people worry about children playing the game too much and spending too much money on it. Most of the players are below the age of 19. It’s reported that a 17-year-old boy had a stroke (中风) after playing the game for 40 hours.
To change the situation, Tencent added a time limit feature to the game to prevent kids from playing too much. From 4 July 2017, children under 12 years old can play the game for only one hour a day, while users between 12 and 18 get two hours. Those who try to play beyond the time limit will be locked out of the game.
1. What can we learn about King of Glory?A.It is the most popular online game in the world. |
B.It offer 60 characters for players to choose from. |
C.All of the characters are real historical characters. |
D.Players fight against each other or team up to fight. |
A.Only young people are keen on the game. |
B.The game may have some bad effects on children. |
C.The game gives children false information about history. |
D.Children waste too much time playing the game. |
A.To prevent addiction. | B.To save money for players. |
C.To avoid teenagers’ playing. | D.To appeal to more teenagers. |
A.It’s popular around the world. |
B.It’s created by QQ and WeChat. |
C.Some people think it’s a good way to make friends. |
D.Children under 18 can get only one hour to play it. |
8 . Every year around August, millions of teens take their parents to stores to buy new clothes for the start of the school year. Not every parent can afford this, and some teens are forced to go to school in the same clothes they wore last year. The obvious differences in clothes cause differences among students. There is a simple solution to this problem; school uniforms (校服).
I know from personal experience and surveys that wearing uniforms creates a sense of equality among peers (同龄人).
From sixth grade until I graduated from senior high school, I attended a school that required students to wear uniforms. The uniform was very simple: dark brown shoes, green-brown pants, and a white shirt. The uniform left little room for any kind of self-expression, especially through clothes.
However, I learned how to stand out by expressing myself through my personality, art, and sports. I did not know I could draw until the sixth grade. I also would never have learned of my musical abilities if it hadn’t been for my desire to find ways to express myself. Uniforms taught me that I was myself, except what I wore.
Uniforms also contribute to a much safer learning environment. I remember a particular event that happened in my junior high school. A man ran away from prison and wanted to hide in the gym of our school. Luckily, cameras all over the school quickly found the stranger before any danger could ever happen as he was out of place. School officials kept the man locked inside our gym until the police came to take him back to prison.
Uniforms help provide a better educational experience for all students no matter what race, culture, or economic class (经济阶层). In closing, wearing uniforms is good for both schools and students.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?A.By explaining a basic rule. |
B.By challenging others’ views. |
C.By describing a common problem. |
D.By sharing his parents’ experience. |
A.Uniforms should be more modern. |
B.Uniforms can help shape better students. |
C.Uniforms are popular with students. |
D.Uniforms are bad for self-development. |
A.Dressing differently. | B.Standing straight. |
C.Running fast. | D.Breathing heavily. |
A.To record his high school life. |
B.To show his supportive view towards uniforms. |
C.To ask students to like what they wear. |
D.To introduce high school uniforms. |
9 . My son’s seventh birthday is approaching, so conversation at my house has naturally turned to organizing his party.
For his sixth birthday, we booked the local trampoline(蹦床) park. This worked out well. But the whole event cost us hundreds of pounds. This year, I’m trying to convince him that the dinosaur-themed park down the road offers just as much fun—and you don’t even need to wear special socks! This will be cheaper, because we aren’t required to hire a space—we can simply buy tickets for his mates.
But I still keep pondering over one thing—party bags. Why should a bunch of seven-year-olds, who have already been treated to a day out and a mountain of sugar, also be handed a bag full of pound-shop gifts for simply bothering to show up?
Party bags are an environmental disaster. I reckon my son attends 20 parties per year, and at each party there are 20 kids in attendance, which means 400 plastic bags in total. Within these 400 bags are perhaps 800 plastic toys, almost all of which fall apart on the journey home and then get binned instantly. The waste is shocking, and I don’t want to be part of it.
I know there are some party bag alternatives: one couple I know covered a table with Mr. Men books and got the kids to choose one each. At another party, I saw the hosts fill a bucket with soft toys and crumpled newspaper, and do a lucky dip (抽奖). Admirable efforts.
Even if that is a nice try, and even if the contents in the party bags don’t fall apart, so what? Will our guests think more highly of our child because of the party bags from our party? Will my child’s ability to make and keep friends be improved?
Well, the tradition for kid’s party bags ends with me, and it ends here, and it ends now. Who’s with me?
1. Why does the author recommend the dinosaur-themed park?A.Because it’s more enjoyable. | B.Because it provides socks. |
C.Because it can reduce cost. | D.Because it offers free tickets. |
A.Gifts brought by guests. | B.Gifts prepared by hosts. |
C.Gifts distributed by parks. | D.Gift a donated by charities. |
A.Intolerant. | B.Objective. | C.Favorable. | D.In different. |
A.Be recycled. | B.Be repaired. | C.Be thrown away. | D.Be given away. |
10 . Scientists who study happiness know that being kind to others can improve happiness. Acts as simple as buying a cup of coffee for someone can better a person’s mood (心情), for example. Every day life affords many chances for such actions, yet people do not always make use of them.
In a set of studies published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Nick Epley, a behavioral scientist, and I examined a possible explanation. We found that people who perform random (随机的) acts of kindness do not always realize how much of an effect they are having on another person. People usually think little of how others value these acts.
Across our investigations, several results came out. For one, both givers and receivers of the acts of kindness were in more positive moods than usual after these exchanges. For another, it was clear that givers undervalued (低估) their effect; receivers felt much better than the kind givers expected. The receivers also really recognized these acts as “bigger” than the people performing them did.
At first, we studied acts of kindness done for familiar people, such as friends, classmates or family. But later we found that givers undervalued their positive effect on strangers as well. In one experiment, givers in a public park gave away hot chocolate to strangers on a cold winter’s day. Once again, the experience was more positive than the givers expected for the receivers. While the people giving the hot chocolate saw the act as unimportant, it really mattered to the receivers.
Our findings suggest that what might seem small to the givers could matter a great deal to the receivers. Since these warm acts can promote our own mood and brighten the day of another person, why not choose kindness when we can?
1. What do givers seldom think about?A.Comments about their acts. |
B.Effects of their acts on others. |
C.Scientists’ explanation. |
D.Taste of happiness. |
A.Investigations. | B.Moods. | C.Acts. | D.Exchanges. |
A.To explain a rule. | B.To prove a finding. |
C.To present a fact. | D.To show a topic. |
A.Warm Acts Are Usually Valued |
B.Warm Acts Are Necessary For People |
C.Kindness Can Have Unexpectedly Positive Results |
D.Kindness Can Unexpectedly Brighten Our Own Day |