1 . Population：Is 8 billion people too many?
The world’s population has reached 8 billion people.
For now, we can both acknowledge the downsides of the 8 billionth human and believe this is an occasion worth celebrating.
| A．We’ve reached this milestone |
| B．Actually, some population alarmism is appropriate |
| C．The end of population expansion is now foreseeable |
| D．The truth is that the population in developed nations has remained stable |
| E．With any luck, the massive challenge of global aging will spur innovation |
| F．The increasing global population will put more pressure on resources and produce far more emissions |
| G．In contrast, various experts have been put forward “nightmare consequences” about overpopulation since 1960s |
2 . More than 50 million people in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere follow pastoralism(游牧) as a way of life. The practice has survived for so long because it is designed to change with the environment. Pastoralists move with animals to find new lands and water, leaving behind eaten plants to regrow.
Mongolia is well known for its pastoralism. Agvaantogtokh and his family are herders(牧民). On horseback, he rides with nearly a thousand sheep and goats to help them find water. Sometimes, he and his wife, Nurmaa, stop to help struggling young ones, weak after a difficult winter.
For families like Agvaantogtokh’s, pastoralism is more than a profession. It is a cultural identity that connects generations. At its heart is the human connection to animals. While they consider the animals as their property, they also see them as living beings working alongside them.
Researchers say herders believe in “animal agency”. Agvaantogtokh lets his animals choose the food they eat and where they find water. To him, restricting an animal’s movement and asking it to eat the same thing each day is like putting a person in prison.
In Mongolia, weather extremes are a part of life. When Agvaantogtokh thinks about climate change, he is concerned about humans and animals. Continuous dry and warm weather affects Mongolia. Since 1940, the government says, average temperatures have risen 2.2 degrees Celsius. To keep their practice alive, pastoralists seek ways to modernize. In Mongolia, Lkhaebum recently began using a small vehicle to more easily search for horses. The family uses electricity and has other technologies including a TV and a washing machine. They also use a cellphone to follow the weather and access social media where herders share information.
One of the biggest threats to pastoralism comes from within. Nurmaa and Agvaantogtokh’s 18-year-old daughter studies medicine. Their son spoke about becoming a herder when he was a child, but not anymore. “I won’t regret anything if my child won’t be a herder,” Nurmaa said. “I would like them to do what they desire to do.”
1. What contributes to the survival of pastoralism?| A．Huge pastoralist populations. | B．Adaptation to the environment. |
| C．Herders’ desire to travel to new places. | D．Slow development of modernization. |
| A．The distinct identity of animals. | B．A poorly-paid profession. |
| C．An out-of-date lifestyle. | D．The bond between man and animals. |
| A．Animals’ living in cages. | B．Animals’ eating the same thing. |
| C．Animals’ struggling in shelters. | D．Animals’ moving around freely. |
| A．Modern technology. | B．No government support. |
| C．Young people’s disinterest in it. | D．Lack of information exchange. |
3 . 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. |
4 . The US tech giant Microsoft Corp and the leadership consulting firm DDI worked together on a new project on Thursday, with the goal of helping more than 1 million women in China improve their digital skills and embrace the digital future.
The Women Digital Future project came as reports show that women have been more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 than men, and an improvement in digital skills is expected to help them better deal with the bad results from it.
Microsoft said it will partner with a number of companies and organizations to help women in multiple ways, as COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation worldwide and women are faced with more challenges in both life and work.
Alain Crozier, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Greater China, said, “Microsoft has always placed a high value on the development of our female employees and strongly promoting the power of women to drive the world forward.”
Mindy Yeh, managing director of Greater China, said the company’s global survey shows that there are nearly double the number of female leaders at the top 20 percent of well-performing companies than in the bottom 20 percent. Moreover, they have clear advantages in terms of teamwork and interaction.
Cecilia Qi, general manager of GSK China, said, “Digital transformation is both an opportunity and a challenge for women. This is especially the case in the new era, which requires companies to provide women with more support to help them achieve better work-life balance and continue to gain success as they continue forward in their career. Success belongs to everyone, and I believe that, in the future, society will be more supportive of women and provide them with more equal career opportunities.”
1. What is the main purpose of the new project?| A．To help women fight against COVID-19. |
| B．To reduce the bad impacts from COVID-19 on women. |
| C．To help women better prepare for the digital future. |
| D．To promote the products of Microsoft Corp. |
| A．speeded up | B．lived up to | C．influenced | D．prevented |
| A．Women are more popular in good companies. | B．Women receive more support from society. |
| C．Women leaders have more advantages over men. | D．Women leaders perform better in some fields. |
| A．Women have no chance to succeed in the digital age. |
| B．Women are treated unfairly in pursuing a successful career. |
| C．Women need support to achieve a balance between work and life. |
| D．The world is too complex for women to achieve their dreams. |
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Waste on Campus
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6 . Those who don’t live in cities often complain about or feel surprised at the fact that strangers don’t talk to each other in urban public places. They feel sorry about the way we seem to increasingly get lost in mobile devices, seemingly oblivious to what’s going on around us. But sociologists recognize that the space we give each other in the urban places serves an important social function.
Well-known sociologist Erving Goffman developed the concept of “civil inattention” in his book Behavior in Public Places. Far from ignoring those around us, Goffman proved through years of studying people in public that what we’re actually doing is pretending to be unaware of what others are doing around us, therefore providing them a sense of privacy, as they do the same for us. Goffman proved in his research that civil inattention typically involves at first a mirror form of social interaction, like very brief eye contact, the exchange of head nods, or weak smiles. Following that, both parties then typically shin their eyes from the other party.
Goffman theorized that what we achieve, socially speaking, with this kind of interaction, is mutual (相互的) recognition that the other present causes no threat to our security, and we both agree, tacitly (默契地), to let the other alone to do as they please. When we provide civil inattention to others, we effectively approve their behavior. Sometimes, we use civil inattention to save face when we’ve done something we feel embarrassed by, or to help manage the embarrassment that another might feel if we witness them trip, or drop something.
Civil inattention is thus not a problem, but an important part of maintaining social order in public. For this reason, problems arise when this norm (规范) is broken. Because we expect it from others and see it as normal behavior, we may feel threatened by someone who doesn’t give it to us. This is why women feel threatened by those who catcall (发嘘声)to them, and why for some men, simply being stared at by another is enough to cause a physical fight.
1. How does the author begin this text?| A．By giving people a warning. |
| B．By giving some people’s feelings. |
| C．By explaining a way of socializing. |
| D．By giving a problem with technology. |
| A．curious about |
| B．unsure about |
| C．tired of |
| D．unaware of |
| A．We are ignoring him on a rude basis. |
| B．We are showing our respect for others’ privacy. |
| C．We are protecting ourselves from physical attacks. |
| D．We are worrying that we could lose belongings. |
| A．Civil inattention has positive effects on social interaction. |
| B．Civil inattention helps save face when we’ve done something wrong. |
| C．Civil inattention is unlinked to social interaction according to Goffman. |
| D．Civil inattention is a type of normal behavior which we may feel threatened. |
7 . Over the past few years, electric scooters have been brought to Paris and dozens of other c ties worldwide as an environmentally-friendly individual transport option. What cities have gotten instead is chaos-scooters shooting down sidewalks at dangerous speeds or laying abandoned on sidewalks. Both riders and pedestrians have been injured and sometimes killed.
The people of Paris have spoken loud and clear: get electric scooters off of our streets. Among the 100,000 people, nearly 90% of them vote in favor of s scooter ban. It’s easy to see why.
When it comes to scooters, there are often not many rules regulating them, and enforcement(执行) is far from per feet In Paris, for example, the city technically banned multiple riders on a single scooter and scooter son sidewalks, but it is not unusual in Paris to see couples on a single scooter, flying down a city sidewalk. In New York City, there is a scooter speed limit. But it’s pretty rare to see a New York City policeman doling out a ticket to a scooter rider. Other cities require scooter riders to obey standard traffic laws, but these regulations are often overlooked.
Another problem with scooters is that there is no obvious spot for them within urban infrastructure. They go far too fast to be safe on the sidewalk, which may bring potential risks to pedestrians. But scooters are also inappropriate for the bike lane—they don’t move like bikes, which makes them difficult to see and navigate around and can be dangerous for scooter drivers and cyclists. Scooters also aren’t suitable for the road, Scooters don’t go fast enough to share space with cars; and their riders are not protected against vehicles going 30 miles per hour or more.
In cities where public transport is solid and pedestrians fill the sidewalks, scooters should see themselves out or be regulated out. And in other cities where cars dominate and public transport is lacking, the priority should be to build new infrastructure to move people around efficiently and greenly.
1. What can we learn about electric scooters?| A．They are costly and noisy. | B．They are eco-friendly but risky. |
| C．They are deadly and abandoned. | D．They are convenient but inefficient. |
| A．Rarely do New Yorkers ride scooters on the street. |
| B．The larger the city is, the stricter the regulations are. |
| C．Relevant regulations have not been strictly enforced. |
| D．Parisians are more obedient to traffic regulations. |
| A．Scooters run at a low speed. |
| B．Scooters pose potential risks. |
| C．There is no navigation system on scooters. |
| D．There is no lane specially designed for scooters. |
| A．To define. | B．To advise. | C．To warn. | D．To compare. |
8 . Haley Curfman, 25, of Blackwell, Oklahoma, is a teacher at Blackwell Public School and last year she bought a plain(朴素的) white dress, which she set up a station in her classroom for her students to decorate, encouraging them to go and draw on the dress whenever they had free time. Haley set up a station at a table with the dress and some colored markers so that her students could draw on it, having first seen the idea on Pinterest.
After the kids had finished the design, she then surprised them all by wearing the dress to class, sharing pictures of herself in it on Facebook in a post that has since been shared over 200, 000 times.
For teachers looking to do something similar for their own students, Haley said that she bought the dress off Amazon for less than $ 20 about six months ago and pre-washed the dress before she started the project. She used markers from Walmart. But she said these things can be bought in other places. She said, “To do the project, I set up a station at a table with the dress and markers. It takes anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete as we just work on it here and there when time allows. You'd better give the students enough time so they don't have to hurry.”
“Teachers have been sharing their dresses, T-shirts, etc. with me that they've been creating since the 1950s with the same idea. It is amazing, and I love the fact that you are sharing them with me! Thank you all so much for your kindness and support,” she wrote on Facebook.
Asked why she came up with the idea, Haley told Scary Mommy. “We don't have art in our school, so, I always try to do little creative projects when possible.”
1. What did Haley use the plain white dress to do?| A．To teach her students painting. |
| B．To prepare for her presentation. |
| C．To ask her students to draw on it. |
| D．To help her students with their homework. |
| A．It took Haley by surprise. | B．It is kept by Haley at home. |
| C．It is the product of a new idea. | D．It has enjoyed popularity online. |
| A．Buy the same dress online. | B．Give the kids enough time. |
| C．Buy the same markers in Walmart. | D．Leave the finished work untouched. |
| A．To teach art to her students. | B．To show her idea on Pinterest. |
| C．To share it with other teachers. | D．To excite her students' creativity. |
9 . Restaurants’ growth accelerated in the 20th century. Dining out became relatively more expensive. And yet three economic changes ensured that demand for restaurants grew despite rising prices.
The first was immigration. In the 50 years after the Second World War, the net flow of migrants into rich countries were more than four times as before. Starting a restaurant was a good career move for new arrivals：it neither required formal qualifications nor, at least for chefs, fluency in the local language. Migrants tended to improve the quality of an area’s restaurants. London’s became far better in the era of free movement with the European Union. The melting pot that is Singapore has some of the best food in the world Restaurants became more tempting, even as prices went up.
The second factor was the changing microeconomics of the family. Households’ choices about whether to make their own food or to buy it premade were shaped not only by the cost of ingredients, but also by the time spent on shopping and preparation. As more women entered the workforce during the 20th century, a working woman who cooked dinner would be sacrificing time which might otherwise be used to earn money. And so eating out made increasing economic sense, even as it became more expensive.
The third factor was changing working patterns. Historically, poor people tended to work longer hours than rich ones. But in the latter half of the 20th century the opposite became true. The rise of knowledge-intensive jobs, and globalization, made rich people’s work more financially rewarding and enjoyable. Working late into the night became a sign of status. The result was that the people with the most money to spend on dining out increasingly needed it most, since they had the least free time.
The long-term future of the restaurant is less clear. The pandemic has led to many people buying more takeout than before, while others have a newfound love of cooking.
Restaurants have little choice but to continue to adapt. Maybe apart from food, they can also double down on what they do best: offering those who need to eat a taste of romance, glamour and love.
1. Why was starting a restaurant a good choice for the new migrants?| A．They could meet the requirements easily. |
| B．They could speak the local language fluently. |
| C．They could serve the best food in the world. |
| D．They could move to and from the country freely. |
| A．They might make little money. | B．They tended to eat at home. |
| C．They tended to work longer hours. | D．They might have a lower social status. |
| A．Restaurants have to double the price of dishes. |
| B．Restaurants have to reduce the cost of ingredients. |
| C．Restaurants have to adapt to the needs of customers. |
| D．Restaurants have to cancel the take-out service. |
| A．How to make restaurants more appealing. |
| B．How restaurants survive the pandemic. |
| C．What contributes to the development of restaurants. |
| D．Why people go to restaurants despite the rising price. |
10 . Years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong wish that parents have for their children is another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities. No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The concept of generation gap. |
| B．The reasons for generation gap. |
| C．Ways to reduce generation gap. |
| D．Attitudes towards generation gap. |
| A．depend on their parents to make a life |
| B．live with their parents in the same area |
| C．ask their parents for the best advice |
| D．have very little in common with their parents |
| A．Parents should be strict with their children. |
| B．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation. |
| C．Parents couldn’t do things well themselves. |
| D．The young never want to satisfy their parents. |
| A．Parents are not strict enough with their children. |
| B．The young value the old too much for their wisdom. |
| C．Young people don’t have the knowledge of a lifetime. |
| D．The society develops too fast. |
