Socializing with my friends online is my life. The moment I wake
Social networking
It is common that at parties or at a family holiday, most members fix their eyes on their phones,
What is most worrying is that it is
2 . Janet, now 37, was playing with her new pet dog, Stitch, who jumped up, grabbed her sleeve, and tore several holes in her sweater with its sharp teeth. Instead of throwing the sweater away, Janet decided to repair it.
She turned to “visible repairing,” an idea of repairing clothes that leaves an obvious fix. She added bright flowers and other small designs to damaged clothes. “Every time you do a repair, it’s like having bought a new piece of clothes,” says Janet.
Actually, repairing is a great opportunity to realize the urgent (迫切的) need to reduce waste. Sadly, we have become used to replacing things instead of repairing them — and the rubbish is piling up. Worldwide, we throw away 92 million tons of cloth every year. Electronic waste is another growing problem: About 50 million tons of it is created each year around the world.
The good news is that fixing things can help deal with the waste problem. There are some solutions. Due to information online, the popular how-to site iFixit.com , a database (数据库) with nearly 100,000 repair brochures for everything from electronics to clothing, has promoted more than 100 million repairs. In addition, since the first Repair Café opened in2009 in Amsterdam, more than 2,700 cafés have been set up to offer in-person fix-it help in various countries. Organizers set up events, and volunteers with repair knowledge bring their tools. They will try to fix whatever people bring in, for free, and teach visitors how to do repairs themselves.
Fixing things is part of a larger change toward a circular economy —the idea that instead of throwing away things once they are broken or out of date, we reuse or repair them, keeping them out of the landfill (垃圾填埋场) for as long as possible. According to a 2023 report from Circle Economy, a Netherlands-based NGO, if the world changed to a circular economy, we could lower the amount of waste by a third.
1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Janet?| A．To praise her way of protecting pets. |
| B．To introduce special clothing designs. |
| C．To call for attention to repairing things. |
| D．To market the products of fixed clothes. |
| A．The action of replacing things is wise. |
| B．The behaviour of repairing things is popular. |
| C．The need for reducing clothes is urgent. |
| D．The problem of producing waste is serious. |
| A．By teaching volunteers repair knowledge. |
| B．By sharing tips on opening repair cafés. |
| C．By providing information to the repair database. |
| D．By offering online and off line help to encourage repairs. |
| A．Jim threw away a used bike. | B．Jackson mended a torn sofa. |
| C．Sue replaced a worn carpet. | D．Windy removed a broken vase. |
3 . The cultural products we create reflect the times we live in. “Works of popular culture, we reasoned, should reflect the extent to which nature occupies our collective consciousness (集体意识), ” says psychologist Dr Selin Kesebir. “If novelists, songwriters or filmmakers have fewer encounters with nature these days than before, or if they don’t expect their audiences to respond to it, nature would feature less frequently in their works.”
The researchers drew up a list of 186 nature-related words belonging to four categories: general words relating to nature such as cloud, or sunrise; names of flowers; names of trees; and birds’ names. Then they analyzed how often these occurred in the output of popular culture. They looked at English-language fiction, pop songs and film plots, each of which featured thousands of examples.
The results were consistent across books, songs and movies. “The space taken by nature has been decreasing in the collective imagination and cultural conversation since the 1950s. Nature features significantly less in English popular culture today than it did in the first half of the 20th century” says Dr Kesebir.
Why? Some people suggest it’s the growth of cities that has fuelled the change. “Urbanization swallows up natural areas and cuts people off from their natural surroundings,” says Dr Kesebir. But, she goes on, the growth rate of cities over the 20th century is gradual, but the data shows a marked change from the 1950s onwards. So it’s not just the fact that fewer of us are living in rural areas that explains the decline (减少).
More likely, she believes, we’re seeing the impact of technological change leading to more indoor recreational activities. Yes, TV, video games and the Internet are to blame. “These technologies may well have been substituted for nature as a source of joy, recreation and entertainment.”
Books, songs and films shape our culture as well as reflecting it, says Dr Kesebir. “The declining cultural attention to nature means a muting of the message that nature: is worth paying attention to and talking about. It also means a loss of opportunities to awaken curiosity, appreciation and awe for nature.”
1. How did the researchers conduct their study of popular culture?| A．By having interviews. | B．By doing field research. |
| C．By analyzing collected data. | D．By referring to previous studies. |
| A．It highlighted fictional stories. | B．It caught the public’s imagination. |
| C．Its nature elements were greatly reduced. | D．Its focus shifted from fiction to conversations. |
| A．Technology. | B．The population. |
| C．City development. | D．The environment. |
| A．Explanation. | B．Silence. | C．Exchange. | D．Emphasis. |
4 . We, modern humans, spend 90% of our time inside, traveling between homes and offices, schools and apartments, restaurants and gyms. I’ve been hearing this statistic so much that I started to wonder if it was an urban legend. It’s not! The best reference for the statistic appears to be The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS).
The survey was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “EPA’s main purpose for collecting the NHAPS data was to provide diary records that could be used as inputs for computer-based human exposure models,” says the study. In other words, in order to understand how humans might be impacted by pollutants in our various indoor and outdoor environments, scientists needed to know how much time we spend in different locations.
The survey was conducted by the University of Maryland’s Survey Research Center. The survey used telephone interviews to collect 24-hour retrospective (回顾的) diaries from each respondent (调查对象). Between 340 and 1,713 respondents were interviewed in each of the ten EPA regions across the 48 neighboring states. Respondents were generally representative of the whole nation for gender, age, race, and educational attainment.
Americans spend 87% of their time indoors and an additional 6% in an enclosed vehicle. These proportions (比例) are also fairly constant across various regions of the United States and Canada. The finding that emerges is that we are basically an indoor species. In a modern society, total time outdoors is the most negligible part of the day, often so small that it barely shows up in the total.
Is the study accurate? Probably not. It may not take into account some populations that spend a high proportion of time outside. As the study states, “Those who were away from a home for extended periods were not included in the survey. These individuals may be more likely than those who were at home to spend large quantities of time outdoors.” Also, the survey methodology also doesn’t account well for bits of time spent taking out the trash, walking to the car, or taking a smoke break outside.
1. What can we learn about modern humans according to NHAPS?| A．They’re an indoor species. | B．They’re an urban legend. |
| C．They enjoy a leisurely life. | D．They like living in modern cities. |
| A．Humans’ different living habits. | B．Humans’ way of keeping a diary. |
| C．Humans’ time spent in various locations. | D．Humans’ attitude towards the researchers. |
| A．Fixed. | B．Noticeable. | C．Rewarding. | D．Insignificant. |
| A．A suggestion for further studies. | B．A possible reason for the finding. |
| C．An explanation of the research method. | D．A major limitation of the study. |
5 . When I made the decision to quit my full-time employment, I never thought that I could get involved in an increasing global trend. I had to leave my relatively high-profile position for an unexpected move that hurt my pride and prevented me from getting promoted. Yet, I excused my departure by saying “I wanted to spend more time with my family”.
Curiously, after around two and a half years, my experience in what Americans refer to as “downshifting” has turned my excuse into an absolute reality. I have been transformed from a passionate advocate of Linda Kelsey’s “have it all” concept, which she has been promoting for the past seven years in the pages of She magazine, into a woman who is content to accept a little bit of everything.
I have discovered that abandoning the idea of “juggling your life” and adopting the alternative strategy of “downshifting” has benefits that go far beyond financial success and social status. Nothing could convince me to go back to the lifestyle Kelsey used to promote and which I had previously enjoyed: 12-hour workdays, tight deadlines, the terrifying pressure of office politics, and the demand of being a parent on “quality time”.
After the widespread layoffs (裁员) brought on by cost-cutting in the late 1980s, America started to move toward a simpler, less materialistic way of life as a response to the economic downturn. In America, simplifying one’s life is frequently done for financial reasons, but in Britain, at least among the middle class I know, we have different motivations for doing so. For the women of my generation who were encouraged to keep juggling, downshifting is not so much a search for a mythical (虚无的) good life—growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one—as a personal recognition of your limitations.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．The writer didn’t take pride in her original job. |
| B．Full-time employment is a new international trend. |
| C．The writer was eager to spend more time with her family. |
| D．The writer was forced to resign due to an external factor. |
| A．The writer abandoned her high social status for downshifting. |
| B．Downshifting allowed the writer to make her dream come true. |
| C．The writer changed her way of thinking through downshifting. |
| D．The writer accepted the concept of She magazine because of downshifting. |
| A．Settling for a bit of everything. |
| B．Choosing to live a simple life. |
| C．Adopting a busy and stressful lifestyle. |
| D．Staying away from a materialistic way of life. |
| A．It is never too late to pursue your dream. |
| B．Downshifting results in a more satisfactory and simpler life. |
| C．There is a difference between the American and British cultures. |
| D．People should adopt downshifting to search for mythical experiences. |
6 . Carlos Slim’s proposal that we work a three - day week sounds crazy. But many, in 1922, thought Henry Ford crazy when he announced that his staff would work a five - day week.
Our working week seems normal to us because it is what we all always do. He certainly could be for those he was most concerned about when he made his three - day - week statement at a business conference in Paraguay: the workers who are not ready to retire. As Mr. Slim said, it no longer makes sense for people to stop working in their fifties or sixties when they may still have up to a third of their lives ahead of them. “People are going to have to work for more years, until they are 70 or 75, and just work three days a week - perhaps 11 hours a day.” he said.
Keeping older employees at work makes sense for societies, especially those with a diminishing number of young people who are expected to support long - living retirees.
He appeared to be suggesting that these short - week workers earn the same as they did full - time. That is what happens at Telmex, his Mexican fixed - line phone company, where those qualified for retirement can choose to work four - day weeks on full pay.
Older workers elsewhere might prefer shorter weeks on reduced pay - and eight or nine - hour days rather than 11. Their companies might value keeping their experience while saving money on their salaries. What about everyone else? There are those who are unemployed, or in unstable jobs, who would be delighted to have three secure, well - paid days of work a week.
Shorter weeks don’t work in every job, but they work in more jobs than most tradition - bound managers think. Agreeing to them requires two shifts in management thinking. The first is the realization that much of the time spent in offices is wasted anyway. Second, senior executives need ro understand that the best way to measure people is by the work they produce - not by how much time they spend at their desks.
People living longer, in better health, are changing working life too. Mr. Slim’s idea is in tune with the times.
1. According to paragraph 2 why did Mr. Slim think it unwise for people in their fifties or sixties to retire ?| A．Because they have longer life to live in their future. |
| B．Because they have children and old parents to support |
| C．Because they have much interest in their present work. |
| D．Because they have more experience than young workers. |
| A．The decision of working five days a week by Ford was considered normal in the past. |
| B．Old people continuing working can reduce young people’s pressure to support their old parents |
| C．Some companies don’t want their old workers to go on working because they can save money. |
| D．Much time spent at work is wasted if managers don’t agree to reduce old employees’working time. |
| A．Different from. | B．Superior to. |
| C．Far from. | D．Consistent with. |
| A．Retire Or Not, This Is A Question! |
| B．Shorter Weeks Is Welcome By All |
| C．Working Three Days A Week: A Great Idea |
| D．Carlos Slim - Crazy For More Resting Time |
7 . How to Convince Your Parents to Give You More Freedom
As you grow up, it can happen that you want more time to go out with friends or more computer time, but your parents are concerned about you. In this case, how can you gain more freedom from your parents?
Follow your parents' rules and instructions without complaint.
Avoid dangerous behaviors and wrong companions. It will be much harder for your parents to give you more freedom if you're drinking, partying a lot, or hanging out with the wrong crowds.
Remain calm and accept their decision. Explain to them exactly why you think you can handle this particular freedom. If they say no, respect that choice. Becoming angry will only prove to them that you are not yet mature enough to handle additional freedom. Continue your good behavior instead. They might eventually recognize that you have grown up.
| A．If possible, bring your friends home. |
| B．Naturally you will be given more freedom. |
| C．Always come home when you're supposed to. |
| D．Choose an appropriate time to discuss this topic. |
| E．You will need to show them that you are trustworthy. |
| F．Connect with your parents frequently in your daily life. |
| G．For instance, you can think about any possible consequence. |
8 . Agriculture may feed the world, but it is also contributing to environmental problems. Agriculture production uses about 70% of the Earth's fresh water and makes up about a third of greenhouse gas emissions. But it doesn't have to. Farming is moving inside, and farmers aren't exactly what they used to be.
Take for example Grover and Phil, two robots, or farmers of the future, working at Iron Ox, a farm tech company in Silicon Valley, planning to set up farms around the country in or- der to grow crops closer to consumers in a greener way. “We have different robots that are looking after the plants. They can check and scan them for issues, and change the amount of nutrients plants get and the amount of water they get, "explained Brandon Alexander, CEO of Iron Ox.
Iron Ox’s method is very different from what Alexander calls the“spray (喷洒) and pray” approach to agriculture on a Texas farm, where he grew up and more chemicals create more quantity at the expense of quality. “Besides, a lot of the water in field farming gets just washed out and never actually reaches the plants. And when 70% of your fresh water is going into farming, only 10% of that actually reaches the plants. It's just generating a lot of waste, ”he said. However, the indoor farming allows farmers to grow any crop at any time, regardless of climate change. It also uses hydroponics(无土栽培) , growing crops without soil so water goes directly to the roots.
“In the indoor farming industry today, even with all the investments into it, these investments are a drop in the bucket(桶) in spite of the great potential of this new industry,” he added.
Iron Ox is now magnifying its business in more states. Alexander says the company will produce about 100 times more produce over the next 18 months than it's currently producing to satisfy greater needs.
1. Which of the following may be Grover and Phil's work?| A．Producing nutrients for crops. |
| B．Curing plants of their diseases. |
| C．Watering plants scientifically. |
| D．Delivering produce to consumers. |
| A．Chemicals contribute a lot to the quality of crops. |
| B．Hydroponics is impractical in growing crops now. |
| C．It takes much more time for crops to grow indoors. |
| D．Indoor farming has advantages over traditional one. |
| A．It causes a waste of more water. |
| B．It needs buckets to grow crops. |
| C．It is unlikely to attract investments. |
| D．Its investments are far from enough. |
| A．Expanding. |
| B．Changing. |
| C．Reducing. |
| D．Quitting. |
As I walked along the sidewalk in front of Surplus Unlimited, a car that was about to change my life had just turned onto Route 82 from the CVS parking lot. I looked up and noticed the elderly couple in the car heading toward me. As the car rolled past, the driver suddenly collapsed against the steering wheel (方向盘) right in front of my eyes. His wife stared blankly out of the passenger side window. She was unaware that her car was now rolling—without a conscious driver—down the center of a busy road.
I began to jog alongside the moving car. My mind assessed the situation. Somebody needed to stop that car!
I reached forward, but there was nothing to grab. I pounded on her window. She looked confused. “Roll down the window!” I yelled, gesturing wildly. With the window down, I was able to grab the doorframe. I pulled hard against the force of the moving vehicle. On the far side of the car, the traffic streamed by in the opposite direction. Cars passed one after another. Nobody slowed down. Nobody seemed to notice.
Thankfully, the driver’s foot must have slipped off the gas pedal (踏板) when he lost consciousness. I kept pulling, and the car began to slow.
Just then, a woman appeared from behind me. She ran alongside the driver side door. She opened the door and as the car was slowing, she managed to shift it out of “Drive”. A joyful “We did it!” feeling swept over me.
But the car was now stopped in the center lane (车道) with traffic still moving in both directions around us and we need to help this man. Quickly! The woman called 911 while I checked his vital signs. He was not breathing. He had no pulse. He had about five minutes until he was dead. CPR was needed in to time.
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。
Thoughts started running through my mind.
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In an instant, the man from the black SUV was standing beside me and said, “I am a doctor.”
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It was the 9th of January, a day I will remember for a long time. It was a normal Sunday morning around 8:30 am, right on time for Sammy’s morning walk. I didn’t walk because of my lameness, so I rode in my power wheelchair. We got out the door and made our way toward a property near my apartment complex. We got to the gate and out of the complex, and we went left onto the extra wide sidewalk. It was about a mile’s walk one way , passing a firehouse on the right side of the road, before we turned around and started back.
Along the path we took was a large plate over the sidewalk. I passed over it the first time without any problems. My wheelchair could reach up to 8 miles per hour, but we went a little slower on our walks, around 2 miles per hour, so Sammy could keep up. Even so, this speed was pretty fast for a 15-year-old dog.
As we turned around and made our way back, I went over the sidewalk plate again except that this time it was moved without me realizing it, putting my wheelchair in the grass on the embankment (路堤). The next thing I knew, my wheelchair started to tip over, throwing me out of the chair and rolling down the embankment into the muddy water below.
My right leg was hurt, and I was unable to pull myself upright. I was too weak to gather my strength to call for help. The muddy water was cold and I felt it hard to breathe with my body folded and twisted in a strange position. Meanwhile, Sammy was sitting up on the sidewalk with his leash (牵狗皮带) caught under the tipped over wheelchair. I heard him barking louder than ever heard. He knew I was hurt and was in danger.
By the way my wheelchair tipped over, a passerby on the street would not be able to see it from the road. All anyone could see was a dog barking on the sidewalk almost night across the street from the firehouse.
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。
I could tell Sammy was trying to help me.
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Three firemen came to my dog’s aid finally.
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