The average cost of raising a child until the age of 18 was 485,000 yuan in China in 2019,
New policies in 2021 encourage families
Three major ways — cash rewards, housing subsidies (补贴) and baby care centers
2 . When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.
Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?
Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people that we don’t have the courage to actually do in reality.
Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends — our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.
Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t actually believe and being someone you think they want you to be — it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.
But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile — and a smile is worth a lot.
1. What do we learn about the author?| A．He likes to be alone. | B．He feels nervous lately. |
| C．He’s afraid of talking to others at times. | D．He’s active in attending social events. |
| A．They rely on the Internet to socialize. |
| B．They are less confident in themselves. |
| C．They have difficulty in communicating. |
| D．They are unwilling to make new friends. |
| A．They fear to disappoint their old friends. |
| B．They want to take time to do meaningful work |
| C．They are busy with their study. |
| D．They think it troublesome. |
| A．To tell about the importance of friends. |
| B．To encourage people to meet new people. |
| C．To give tips on how to meet new people. |
| D．To introduce the disadvantages of Generation-Y. |
3 . The moon had gone behind a cloud and there weren't many stars in the sky. As I took a glance (一瞥) at my neighbour's house, I saw a flame (火焰) in his
Soon, there was a burning smell in the air and I guessed something was wrong.
I
I tried to throw water through the kitchen window
When my neighbour came back, he was
Weeks later, my neighbour repaired and restored his kitchen. He
| A．sitting room | B．bathroom | C．kitchen | D．bedroom |
| A．chair | B．table | C．bed | D．sofa |
| A．After a while | B．All the time | C．Once in a while | D．At once |
| A．examine | B．search | C．listen | D．smell |
| A．said | B．shouted | C．received | D．smiled |
| A．walked | B．rushed | C．jumped | D．stepped |
| A．answer | B．light | C．sound | D．fire |
| A．take out | B．take up | C．break down | D．break into |
| A．and | B．but | C．because | D．so |
| A．Luckily | B．Sadly | C．Unfortunately | D．Suddenly |
| A．run | B．spread | C．flow | D．return |
| A．glad | B．sad | C．sick | D．angry |
| A．children | B．parents | C．life | D．pets |
| A．ordered | B．begged | C．advised | D．invited |
| A．mainly | B．particularly | C．specially | D．naturally |
4 . The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and pleasure. We use it to learn a new language. We find advice on it. We use it to connect with family and friends. We use it to stay in touch with events we care about.The list goes on and on.
As far as the Internet being a part of our lives, well, that train has left the station. There is no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, say researchers. A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure in a young group: teenagers.
The study results show that teens who spend at least 14 hours a week only online may cause high blood pressure, which makes their hearts and blood vessels(血管) work too hard. Over time, this extra pressure increases the risk of a heart attack. High blood pressure can also cause heart and other diseases.
The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. 335 young people, from 14 to 17 years old, took part in it. 134 of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users”. And researchers found that out of these 134 teens, 26 had high blood pressure. The researchers said the study was the first to connect heavy Web use with high blood pressure.
The lead researcher is Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow. She says, “Using the Internet is part of our daily life, but it shouldn’t ruin(毁坏) us.” Ms. Cassidy-Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to stop to have a rest regular from their computers or smartphones and do some kind of physical activity. She also suggests that parents shouldn’t let their children use the Internet for more than two hours a day, five days a week.
1. What does the underlined part “that train has left the station”mean in Paragraph 2?| A．The train has changed its course. |
| B．Life without the Internet is nowhere to be found. |
| C．The Internet brings great changes to people’s life. |
| D．The Internet has improved people’s life. |
| A．There was no similar study like it before. |
| B．Most of the young people had high blood pressure. |
| C．Adult people aged above 17 took part in the study. |
| D．Over half of the teens in the study were heavy Internet users. |
| A．That teenagers shouldn’t use the Internet. |
| B．That the Internet will ruin human life in the future. |
| C．That smartphones are more harmful than computers. |
| D．That regular breaks are necessary when using the Internet. |
| A．Heavy Internet users are mostly teenagers. |
| B．Every coin has two sides—so does the Internet. |
| C．Too much Internet use may be bad for teenagers. |
| D．How to prevent teenagers from using the Internet. |
5 . The Top 4 Lies Girls Hear
(1) "You'll never be good at math."
It's generally accepted that boys are good at math while girls aren't. The fact is that it isn't true-at least, it doesn't have to be. When girls reach their teens, most of them lose their interest in math. They're trying to be regarded as female. They want to stay away from things that are boy things, and math is still considered a boy thing. Math class is hard, but if you gave it a chance you could be great at math, especially because you are a girl.
(2) "Being skinny is good, and how you diet is your business."
Lots of web sites tell visitors that losing interest in eating is a beautiful thing. These "skinny is better" sites are lying. Losing interest in eating is a disease, not a fashion statement. It can kill you.
(3) "You don't deserve to make as much money as a guy."
It's said that in 2002 women who work full-time earn about 23 percent less than guys earn. Once you see real women succeeding in cool jobs, you'll truly get that you're worth just as much as-or more than any guys.
(4) "Caffeine will help you study better."
Caffeinated soft drinks have long been advertised as must-haves when you have to work very hard. But if you want to do your body a big favor, you'd better give up caffeine altogether.
1. Why do girls lose their interest in math?| A．Because they don't realize the importance of math. |
| B．Because math class is too hard for girls. |
| C．Because girls are not as clever as boys. |
| D．Because they aren't interested in the things which are considered boy things. |
| A．pretty | B．strong | C．thin | D．tall |
| A．10, 000 | B．15, 000 | C．20, 000 | D．25, 000 |
| A．Girls sometimes can do better than boys in math. | B．Caffeine can make people feel more excited. |
| C．Girls can earn as much money as boys do. | D．Being skinny is good for girls' health. |
6 . When my friend suggested going to the op shop (二手商店)，instantly I thought “I hope no one I know sees me”. It was the same when my cousin commented on my new furniture and Japanese, fine-bone-china bowls and asked where I got them. They were from the local op shop but instead I said “from the antique shop”.
Many people in my Greek-Cypriot community would look down on me if I said I shopped at the op shop. They may pity me, consider me poor, a failure. Immigrants sacrificed their families and homes for a better life. Buying a house and having enough money to live comfortably, to educate your children and see them also live comfortably, are a big part of the immigrant dream, But has this dream made us materialistic at the cost of our own planet?
Our love for purchasing the latest trendy clothes or furniture, then donating them when we are tired of them has become normal. I was once like this. But after watching the documentary The True Cost I learned donated clothes that don’t get sold are sent to developing nations, many of them ending up in landfills (垃圾填埋地). In addition, your new dress requires electricity and materials to make. But if you buy a second-hand dress, that’s one less dress in a landfill and one less new dress to be made.
A friend introduced me to op shopping only a few years ago. My first item was a dress she gifted me. It was lovely and I loved it. Nobody could tell it was second-hand. This opened me up to purchasing more second-hand high quality branded clothes. Once I visited a friend and was impressed by how she decorated her apartment. “It’s all second-hand,” she said. I couldn’t believe it. The truth is a lot of things sold at the op shop are in new or almost new condition. That’s when I made the decision to only buy second-hand things.
Selling second-hand things isn’t anything new but what the planet needs is more buyers. There is so much excess (过量) production in the world. So stop feeling ashamed, and let’s get shopping.
1. What kind of feeling is expressed in Paragraph 1?| A．Pride. | B．Embarrassment. | C．Delight. | D．Sympathy. |
| A．They are probably materialistic. |
| B．They care about the environment. |
| C．They think highly of op shopping. |
| D．They look down upon immigrants. |
| A．Watch the documentary The True Cost. |
| B．Donate more to local charities. |
| C．Avoid shopping too much. |
| D．Stop buying new things. |
| A．To entertain. | B．To advertise. | C．To persuade. | D．To describe. |
