1 . As the U. K. and nations across the world mourn (哀悼) the death of Queen Elizabeth II, several aspects of the queen’s 70-year reign have been resurfacing over the past few days. From her personal life to her colonial legacy to her beloved dog — many are attracted by the life of the monarch (君主) . According to some experts, part of people’s attention towards the Royal Family not only comes from their respect for the queen but also from the trend of celebrity worshipping (名人崇拜) .
The idea of the British Royal Family taps into a collective desire for something that seems extraordinary, as opposed to the banality (平庸) of one’s own life, Cheryl Thompson, an assistant professor at the School of Performance at Toronto Metropolitan University, told Global News.
Thompson said the fairytaleish aspect of the British Royal Family is what attracts people, adding that many are attracted by their luxury weddings, seemingly perfect lives and the media attention that follows. “People have grown up hearing about fairy tales with princes and kings and queens,” she said. “So, you would imagine the castle has to be amazing compared to the two-bedroom apartment that you live in with your family … that whole idea of having servants upstairs, the luxuriousness of the dinner table — just brings all of that back into people’s imagination.”
Cele Otnes, head of the Department of Business Administration at the University of Illinois, said the Royal Family is “a complex brand” that is different from what one would normally associate with celebrities.
“They are a global brand that people love all over the world”, explained Otnes.
“They’re luxury”, she said. People far and wide are “very interested in the drama and the tension that happens in the Royal Family.”
“I think another one of the reasons the queen was so popular is that although everyone knew she was extremely wealthy, she didn’t show off her wealth.”
1. According to Thompson the fairytaleish aspect of the Royal Family lies in ________.A.their life style | B.their political performance |
C.their charity image | D.their social status |
A.Because they are very likely to call our attention. |
B.Because they live a luxurious and admirable life. |
C.Because they are keen on charity. |
D.Because they are very modest with their fame and wealth. |
A.Mourning the death of the queen. | B.Analyzing the popularity of the queen. |
C.Showing our admiration to the queen. | D.Stating the global importance of the queen. |
A.By making comparisons. | B.By giving examples. |
C.By listing facts. | D.By quoting experts’ ideas. |
A.In a hospital. | B.In the police office. | C.On the street. |
Many young people wants
Therefore, some of them are considering
For the above reasons, I suggest that young people be
优点:1. 话题广泛;2. 图片丰富;3. 有助于提高学习兴趣。
建议:适当降低词汇难度。
注意:
1. 词数:100词左右;书信的格式已为你写好,不计入总词数;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Editor,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best regards,
Li Hua
5 . In 2012, fewer than 7% of Americans had read poetry, which was down from 17% in 1992. In 2015, poetry was one of the least popular art activities for American grown-ups, with under 10% picking up a book and reading for pleasure. Just when it seemed to be on its deathbed, Instapoetry — easy-to-understand poems that are short enough to fit in your Instagram description — came to save the day.
Instapoetry appeared thanks to social media and Instapoems are usually no longer than a few lines and very direct. The influence Instapoetry has made in the poetry world is great. In 2017, poetry sales were twice what they were in 2016. In 2018, 28 million Americans were reading poems, which was the highest percentage (百分比) of poetry readership in nearly twenty years.
Many people have raved about the new type of poetry. The fact that it’s direct while also being touching is what interests many readers. Before the appearance of Instapoetry, many people thought of poetry as being long and difficult to understand. With Instapoetry, it is easy to understand what the author is trying to say. Readers don’t feel stupid or think the poetry needs to be studied carefully. It’s just simple beauty.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Instapoetry has been criticized (批评) for having no meaning and for seeming like passing thoughts thrown on paper, packed up (包装) all pretty and given to the general public. Instapoetry has also been seen as a disgrace (耻辱) to writers who have worked tirelessly to improve their skills and achieve recognition.
In a world filled with a huge amount of entertainment (娱乐活动), people often choose things that are more showy, eye-catching and don’t take up too much time. Instapoetry fits the bill perfectly. While poets who choose to stick to traditional poetry should certainly keep writing, Instapoetry could be just what the poetry world needs to get it back on its feet.
1. What do the numbers in paragraph 1 show?A.The difficult situation of poetry. |
B.The most popular art activities of Americans. |
C.The falling popularity of physical poetry books. |
D.The reasons why Americans have lost interest in poetry. |
A.Refused. | B.Praised. | C.Translated. | D.Changed. |
A.A social media user who has no interest in poetry. | B.A professor who studies the history of poetry. |
C.A salesman who sells poetry collections. | D.A poet who writes traditional poetry. |
A.When is a poet an Instapoet? |
B.Why are we so worried about Instapoetry? |
C.How is Instapoetry changing the way we see the world? |
D.Are Instapoets harming the art of poetry or bringing it to life? |
6 . Moving around Bogota can be a bit of a Jekyll-or-Hyde experience. On the one hand, the city is infamous (声名狼藉的)for having the world’s worst traffic. Yet, on the other, its cycling infrastructure is considered a good model of sustainable urban mobility, according to the Copenhagenize Index, which ranks bike-friendly cities. The Colombian capital generated a now-international movement in the 1970s called Ciclovia, which sees 1.5 million people cycle across 128km of car-free streets each Sunday morning.
So, when the pandemic reached its shores in mid-March, Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez, an avid cyclist herself, introduced one of the world’s first plans to encourage bike travel, using traffic cones to create 76 km of temporary lanes.
“Everyone started using a bicycle, and they already knew how to get around on one because we have this bike culture thanks to the Ciclovia,” says Carlos Pardo, a local cycling advocate and senior advisor at the New Urban Mobility Alliance. Pardo got involved at the beginning of the pandemic by partnering with a local bikeshare company to provide 400 free e-bikes to health workers. Now, he’s busy persuading the public that the government’s new bike lanes should become permanent fixture (固定设施).
“Some drivers say, ‘you took away our lane’, but we’re saying, we took one car lane and made a two-lane bidirectional bike lane,” he explains. “So, you’re duplicating the effectiveness of the space, and moving more people per hour, per direction.”
Biking has enjoyed a renaissance (复兴) around the world as urban citizens avoid public transport for the relative safety of a two-wheeled commute. Now, many advocates like Pardo are working with local governments in the hope of turning these pandemic-response measures into lasting changes—ones that are more plausible now than ever after lockdowns provided an unprecedented (空前的)opportunities to fast-track infrastructure trials. The results of these urban planning experiments could not only radically shape the way we commute across global cities, but also make them more adaptable to future shocks.
1. What can best illustrate the underlined sentence?A.Much knowledge that is of help in learning about a new place. |
B.A mixed feeling that is too confusing to express themselves. |
C.An understanding that everything has both advantages and disadvantages. |
D.An idea that human beings are born somewhere between good and evil. |
A.The outbreak of the pandemic in mid-March. |
B.The worldwide bike culture dating back to the 1970s. |
C.The government’s support for the temporary bike lanes. |
D.The local bike company’s contribution to health workers. |
A.The increasing number of cyclists. | B.Duplicated effectiveness of road use. |
C.A well-rounded city expansion plan. | D.The growth of car ownership. |
A.Urban life. | B.Politics. | C.Sports | D.Advice column. |
7 . Editor’s note: An increasing number of Chinese people, especially the young, are more willing to celebrate Western festivals. Should we celebrate foreign festivals? Forum (论坛) readers share their opinions. You’re welcome to add yours.
Dinah (China)
I enjoy the happy atmosphere of both Chinese and Western festivals. As long as it is meaningful for me, I will celebrate it with my boyfriend, and my parents! I like Western festivals and often celebrate them without even knowing the origins of them. Why? Because what I really appreciate is just the happy atmosphere.
SharkMinnow (Canada)
Western Festivals are more like parties or games for some Chinese. Also, spending money = good for economy. Most Chinese don’t take Western festivals as seriously as their own. It’s like a game or party in my eyes. A way to blow off steam and have fun (and spend money).
Travis (UK)
As an Englishman teaching here in China for two years, my friends have got used to, and enjoy when I celebrate my festivals. My school also likes it as well, although this year they asked me not to scare the teachers so much on Halloween. My Chinese friends enjoy taking part in my festivals, as they also learn more about my culture, and the history that goes with it…
Leesinchina (US)
Cherish your own festivals. It would be a pity if the Chinese accepted these Western days — first, because they have absolutely nothing to do with traditional Chinese culture. Second, they are a big trick by the big stores to get more money out of you. Stick to your own festivals — they actually mean something to you — rather than following western customs for no good reason.
1. What matters most according to Dinah?A.The atmosphere when celebrating festivals. |
B.The people with whom to celebrate festivals. |
C.Celebrating Chinese festivals with her family. |
D.Celebrating Western festivals in a good atmosphere. |
A.Optimistic. | B.Indifferent. | C.Neutral. | D.Negative. |
A.How should we celebrate festivals? |
B.Should we celebrate foreign festivals? |
C.Why are more young people celebrating foreign festivals? |
D.Are more Chinese people willing to celebrate foreign festivals? |
A.A newspaper. | B.A debate. | C.A website. | D.A text book. |
8 . Culdesac, which describes itself as “the first car-free neighborhood in the Us”, admitted its first 36 residents in Tempe, Arizona, US, earlier this year. The $170 million neighborhood, with its white buildings and narrow walkways, is expected to hold around 1, 000 people when the full 760 units are completed by 2025. Similar projects in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston, Texas, are also underway.
In a country as car-dependent as the US, Culdesac is no lack of foresight (远见). Although some densely populated (人口密集的) coastal Us cities like Boston and New York City are walkable and have ample public transportation options like taxis, buses and light rails, the majority of Americans are entirely dependent on cars to get around.
This dependence on cars doesn’t come cheap, unfortunately. In a 2023 study, the American Automobile Association said that it costs an average of about 89,000 yuan per year to own and maintain a car in the US.
So, what is stopping Americans from abandoning cars and accepting relatively cheaper choices like e-bikes? In a word, unsafe roads that prioritize cars over people. According to a 2018 report by WHO, the US traffic accident death rate is about 50 percent more than similar nations in Western Europe. At the same time, walkers and cyclists in the US are often blamed for being hit by drivers rather than the other way around.
Still, there’s hope. By choosing a new car-free way of living, US projects like Culdesac can provide another way of living that’s both healthier and more affordable and, in turn, influence others to live a better way as well. As Vanessa, a resident of Culdesac, said, “For some, cars equal freedom, but for me, it’s limitation, Freedom is being able to just simply walk out and access places. “
1. What can we learn about Culdesac from the text?A.It is expected to hold only 1, 000 people, | B.It is the world’s largest car-free neighborhood, |
C.It will be finished by the end of this year. | D.It is thought to be forward-thinking. |
A.Enough. | B.Possible. | C.Similar. | D.Special. |
A.Maintaining a car is cheap. | B.E-bikes are not widely available. |
C.Road conditions are unsafe. | D.Drivers are respected by others. |
A.Limiting freedom of movement. | B.Making local residents feel safer. |
C.Encouraging people to explore their communities. | D.Promoting a cheaper and healthier way of living. |
Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely walk through the streets—this is what many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they pay a visit
The origins of Citywalk can be traced (追溯) back to London, England. Strictly speaking, this form of urban tourism
Up to now, the Citywalk trend
In short, Citywalk not only offers
10 . Two hours of screen time a day is enough to “dumb down” children or result in depression or physical illness, a global study has found.
The global study analyzed data measuring screen time, physical activity, mental health indicators and physical illness reported by 577, 000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 42 rich countries. It found that screen time—not including school work—averaged 6. 3 hours for boys and 5. 4 hours for girls.
The Australian-led study shows girls experience unhealthiness after just two hours watching screens including television, social media or online gaming. However, boys are more likely to be physically active, they can safely spend twice as much time on screens each day before suffering health problems.
Dr Khan said too much time spent watching TV, gaming or on social media could lead to “reduced learning abilities”. “If you spend more time on screens you are likely not to do well in your study performance.”
“We also found there were some benefits during the first hour of daily screen use, but bad effects on mental health kick in after 75 minutes in girls and 105 minutes in boys,” Dr Khan said. The solution to mental health the study found was an hour of physical activity, and no more than two hours a day using screens, apart from schoolwork. That is to say, children need to balance screen time with “green time” outdoors. Children who exercise or play outdoors regularly are healthier and happier, the study shows.
Melbourne dad, Tom Hindhaugh, said he tried to reduce screen time for his son, Patrick, 13. “Clearly we need those screens for homeschooling. Technology is the necessary way kids can communicate and hang out with each other,” he said. “But we need to get children outside and moving. Physical activity is the key for their health, whether it’s walking, riding a bike or kicking the football.”
1. What does the study focus on about children?A.Their screen time. | B.Their health habits. |
C.Their gender difference. | D.Their school performance. |
A.Boys perform no better in study than girls. |
B.Boys are better at physical activity than girls. |
C.Girls spend more time on school work than boys. |
D.Girls are more likely to suffer ill-health than boys. |
A.The balance of school work. | B.The proper time of daily screens. |
C.The advantage of green time. | D.The necessity of regular activities. |
A.To express parents’ concern. | B.To show a successful example. |
C.To support the writer’s opinion. | D.To present an education method. |