1 . In the past 60 or so years. American parents’ approach to naming their kids has undergone a profound shift. Today, many parents seek out less popular names to help their kids stand out. But in the past, parents typically picked common names, consciously or not, so that their kids would fit in.
“We are deep in an era of naming individuality where parents assume that having a name which sounds distinctive and unique is a virtue,” Laura Wattenberg, the founder of the naming-trends site Namerology, said, “how parents are thinking about naming kids is more like how companies think about naming products, which is a kind of competitive marketplace where you need to be able to get attention to succeed.”
There were signs that people were tired of names that were too popular. Cleveland Evans, a professor emeritus of psychology at Bellevue University and an expert on names, said that there was a 1953 song titled John, John, John, which included the lines “Every Tom, Dick, and Harry’s called John. Can’t we give this little guy a break and call him something new?”
This tune signaled the coming turn toward novelty and distinctiveness that took hold in the 1960s. It was driven by a number of broader shifts in daily life. As family sizes shrunk and kids stopped doing labor, Americans “started to fixate on the uniqueness of each child,” as the sociologist Philip Cohen has written, and “individuality emerged as a project—starting with naming -of creating an identity.”
Another crucial change is that in the 1960s parents started gaining access to data on baby-naming trends, according to Evans. Books informed parents which names were popular—and, by extension, which overexposed names they might want to avoid of this has brought us to an era of exceptionally varied names, which, in a way, represents its own kind of conformity: trying not to be like everyone else makes you just like everyone else.
1. What does the underlined word “virtue” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．A good quality. | B．A moral standard. |
| C．An attractive habit. | D．An obvious advantage. |
| A．To show that the song was widely spread. |
| B．To show that John was a child everyone liked. |
| C．To show that the name John was too overexposed. |
| D．To show that the name John was something quite new. |
| A．The larger family sizes and less labor for children. |
| B．Parents’ concerns about the novelty and distinctiveness. |
| C．Some books showing which names are appropriate for children. |
| D．The changes in daily life and the access to the naming trend. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Optimistic. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Indifferent. |
China’s Latest Craze: Scripted Murders
In cities throughout China, young people are flocking to clubs to play a game that can be translated as “scripted homicide”,
Scripted homicides,
Generally, it
增加：在缺词处加个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（/）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：
1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Nowadays, we can see phubbers watching their mobile phones everywhere. They can’t stop sending messages, surfing the Internet, listening music and even taking photos by using the mobile phone.
Actually, phubbing disturbs not only our study and our life. On the one hand, phubbers waste plenty of time play cell phone games and sending messages, particularly in the class. On the other, using the mobile phone for a long time can lead to healthy problems.
As far as I am concerned, it is high time that we put down the mobile phone and raise our heads up. Do cherish that is around us and appreciate the sceneries ahead of us. Only when we use the mobile phone reasonable, can you realize the happiness of life.
4 . Recently, Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta. The company said it would better include what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR). The CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the existing brand could not possibly represent everything that they’re doing today, let alone in the future. He also revealed the company’s plans to build a “metaverse (元宇宙)” — an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment.
The term “metaverse” was invented by author Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash, a science fiction published in 1992. In the work, the metaverse is a sort of 3D virtual world. It’s not simply a virtual reality game but is a persistent and shared virtual world. Or rather, the metaverse is a whole universe of shared virtual spaces seemingly linked together — you could, essentially, teleport (瞬移) between them.
Metaverse combined at the very least five technologies — they are social media, online game, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and cryptocurrency (加密货币). Those technologies will bring users to an interactive world. AR and VR are vital for Metaverse. VR serves to present the virtual world visually and then AR will provide the audio and sensors for people to be able to interact. With Metaverse, Facebook will offer not only a texting service but also a multi-perspective virtual touch that feels like a real thing.
Facebook said that it plans to create 10,000 jobs in Europe over the next five years to work on metaverse-related endeavours (活动). The company also has introduced Oculus-branded virtual-reality headsets, and it joined with Ray-Ban to develop smart sunglasses that went on sale for $299. “Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse company and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we’re building towards,” Mark Zuckerberg said. “I view this work as critical to our mission because delivering a sense of presence — like you’re right there with another person — that’s the highest goal of online social experiences,” he said.
1. Why has Facebook changed its corporate name?| A．To lead the gaming industry. |
| B．To cover its extended business. |
| C．To improve its corporate image. |
| D．To attract investment for its new plans. |
| A．The introduction to the VR game. |
| B．The future with 3D virtual world. |
| C．The origin of the word “metaverse”. |
| D．The importance of the novel Snow Crash. |
| A．It has a wide range of applications. |
| B．It offers people deeply interactive experiences. |
| C．It enables people to enjoy a free texting service. |
| D．It uses the five technologies to explore the universe. |
| A．There will be fierce competition in the metaverse market. |
| B．Facebook will focus on designing virtual devices. |
| C．Metaverse will be the center of online experience studies. |
| D．Facebook will be devoted to developing the metaverse. |
5 . According to a new US study, couples who expect their children to look after them in old age should hope they have daughters because daughters are twice as loving as sons generally.
The research by Angelina Grigoryeva, from Princeton University, found that, while women provide as much care for their elderly parents as they can manage, men do as little as they can get away with and often leave it to female family members.
Her analysis of the family networks of 26, 000 old Americans concluded that gender （性别）is one of the most important things that decide whether or not people will actively care for their elderly parents.
In a paper presented at the annual conference of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco, she concludes that simply having a sister makes men likely provide less care. Using data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a study which has been recording those people over 50s for the last decade, she analyzed that women provide an average of 12. 3 hours a month of care for elderly parents while men offer only 5. 6 hours.
“Sons reduce their relative caregiving efforts when they have a sister, while daughters increase theirs when they have a brother.”
“This suggests that sons pass on parent caregiving responsibilities to their sisters.”
In the UK, the 2011 Census showed that there are now around 6.5 million people with caring responsibilities, a figure which has risen by a tenth in a decade.
But many are doing so at the risk of their health. The census showed that those who provide 50 hours or more of care a week while trying to hold down a fulltime job are three times more likely to be struggling with ill health than their working counterparts who are not carers.
1. According to the passage, what’s the key factor to decide if people will actively care for the old?| A．Education. | B．Gender. | C．Career. | D．Income. |
| A．having a sister makes men less likely to look after their parents |
| B．sons are twice as likely as daughters to care for parents in old age |
| C．sons are unwilling to leave caregiving responsibilities to their sisters |
| D．sons and daughters seem to give equal care to their parents |
| A．People should give up their jobs to care for the elderly. |
| B．Many care providers work longer hours than others. |
| C．Many care providers have potential health problems. |
| D．People shouldn’t pass on caring responsibilities to others. |
| A．explaining social networks of careers |
| B．describing people’s experiences |
| C．analyzing various researches and data |
| D．comparing different gender |
6 . Before COVID-19, there was widespread movement (运动)in the U. S. -shoppers in many American states were required to bring reusable bags to food stores or pay money to receive a bag; restaurants in some areas were told not to use plastic takeout boxes. But COVID-19 has changed everything.
In just a few days, governors in Massachusetts and Illinois became strongly against the use of reusable cloth bags that were often brought to food stores; Oregon put off its new ban on plastic bags; and cities from Bellingham, Washington, to Albuquerque, New Mexico have stopped plastic bag bans for the time being. "Those who use reusable bags do not often wash them. People are frightened as COVID-19 continue, so the environment is taking a back seat," said Glen Quadros, owner of the Great American Diner & Bar in Seattle, Washington.
There is an increase in takeout food and a ban on reusable cups and straws (吸管) at the few coffee stores that remain open. Many environmentalists worry that COVID-19 would impede their efforts to reduce plastic products.
According to a study by the U. S. National Institutes of Health, the virus can stay on plastics for up to three days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it appears possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it and then touching their face. As a result, the Plastics Industry Association says that one-use plastic bags are safer now.
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont have all banned plastic bags statewide. The Plastics Industry Association recently sent a letter to Alex Azar, who is head of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Association asked him to do something about the plastic bag bans, saying that the rules are putting people at risk.
1. What is the movement about in the U. S. mentioned in the text?| A．Saving food and decreasing waste. | B．Making full use of plastic products. |
| C．Removing one-use plastic products. | D．Encouraging cooking at home. |
| A．Plastic bans received support from more states. |
| B．Plastic bans prevented people ordering takeout food. |
| C．Plastic bans were overlooked by the public. |
| D．Plastic bans sped up the spread of viruses. |
| A．reward | B．require | C．increase | D．stop |
| A．To improve the quality of one-use plastic bags. |
| B．To teach people the right way to use plastic bags. |
| C．To ask Alex Azar to remove the plastic bag bans. |
| D．To support Alex Azar in fighting against COVID-19. |
7 . The first time I used the TV to distract my daughter, I felt like a bad parent; I convinced myself I was a “bad” mom—these days I believe the opposite to be true. Screen time makes me a better mom.
Now I know what most of you might be thinking: That’s ridiculous. Only crappy(糟糕的)parents rely on the screen to care for their kids. Then again, experts suggest parents limit media use. And while I do not doubt experts, there are things they fail to consider.
Like most 6-year-olds, my daughter gets worked up and excited easily and watching a cartoon gives her a chance to shut off her mind. And there are other reasons— more selfish reasons. I am a work-from-work mom, and giving her screen time gives me “me”time. I’m able to write while she watches TV. And while this may sound bad, I believe I am helping my daughter realize she should rely on herself. When Mommy works, she gets her own snacks, drinks and toys.
There are other benefits, too. TV has also taught my daughter. Thanks to “super Why”,she knew her alphabet at 2, and thanks to “Sesame Street”, she was able to count to 20 by age 3. And I use the screen as a great incentive. My daughter earns “tablet time” when she completes tasks, e.g., making her bed earns 15minutes while doing her homework gets her 30.
Of course, I have a few rules. During meals, the TV is off; all programs must be supervised; on weekdays, she is limited to two hours maximum. So remember: It doesn’t matter what our kids watch; it matters what they do, what they say, what they feel and how they act, and only you know what is best for them.
1. What can be learned about the author’s opinion about screen time?| A．It fails to take kids into consideration. |
| B．It is welcome by most crappy parents. |
| C．It challenges a popular belief. |
| D．It is in line with experts. |
| A．It gives them topics to discuss with friends. |
| B．It gives them some uninterrupted time. |
| C．It enables them to keep their spirits up. |
| D．It helps them become independent. |
| A．Motivator | B．Relaxation |
| C．Idea producer | D．Learning tool |
| A．Science and technology are primary productive forces. |
| B．A man is good-for-nothing until he is educated. |
| C．Nothing can be accomplished without rules. |
| D．Each coin has two sides. |
Have you seen people who take pictures of food for more than 10 minutes before eating? How about those who beautify their selfie (自拍) so much that they can’t be
Take my friend Chen for example. Every time we went to a restaurant, she would not take a
Many people care too much about others’ opinions and try too hard to
If they really want an elegant life, they should put more
| A．envied | B．admired | C．defeated | D．recognized |
| A．survive | B．exist | C．flood | D．spot |
| A．how | B．what | C．where | D．whom |
| A．bow | B．bite | C．breath | D．break |
| A．offered | B．served | C．ordered | D．prepared |
| A．cooking | B．washing | C．setting | D．collecting |
| A．arranged | B．messy | C．casual | D．correct |
| A．dishes | B．restaurants | C．pictures | D．tables |
| A．choice | B．chance | C．excuse | D．reason |
| A．months | B．years | C．weeks | D．days |
| A．comfort | B．inspire | C．please | D．discourage |
| A．independent | B．generous | C．responsible | D．confident |
| A．secret | B．healthy | C．peaceful | D．real |
| A．rarely | B．hardly | C．exactly | D．nearly |
| A．change | B．difficulty | C．guidance | D．harm |
| A．question | B．dislike | C．follow | D．doubt |
| A．effort | B．ambitions | C．feelings | D．money |
| A．other than | B．more than | C．rather than | D．less than |
| A．identifying | B．amusing | C．persuading | D．accepting |
| A．simplifying | B．ruining | C．beautifying | D．worsening |
9 . The bed should be reserved as a place for sleep，but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep．
Charles Czeisler，a professor at Harvard Medical School，and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment．For five days in a row，the people read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep．Their sleep patterns were monitored all night．Before and after each trial period，the people took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin（褪黑激素）was in their blood at any given time．
When subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books，they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning．People also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights，and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion（分泌）was delayed by an hour and a half．
The researchers conclude in today's journal article that gives the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents，more research into the"long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed．"Czeisler and colleagues go on，in the research paper，to note"Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk．"
However，software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day，and there are also glasses that are made to filter（过滤）short wavelengths．While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users，it needs more research．
1. In Charles Czeisler's experiment，all the subjects were asked to ______ ．| A．sit in a row and receive the strict tests |
| B．have their sleep patterns observed all night |
| C．read a paper book and an iPad at the same time |
| D．have their blood tested per hour during the trial |
| A．feel less sleepy and tired in the day |
| B．fall asleep more easily after reading |
| C．have a lot more melatonin secretion |
| D．become less energetic the next morning |
| A．remove the blue light from your devices completely |
| B．help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelength |
| C．weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading |
| D．be used in all the e-things widely and safely |
| A．No e-reading in bed before sleep |
| B．New software for night e-readers |
| C．Wrong behaviors before bedtime |
| D．No games on iPad in bed． |
10 . Has the volume in a restaurant ever made you finish your meal early? If so, you're not alone. Restaurants handle diners in various ways to influence food choices and consumption, from lighting to menu to server presentation. Unfortunately for those headache-prone restaurant goers, some places also choose to turn up the tunes and the background noise.
Chef Mario Batali is often blamed for the phenomenon of very loud or noisy restaurants in the 1990s, when he decided to flood the dining room with the same loud tunes he was playing in his kitchen. And other chefs followed suit. Some restaurateurs felt a "livelier" atmosphere encouraged more customers to dine there, and a side "benefit" was quicker table turnover, thus increasing the number of people who could dine in a specific evening.
A 1985 study out of Fairfield University looked at how chewing speed varied according to the type of music being played. Although the volume level was kept the same for both musical situations, it's important to note that fast-tempo (节奏) music often gives the impression of being louder than slower music.
"A significant increase in the number of bites per minute was found, and the effect was largest for fast music," the researchers wrote in the study. So, the faster, louder music gets people to down their food more quickly, relieving the table for future customers.
There are opinions about whether or not this is a sound practice. "A restaurant that places profit above dining experience often plays loud music with a fast tempo that puts diners under pressure to eat more quickly, even if that means they're less able to enjoy their meal," writes Dr. Neel Burton in Psychology Today, adding that loud, fast music reduces appetite.
What's more, some would-be repeat diners will shy away for fear of another very loud meal. The non-profit group Action on Hearing Loss found in a 2016 survey of nearly 1,500 people that 91% of those who view a restaurant as too noisy would choose not to return.
1. Why did some bosses of the restaurants favour loud music?| A．It might help attract more customers. |
| B．It was the favorite kind of music of them. |
| C．It made the restaurants softer and sweeter. |
| D．It could increase the popularity of their chefs. |
| A．Its content. | B．Its length. |
| C．Its speed. | D．Its quality. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Positive. | D．Objective. |
| A．What People Think of Loud Restaurants? |
| B．Are Customers to Blame? |
| C．How Restaurants Improve Themselves? |
| D．Does Loud Music Really Benefit Restaurants? |
