2 . Social media has completely taken over everyday life, affecting how society runs and changing individuals in ways that even they can feel. While social media can act as a platform for people to express themselves, it can also be overwhelming, especially for high school teens.

To teenager Bryson Lan, quitting social media helped eliminate (消除) a significant distraction in his routine and keep up with teachers. “I was scrolling through social networking sites so much,” Lan said. “I was also starting to struggle since I entered my high school year. When school started, I was super overwhelmed (不知所措的), and I was just not ready for it.”

Most teenagers fear that by eliminating these apps, they will miss out on connections with their peers and feel a significant loss to their social life. However, Lan found he didn’t miss anything during his time without social media.

Another problem with social media is the amount of “junk content” posted. People are regularly posting and updating on social media, and much of the content has no meaning to other viewers and is ultimately a time suck.

However, social media isn’t all negative. Social media can be a place to develop passions and boost creativity. For example, Lan found his interest in photography blossom after seeing works from other photographers on social media. “Social media is a good place where you can have a portfolio (作品集) or upload your works,” Lan said. “A lot of people have photography accounts or art accounts. In some ways, I think it actually furthers your hobby.” “Thanks to this revolutionary development of social media, we can enjoy a world where everyone is closer than before,” Lan said. “But we also need to have the skills to make good use of social media, and that depends on each person’s efforts.”

1. What did getting rid of social media bring Lan?

A．More distractions.	B．Confusion about life.
C．A smaller social circle.	D．More attention on his studies.

2. What does the underlined phrase “a time suck” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．A waste of time.

B．A timetable.

C．A lack of time.

D．A time switch.

3. What’s Lan’s attitude towards social media?

A．Doubtful.

B．Unclear.

C．Objective.

D．Supportive.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Most teenagers’ opinions on social media.	B．The effects social media has on teenagers.
C．Innovative development of social media.	D．The problems social media brings people.

3 . Inconvenient Truths

If doctors lie, it is surely inexcusable. One of the basic_________ the public have of doctors is honesty. But what would you think if I told you that research has shown that 70 per cent of doctors   _________ to lying to their patients? If I am honest, I have told lies to my patients.

Mrs Walton was in her eighties and _________ to see her husband. She would try to get up to find him, despite being at risk of falling. “He’s on his way, don’t worry,” the nurses would say this to calm her down. I said the same thing to her. But it was a lie. He died two years ago. The truth, if I can use that word, is that it is a _________ to lie sometimes.

Mrs Walton is one of the dementia (痴呆) sufferers, who lose their short-term memory and the memory of_________ events, but hold memories from the distant past. Sufferers are trapped forever in a confusing past that many realize bears little   _________ to the present, but are at a loss to explain. Those with dementia often feel upset, scared and confused that they are in a strange place, _________ by strange people, even when they are in their own homes with their family, because they have gone back to decades ago.

They look at their adult children   _________ and wonder who they could be because they think their children are still little kids. I have had countless families break down in tears, not knowing how to react as their loved one moves further away from them back into their distant past and they are   _________ in the present. And how, as the doctor or nurse caring for these patients, does one manage the anger and outbursts of distress that comes with having no   __________ of your life for the past ten or 20 years? The lies that doctors, nurses and families tell these patients are not big, elaborate lies — they are   __________ comforts intended to calm and allow the subject to be swiftly changed.

__________ with them about this false reality is not heartless or unprofessional — it is actually kind. That’s not to say that lying to patients with dementia__________ is right or defensible. But what kind-hearted person would put another human being through the unimaginable pain of learning, ________ again and again, that they have lost their beloved ones. It would be an unthinkable cruelness.

Sometimes honesty is __________ not the best policy.

1.

A．expressions

B．expectations

C．reputations

D．regulations

2.

A．objected

B．contributed

C．admitted

D．appealed

3.

A．ashamed

B．delighted

C．nervous

D．desperate

4.

A．cruelty

B．kindness

C．pain

D．pleasure

5.

A．recent

B．popular

C．distant

D．major

6.

A．opposition

B．connection

C．attention

D．similarity

7.

A．attacked

B．isolated

C．surrounded

D．attracted

8.

A．puzzled

B．satisfied

C．amused

D．motivated

9.

A．cut off

B．thrown away

C．put down

D．left behind

10.

A．knowledge

B．control

C．imagination

D．record

11.

A．brief

B．constant

C．permanent

D．secret

12.

A．Competing

B．Plotting

C．Matching

D．Mixing

13.

A．unnecessarily

B．inaccurately

C．impatiently

D．impolitely

14.

A．ahead of time

B．in no time

C．for the last time

D．for the first time

15.

A．mostly

B．informally

C．simply

D．finally

4 . Under normal situations, falling asleep during a paid tour is a waste of money or an offense to your guide. But that’s not the case with this new experience coming out of Hong Kong. As its name shows, the Sleeping Bus Tour is designed to help passengers catch some sleep, and rides are already selling out.

A 2022 survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Center of Communication and Public Opinion notes almost 70% people experiences some form of sleep disorder. Hong Kongers have much stress from work and need a space for sleeping, but their living spaces are too small. Some may not live alone and have to share apartments with their family, which may not be a good environment for a proper rest.

After noticing passengers falling asleep on their buses, the Hong Kong tour company, Ulu Travel Agency, recently launched such an innovative way for adults to sleep: the Sleeping Bus Tour. The five-hour bus ride takes passengers on an 83-kilometer journey aboard a regular double-decker bus. Not only is the Sleeping Bus Tour the first of its kind, it's also the longest bus route in Hong Kong, ensuring that tired passengers have plenty of time to enjoy some sleep.

When passengers board the bus, they are treated with a goodie bag complete with an eye mask and earplugs to help them sleep and they are allowed to bring their own blankets and slippers. The long ride includes a few stops for scenic spots and bathroom breaks. Passengers can also get off the bus if they’d prefer to continue their sleep at home rather than complete the entire journey. Tickets for the Sleeping Bus Tour are divided in four kinds from the “Zero-decibel (分贝) Sleeping Cabin“ to the ”VIP Cabin.” Prices range from about $17 USD to $115 USD per person. For more information on this unique experience, head to the Ulu travel company website.

1. Why was the Sleeping Bus Tour launched?

A．To help adult passengers rest properly.

B．To make more profits.

C．To reduce the stress from extra work.

D．To improve the sleeping habits.

2. What does the underlined word “innovative” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Challenging	B．Creative
C．Adventurous	D．Enormous

3. What can a passenger get from the Sleeping Bus Tour?

A．A ride in a high-tech bus.

B．A guided sight-seeing tour.

C．A blanket and a pair of slippers.

D．A bag with sleep aid products.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To raise concerns over sleep problems.

B．To inform readers of a new survey.

C．To advertise a travel company.

D．To introduce a bus tour.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man doing?

A．Comforting the woman.

B．Asking for information.

C．Finding the damaged bike.

2. What do we know about the driver?

A．He didn’t drive fast.

B．He managed to save a boy.

C．He had a poor view of the road.

6 . “Farm to table” is the name of a movement that encourages people to eat locally grown food. The farm­to­table idea has become more popular in recent years. But there is also a movement that brings “table to farm”. Its purpose is to connect people to the land and to honor local farmers by creating a sort of restaurant without walls.

Its founder, Jim Denevan, got the idea for this kind of “culinary adventure (美食探险)”, as he called it, ten years ago. He recently prepared tables for more than a hundred people at Briars Farm in Virginia. He and his eight­member team arrived the night before. Chefs (厨师) from a local restaurant prepared the dinner.

Jim Denevan’s brother is a farmer and he himself is a chef. He thought that the idea of a meal served right on the farm made sense, though not everyone agreed.

“But I wanted to make the idea work, so I decided to cross the country,” said Denevan. “I went all the way across the United States and set the table on farms, ranches (大牧场) and beaches, and all the places where food came from.”

“This kind of event connects us with a lot of enthusiastic people, people that we can form relationships with,” said Matt Szechenyi, who operates Briars Farm.

The tour of the farm ends at the dinner table. The meats in the meal come from Matt Szechenyi’s farm. The vegetables come from nearby farms. Guests and local farmers sit together.

Annoica Ingram came with a friend. “The food is wonderful. I appreciate their hard work. I see everything they have to do to take care of the animals and make sure they are well­cared­for. Without them, I think, we’ll have big problems,” she said.

1. What is the main purpose of the movement “table to farm”？

A．To provide people with healthy food.

B．To help farmers earn more money.

C．To honor farmers for their hard work.

D．To encourage people to work less and practice more.

2. Members of the movement “table to farm” will probably not ________.

A．make new friends	B．walk around the farms
C．communicate with farmers	D．build restaurants for farmers

3. What’s Annoica’s attitude towards farmers’ work?

A．worried

B．grateful

C．doubtful

D．supportive

4. What kind of writing is the passage likely to be?

A．A travel guide.

B．A news report.

C．A diary.

D．Popular science.

7 . While I was jumping rope, my smartphone took a fall to the floor which created cracks (裂缝) on my screen. However, the music kept playing. 30 minutes later, I could see only one-tenth of my screen while the rest was black. The next morning, I decided not to use it for 24 hours. I felt a sense of calm that day, which led to my not using it for one week. One week ended up becoming 60 days in total without my smartphone.

Here are some advantages I noticed in this challenge.

You’ll become “bored”

Without my phone, I became bored, but my mind went through all kinds of topics, Boredom (无聊) is a perfect way to create new ideas on a business or project. When you are bored, you allow your mind to relax to reach all possibilities.

You’ll be able to reduce your “work” hours

A survey found that adults checked their smartphones 85 times a day, or once every 10 minutes. As I learned in my challenge, by not having my smartphone, I fell into deep work more easily, so I completed my tasks in a shorter time.

You’ll improve your mental health

Without my phone, I avoided reading negative news and comments. While that helped make a big improvement in my mental health, the biggest reason for it was truly communicating with people. It brought me more connections with humans in the real world. I went to more dinners with friends and asked more questions to strangers.

1. Boredom is a good way for the writer ________ .

A．to create new ideas	B．to start a business
C．to set up a project	D．to relax the body

2. Without the smartphone, the writer could finish the work________.

A．more terribly	B．more quickly
C．more carelessly	D．more comfortably

3. What can improve people’s mental health according to the passage?

A．Chatting on the phone.	B．Reading negative news.
C．Communicating in the real world.	D．Avoiding meeting friends and strangers.

8 . The Group of Seven (G7), a collection of the world’s most industrialized countries, declares to share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and human rights as well as claims to have jointly responded to global challenges. The 2021 G7 Summit was hosted in the UK to discuss climate change. The organizers of “Zero Carbon Tour” hired an electric bus to travel from London to the summit in Cornwall. It seemed like a great idea. Sadly, the bus got stuck before it could return home. It tried five different charging stations but none of them worked.

The incident illustrates the huge importance of charging facility (设施) to the future of sustainable (可持续性的) electric driving. According to Fitch Solutions, electric car sales in Europe jumped by 72 percent in 2021. The market is clearly growing fast. However this growth will slow if EV (electric vehicle) drivers can’t easily find a place to power up.

At present, many EV owners charge their vehicles at home using regular domestic (家庭的) plug points. Domestic charging is slow, but it is convenient. Drivers usually do it overnight.

However, there is also the option of public charging on streets, workplaces, car parks, petrol stations and motorway service stations. Public chargers are usually quicker, and obviously, they serve people who are travelling as well as those who cannot charge their EVs from home. According to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, there are we lover 200,000 of these points across the EU.

Public charging points are run by competing operators that typically charge a monthly fee for access or offer pay-as-you-go (though credit card payments are often not accepted). Many EV now have associated apps that direct motorists to the nearest point. Typically, drivers need a smart card or phone app to unlock access.

Although the charging network is growing, it is silvery fragmented (分散). There are multiple competing suppliers, and the stations are not equally supplied. Some areas are over-supplied while others have hardly any. Needless to say, as the EV market expands, drivers will need plentiful and convenient access to public charging points. Ideally, the market needs also global standards and improved management of electricity delivery. Just as important charging stations must offer simple and secure access along with easy payments.

1. Why does the author write about the G7 Summit incident in paragraph 1?

A．To make a prediction.	B．To bring out a problem.
C．To provide some advice.	D．To offer background information.

2. What difference is mentioned between domestic and public charging?

A．The energy.

B．The safety

C．The cost.

D．The speed.

3. The underlined word “unlock” may possibly be replaced by              .

A．open up

B．hold up

C．turn up

D．keep up

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Charging EVs for Free	B．Developing EV Markets
C．Making EV Charging Convenient	D．Driving EVs for the Global Climate

9 . Mr. Hart, a London taxi driver, has a new black taxi. He hurries through the busy _________ every day. One day when he was having a short rest, a young man jumped into his taxi. “To the station as fast as you can,” shouted the man in a very _________ way. “My _________ leaves at 3 o’clock.” Mr. Hart did his best, but there was a lot of traffic. At every corner there was a _________ light. “Hurry up, man, I don’t want to _________ my train,” said the young man. “And I don’t want to have an _________ ,” replied Mr. Hart quickly. While he was _________, Mr. Hart suddenly recognized the man’s _________. He was a _________. The police were looking for him. His picture was in the __________. Mr. Hart drove through the streets and red lights. Soon there was a police car __________ him. Mr. Hart raced on until he __________ the station. He stopped in front of the station at two minutes to three, and the young man quickly jumped out of the taxi. “__________!” cried Mr. Hart. At the moment the police car stopped, too. “Quick! he is the thief!” shouted Mr. Hart. Two policemen __________ into the station. Three minutes later they __________ with the young man.

“Well done!” a policeman said to Mr. Hart as they were taking the thief to the police car.

1.

A．station

B．streets

C．buildings

D．shops

2.

A．kind

B．frightened

C．unfriendly

D．lovely

3.

A．train

B．bus

C．plane

D．ship

4.

A．green

B．yellow

C．red

D．black

5.

A．catch

B．get

C．leave

D．miss

6.

A．interest

B．accident

C．answer

D．example

7.

A．driving

B．listening

C．speaking

D．shouting

8.

A．eyes

B．face

C．voice

D．photo

9.

A．driver

B．robber

C．thief

D．worker

10.

A．films

B．offices

C．stations

D．newspapers

11.

A．before

B．beside

C．behind

D．near

12.

A．reached

B．passed

C．hit

D．entered

13.

A．Look

B．Stand

C．Stop

D．Hands up

14.

A．broke

B．went

C．walked

D．rushed

15.

A．returned

B．left

C．met

D．disappeared