2 . Exposure to new technologies including trackers,robots and AI-based software at work is bad for people's quality of life, according to a groundbreaking study from the Institute for the Future of Work.

The authors found that the more workers were exposed to technologies in three of these categories —software based on AI and machine learning; monitor devices such as wearable trackers; and robotics-the worse their health and wellbeing tended to be.

By contrast, use of more long-established information and communication technologies (ICTs)such as laptops, tablets and instant messaging at work tended to have a more positive effect on wellbeing.

Dr Magdalena Soffia,the study's lead author, said it was not necessarily the technologies themselves that are the problem,but the way in which they are adopted."We don't want to claim that there is some sort of determinism in what technology causes,in terms of wellbeing,"she said,“We say it really depends on the context:on lots of structural factors,on   environmental conditions,how it is designed and how it is used.So lots of human decisions.”

“We wanted to give a more multidimensional understanding of what was happening in terms of wellbeing.So we used a well-established measure which is a very effective measure, used by the UK public health sector;"Soffia said.

Discussing the promotion to quality of life from ICTs,she suggested"one possible potential mechanism is that actually what they do is to streamline work processes,and they make working life a bit more efficient.And that in turn,gives you kind of a sense of achievement."

By contrast,the findings about trackers and monitor technologies corespond with recent wanings from trades unions and campaigners about the negative impact on workers whose performance is being constantly monitored.

Mary Towers,the TUC's lead on Al,said:"These findings should worry us all.They show that without strong new regulation,Al could make the world of work a cruel and unhealthy place for many.Things don't have to be this way.If we put the proper guardrails in place,AI can be controlled to genuinely enhance productivity and improve working lives."

1. What does the study find about new technologies?

A．They are well received.

B．They worsen people's life.

C．They consist of three items.

D．They are developing rapidly.

2. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．Influence on humans.

B．Origin of the problem.

C．Solutions to the problem.

D．Decisive role of the environment.

3. How are ICTs good to us?

A．Increase work efficiency.

B．Enhance our confidence.

C．Ensure our safety at work.

D．Improve working conditions.

4. What is Mary Towers' attitude to new technologies?

A．Critical.

B．Doubtful.

C．Hopeful.

D．Unclear.

3 . France is experiencing an unusually mild winter, which has led to low snowfall in ski areas across the country.

One affected ski area is Le Mourtis, in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France. The lack of snow has forced the holiday village to temporarily close its ski runs—at the height of the winter season. Local restaurants and hotels are seeing fewer visitors. People who do come to the area are seeking to do other things besides skiing. Warmer temperatures have made hiking one of the most popular activities. Recent daytime temperatures at Le Mourtis have reached 10 degrees Celsius. Some hikers even removed winter clothing while making their way across mountain areas containing very little snow.

“Skiing? No one today can guarantee it,” said hotel operator Gillaizeau. He has been making money by renting out two-wheeled motorcycles to help visitors in the area have fun. The scooters can be ridden down grassy mountains. They come with equipment made for riding on snow, but Gillaizeau has attached bicycle wheels instead. His ski rental equipment remains untouched. He says he has had to reduce the hours of some workers and expects business losses during the season to drop as much as 15 percent.

Many people in the area believe the latest winter is more than just a bad year. The last time France experienced such a mild December and January was in 1900, French weather officials say. Christelle Robert is an official with Meteo-France, the country’s national weather service. She told Reuters that mild winters and less snow seem to be a clear sign of global warming.

Scientists have predicted a continued rise in world temperatures. People connected to the area’s ski industry are considering a future with much less snow. If such weather continues, ski resorts around 1,600 meters above sea level will be so warm that they will not even be able to use artificial snow because it will melt.

1. Why did some hikers take off their winter clothes while crossing mountains?

A．They were wearing too thick clothes.	B．They had been exercising too much.
C．The mountain roads were very rough.	D．The temperature was not cold at all.

2. What does the underlined word“They” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Visitors.

B．Scooters.

C．Bicycle wheels.

D．Grassy mountains.

3. What can be learned from the third and fourth paragraphs?

A．The latest mild winter was in 1900.	B．Little snowfall has caused great economic loss.
C．No one wants to ski because of the bad weather.	D．There’s something wrong with ski equipment.

4. Where does this text possibly come from?

A．A medical report.

B．A tourist handbook.

C．A weather forecast.

D．An economic journal.

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

“Dad,” whispered Tarig. “Are you awake?” Dad opened his eyes. “What’s the matter, son?” Tarig couldn’t sleep and he felt that it was too hot. Maybe there’s a storm coming. All day long he felt like something was about to happen. Dad whispered back to his son, “You could be right. Go back to bed, there’s a good boy.”

Tarig shook his head. “I’m going downstairs where it’s cooler. Why don’t you come with me?” Dad refused, saying that he would stay there. Tarig went down the landing. He and his father were alone in the house. His mother and sister had gone to visit relatives. He went into the kitchen and lay on the floor. He felt cooler and fell sleep at last.

Suddenly he awoke with a shock. In the distance he could hear a roar, like thunder. It seemed to be coming closer and closer. The storm must have arrived, just as they expected. But this was no ordinary storm. Within seconds the whole house began to shake. The vase fell off the shelves with a crash. Tarig could feel the floor moving beneath him. What on earth was happening? He jumped to his feet and tried to turn on the light. It didn’t work. He reached the back door, but just then came aloud cracking noise. Next moment a pile of bricks came down around him. A terrible choking(窒息的) smell filled the air.

At last the dust cleared. Tarig was amazed to find that he was still alive. The framework of the doorway must have saved him. He called out, “Dad? Dad, are you all right?”

No answer. But he heard a rescue dog barking. He struggled to know what was going on outside, but he couldn’t move. Maybe someone was approaching here. “Are they my family? Or my relatives?”

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。
Without any more thought, Tarig determined to call for help.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tarig asked where his dad was but nobody replied.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . While it may be commonplace, snubbing (冷落) one's friends can have serious impacts on relationships, and there are a variety of factors that may drive individuals to ignore their friends in favor of an electronic screen, according to a new University of Georgia study.

The study reveals positive associations between depression and social anxiety and increasing snubbing: depressed people are likely to snub their friends more frequently, and socially anxious people, who prefer online social interactions, might also exhibit more snubbing behavior. These people are really sensitive to their messages. With each buzz or sound, they consciously or unconsciously look at their phones. The device's various applications are key drivers contributing to this dynamic.

The finding also shows that agreeable individuals have a lower instance of snubbing in the presence of their friends. People who have agreeableness as a personality feature tend to show cooperative, polite and friendly behaviors in their interpersonal relationships and social settings. Though agreeable people may prioritize strong friendships, an exploratory study reveals they are also more likely to turn to phones in the presence of three or more people.

That dynamic may influence the spread of snubbing in the context of a work environment. “It's ironic (讽刺意味的) that while so many people believe that snubbing behavior is rude, they still do it,” Sun said. “A majority of people snub others, and in a group, it may seem OK, because it's just me, the speaker doesn't notice I'm using the phone. The number of people in a group can be one reason.”

Alternately, disabling or turning over a phone can indicate a show of respect for a situation and focus on a person. That, too, is a signal—I am listening to what you are saying and I am focusing on you.

1. What can cause snubbing behavior?

A．Social requirements.

B．Unhealthy mental condition.

C．Frequent social interactions.

D．Limited communication devices.

2. What can be inferred about the agreeable people?

A．They are insensitive to phone messages.

B．They are more likely to snub their friends.

C．They attach importance to firm friendships.

D．They get accustomed to groups with more people.

3. Why do some people continue snubbing behavior even if they know it's rude?

A．The majority are using phones.

B．They don't like the environment.

C．The speaker doesn't care about it.

D．They think they will go unnoticed.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．How snubbing behaviors can be avoided

B．Why people are addicted to phone messages

C．Why people snub their friends with their phones

D．How phones influence people's social interactions