1 . When you get in a car, you expect it will have functioning brakes. When you pick up medicine at the drugstore, you expect it won’t be polluted. But it wasn’t always like this. The safety of these products was terrible when they first came to market. It took much research and regulation to figure out how users can enjoy the benefits of these products without getting harmed.
Social media risks are everywhere. The dangers that algorithms designed to maximize attention represent to teens have become impossible to ignore. Other product design elements, often called “dark patterns,” designed to keep people using for longer, also appear to tip young users into social media overuse.
Despite these efforts, two things are clear. First, online safety problems are leading to real, offline suffering. Second, social media companies can’t, or won’t, solve these safety problems on their own.
| A．And those problems aren’t going away. |
| B．The current issues aren’t really about offline suffering. |
| C．Platforms already have systems to remove violent or harmful content. |
| D．Similarly, social media needs product safety standards to keep users safe. |
| E．It’s time we should require social media to take safety seriously, for everyone’s sake. |
| F．Internet platforms, however, have shifted blame on the consumers whenever criticized. |
| G．Some authorities are taking steps to hold social media platforms accountable for the content. |
2 . “If I only had a little humility, I’d be perfect,” the media giant Ted Turner supposedly said sometime in the1990s. Why be modest? Aristotle said: “All men by nature desire to know.” Intellectual humility is a particular instance of humility, since you can be down-to-earth about most things but still ignore your mental limitations.
Intellectual humility means recognising that we don’t know everything. Actually, it means we should acknowledge that we’re probably biased in our belief about just how much we understand and seek out the sources of wisdom that we lack.
The Internet and digital media have created the impression of limitless knowledge at our fingertips. But, by making us lazy, they have opened up a space that ignorance can fill. The psychologist Tania Lombrozo of the University of California explained how technology enhances our illusions (错觉) of wisdom. She argues that the way we access information is critical to our understanding—and the more easily we can recall an image, word or statement, the more likely we’ll think we’ve successfully learned it, and so withdraw from effortful cognitive processing. Logical puzzles presented in an unfriendly font (字体), for example, can encourage someone to make extra effort to solve them. Yet this approach runs counter to the nice designs of the apps and sites that populate our screens, where our brain processes information in a “smooth” way.
What about all the information that presents online? Well, your capacity to learn from it depends on your attitudes. Intellectually humble people don’t hide or ignore their weaknesses. In fact, they see them as sources of personal development, and use arguments as an opportunity to refine their views. People who are humble by nature tend to be more open-minded and quicker to resolve disputes, since they recognise that their own opinions might not be valid.
At the other end of the scale lies intellectual arrogance. Such arrogance almost always originates from the egocentric bias—the tendency to overestimate their own virtue or importance, ignoring the role of chance or the influence of other people’s actions on their lives. This is what makes these people credit success to themselves and failure to circumstance. From an evolutionary perspective, intellectual arrogance can also be seen as a way of achieving dominance through forcing one’s view on others. Intellectually arrogant people hardly invest mental resources in discussion or working towards group consensus, thus making it hard for groups to work successfully.
The Thrive Center for Human Development in California, which seeks to help young people turn into successful adults, is funding a series of major studies about intellectual humility. Their hypothesis is that humility, curiosity and openness are key to a fulfilling life. “Without humility, you are unable to learn,” Laszlo Bock, Google’s Head of People Operations, notes.
1. The passage is mainly about ___________.| A．the harm arrogance does to us | B．the key elements to a fulfilling life |
| C．the significance of intellectual humility | D．the way people access information online |
| A．enables people to think critically | B．offers too much unreliable information |
| C．allows easy access to abundant information | D．makes it hard for people to recall information |
| A．prefer to solve difficult problems | B．are unwilling to show their strengths |
| C．value others’ opinions more than their own | D．use online information to better themselves |
| A．intellectual arrogance is the result of evolution |
| B．intellectually arrogant people often lack team spirits |
| C．successful people are often unaware of their limitations |
| D．circumstances don’t favor intellectually arrogant people |
3 . Voluntourism — a new trend (趋势) of volunteer tourism
Have you ever thought about going abroad to volunteer? Nowadays there’s a trend that more and more people are interested in volunteer tourism.
Making a difference in a country less lucky than your own is seen by most as a really good thing to do. More and more volunteers are seeking meaning and a sense of purpose in life. “They use their skills to help on projects abroad, such as building hospitals, teaching English in schools, looking after children in orphanages (孤儿院), etc.”
However, some people are against this so-called “voluntourism”. Volunteers take away jobs from locals who would have otherwise done that work. Yes, sometimes volunteers have specific knowledge which can benefit communities, such as IT skills or speaking English as a native language. But sometimes they are put to work on construction sites (建筑工地), for example, depriving (使失去) locals of a job on project.
Besides, many young travelers are untrained for the role. This could become a health and safety problem on construction sites or when caring for children. I volunteered myself last year in a library and school in Ghana. I helped to reshelve books, talked to the librarian about the running of the library and played games with the children. However, I’m not an experienced teacher or librarian, and I felt like the locals were far too trusting of my opinions and decisions, just because I come from a more developed country.
Furthermore, volunteer tourism is seen by some as just that-an industry, a way for companies to make money. About $2 billion was spent by volunteers in 2015.Surely it would be better if this money were directly given to places where it is needed the most. Instead, most of the money is going to tourism companies, while local communities only see a very small amount of it. I met some Danish girls who had paid €7,000 each to a company to volunteer at an orphanage, but very little was spent on the orphanage itself.
I think volunteering abroad helps us develop as a person, and is a shining addition to a CV. Volunteer projects are usually very valuable for communities, but often good for those who take part in voluntary work just as much, if not more, as those they are helping.
1. What do we learn about volunteers working abroad?| A．They have no safety problems. |
| B．They may cause the locals out of job. |
| C．They become less willing to be volunteers. |
| D．They would like to work in richer countries. |
| A．Volunteer tourism has become an industry. |
| B．Volunteers spend lots of money helping with the charity work. |
| C．Some volunteer travelers are very experienced and suitable for the role. |
| D．Volunteer tourism provides locals with more and more job opportunities. |
| A．Voluntourism offers volunteers good jobs. |
| B．Volunteering gives a lot to poor countries. |
| C．Voluntourism brings volunteers advantages. |
| D．The quality of volunteering needs improving. |
I：Introduction P：Point Sp：Sub-point (次要点) c：Conclusion
A． | B． | C． | D． |
4 . Sunday evening, October 30, 1938, was peaceful in New York City. Some people were returning home from a trip to the countryside, and others were sitting down to dinner. In those days, televisions were not very common. Most people listened to the radio for news and entertainment.
At eight o’clock that evening, there was a concert of dance music, but Suddenly, the programme was cut off by a news report: a large spaceship had landed in a field and an army of Martians (火星人) was moving towards New York City and then the radio went silent.
People felt worried. Some drove out of the city as quickly as possible, but soon the roads were crowded with cars. Some people put wet towels on their faces because they thought there was a gas attack. In New Jersey, some farmers went out with guns. Although it was dark, they found a large cylinder (圆柱体) standing in a field, and, thinking it was the Martian spaceship, the shot at it many times.
Many people were so frightened that they did not hear the next announcement on the radio: “Ladies and gentlemen, you are listening to a radio play called The War of the Worlds.”
A message was sent to police stations that there was no real Martian attack, and the police Offices soon returned calm to New York City.
Many people were very angry that they had been fooled by the play, and complained to the radio station. But what about the spaceship that the farmers found in the field? The next morning, they found that they had damaged a large water tank (罐)!
1. According to the news report, ___________.| A．a Martian spaceship had landed | B．a spaceship was found at the airport |
| C．there would be a concert that evening | D．there was a gas attack in New York City |
| A．many people wanted to see the Martians |
| B．the Martian army was standing in the way |
| C．people were trying to get home from work |
| D．many people were trying to leave New York City |
| A．Policemen. | B．Firemen. | C．Dancers. | D．Farmers. |
| A．it was fooled by a news reporter. |
| B．It played a joke on the listeners. |
| C．It called the police to catch the Martians. |
| D．It often announced the news about spaceships. |
For brands to succeed, they must grasp and adapt to evolving consumer taste. Over the past decade, China
6 . “Find your passion!” When discussing future career options or selecting a major in college, your parents often say this. The very expression is meant to inspire. But is it good advice?
“Finding” a passion implies that it already exists and is simply waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, this idea is not what science tells us.
To study this, researchers use a framework of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets.They argue that encouraging people to “find” their passion may cause them to eventually believe that interests and passions are inborn and relatively unchangeable.
Researchers have revealed that a fixed mindset of interest can decrease creativity. If people believe they are limited to only a few inborn interests and, in consequence, do not explore other areas, they may miss seeing important connections across domains.
Evidently, people can do a lot to embrace a growth mindset of interest. First, realize that your interests and passions aren’t pre-existing. Take an active role in developing your passions. Second, practise positive self-talk. When you lack interest in a new task, pay attention to your inner dialogue.
| A．So can a growth mindset of interest be taught? |
| B．Instead passions, like interests, are developed. |
| C．People who think this have a fixed mindset of interest. |
| D．Of course, not every activity will become a burning passion. |
| E．As such,seeing interests as fixed limits their creative potential. |
| F．Don’t expect that pursuing new interests will always be easy or exciting. |
| G．Replace self-critical thoughts with positive ones that encourage growth and learning. |
The use of avatars has caused a few concerns. Some users worry that they are spending so much time in virtual worlds
8 . Adaptations are currently popular in the movie industry.
The most well-known version of a film being adapted to books is via the novelization. Movie novelizations went through a boom period before the internet era. Fans wanted to know more about the fictional worlds and experience the story again in a new way.
Meanwhile, the screen to page process has also opened up the possibility of sequels (续篇). Perhaps there simply wasn’t financial investment to create a follow-up to a film. Maybe a sequel idea simply felt more appropriate for a novel.
But what are the benefits of reading a novel instead of waiting for the big screen version? Well, a novel can take its reader deeper into the mind of the characters that the film had to represent in a more visual way.
Book adaptations of films obviously won’t ever replace cinema, and there’s no need to choose one or the other.
| A．Besides, descriptions can be more detailed too. |
| B．For a time, they were everything for cinema lovers. |
| C．We’re all familiar with film adaptations of books. |
| D．Films being adapted to books has been talked repeatedly. |
| E．Regardless, some terrific films have been expanded upon thanks to this medium. |
| F．But they couldn’t simply google it, or immediately purchase the production on tape. |
| G．Actually, these two mediums are considerably interdependent and complementary. |
9 . As the latest crop of students pen their undergraduate application form and weigh up their options, it may be worth considering just now the point, purpose and value of a degree has changed and what Generation Z need to consider as they start the third stage of their educational journey.
Millennials were told that if you did well in school, got a decent degree, you would be set up for life. But that promise has been found wanting. As degrees became universal, they became devalued. Education was no longer a secure route of social mobility. Today, 28 percent of graduates in the UK are in non- graduate roles, a percentage which is double the average among OECD countries.
This is not to say that there is no point in getting a degree, but rather stress that a degree is not for everyone, that the switch from classroom to lecture hall is not an inevitable one and that other options are available.
Thankfully, there are signs that this is already happening, with Generation Z seeking to learn from their millennial predecessors (前辈), even if parents and teachers tend to be still set in the degree mindset. Employers have long seen the advantages of hiring school leavers who often prove themselves to be more committed and loyal employees than graduates. Many too are seeing the advantages of cancelling a degree requirement for certain roles.
Regardless, it is unlikely that Generation Z will be done with education at 18 or 21; they will need to be constantly up-skilling throughout their career to stay employable. It has been estimated that this generation, due to the pressures of technology, the wish for personal fulfillment and desire for diversity, will work for 17 different employers over the course of their working life and have five different careers. Education, and not just knowledge gained on campus, will be a core part of Generation Z’s career trajectory (轨道).
Older generations often talk about their degree in the present and personal tense: “I am a geographer” or “I am a classist”. Their sons or daughters would never say such a thing; it’s as if they already know that their degree won’t define them in the same way.
1. The percentage of UK graduates in non-graduate roles reflect __________.| A．the deceasing value of a degree | B．Millennial’s opinions about work |
| C．the desired route of social mobility | D．public dissatisfaction with education |
| A．The employers’ preference for high school leavers. |
| B．A change in parents’ attitudes towards college education. |
| C．A wider variety of choices besides pursuing a degree. |
| D．More emphasis put on lecture hall rather than classroom. |
| A．They will have a limited choice of jobs. |
| B．Education will no longer be a core part in their life. |
| C．They will focus more on personal accomplishment. |
| D．Lifelong learning will determine what they are. |
Nowadays, there exists a common phenomenon. A man walks along the sidewalk, a smartphone in hand and completely
