1 . The QR-code menu- which you access by scanning a black-and-white square with your smartphone-has taken off. It may dominate going forward.
For restaurants, QR-code menus offer potential benefits beyond putting germ-averse (厌恶细菌的) diners at greater ease. In the near future, rather than offer the same unchanging selections to every diner, restaurants might employ dynamic menus from which dishes disappear as the kitchen runs out.
For diners, however, QR-code menus are not really an advance. You may just be checking to see what you want your next drink to be, but from there it’s easy to start checking texts and emails. Even if everyone resists the temptation (诱惑) to check an incoming text message, merely having a phone out on the table makes a meal less fun for all involved. In the study “Smartphone Use Undermines Enjoyment of Face-to-Face Social Interactions”, the social-psychology researcher Ryan Dwyer and his colleagues randomly assigned some people to keep their phones out when dining with friends and others to put it away. “We found that groups assigned to use their phones enjoyed the experience less than groups that did not use their phones,” Dwyer said, “primarily due to the fact that participants with phones were more distracted.”
QR-code menus reduce privacy, too. Many of the codes “are actually generated by a different company that collects, uses, and then often shares your personal information,” the ACLU has warned.
“In fact, companies that provide QR codes to restaurants like to brag (吹嘘) all the personal information you are sharing along with that food order: your location, your demographics such as gender and age group, and other information about you and your behavior.”
The next few years may determine to what degree the restaurant of the future embraces the digital era or conserves the traditional focus on sociability and connection by deliberately avoiding it. There’s one thing for sure: their success is not appointed in advance.
1. Which kind of menu may a restaurant offer in the near future?| A．A paper menu. |
| B．A clean menu. |
| C．A changeable menu. |
| D．A personalized menu. |
| A．It forces them to check texts. |
| B．It takes their attention away. |
| C．It offers a discount. |
| D．It recommends better drinks. |
| A．QR-code menus will be forbidden. |
| B．Restaurants tend to share diners’ location. |
| C．QR codes aim to collect diners’ personal information. |
| D．Scanning QR-code menus may put diners at risk. |
| A．Problems brought by QR-code menus. |
| B．Restaurants’ difficulties in the digital era. |
| C．Diners’ concerns about privacy exposure. |
| D．Technology challenges of QR-code menus. |
2 . Strategies for Getting Kids off Screens
It’s time to keep kids off the screens! Parents should use the winter vacation to remind their children of what it’s like to play freely, offline for hours on end.
Set clear screen time limits
Establish how many minutes or hours you’re OK with them each week, and make it something that can never be changed. For example, you could say they’re allowed to watch for an hour on Sunday morning, or for 15 minutes in the evening while dinner is being made, or none at all for the rest of the winter—and then stick to it.
Get kids cooking
Involve them in meal preparation by assigning recipes that you’d like them to make each day.
There are numerous half- and full-day camp options and lessons that can occupy a child’s time, such as swimming, art classes, tennis, dinosaur camp and sports camp. Look around your community for activities that can get them out of the house for a few hours each day.
Establish a reading routine (习惯)
| A．Sign up for lessons |
| B．Assign household work |
| C．That helps stop arguments of screen time |
| D．Of course, this is easier said than done |
| E．Master some basic tricks, using a homemade tool |
| F．They’ll develop new skills at cutting, cooking and baking |
| G．Go to the library once a week to store up fresh reading material |
3 . The British has obeyed the “keep to the left” rule for long. Have you ever wondered why? There is a historical reason for this: it’s all to do with keeping your sword hand free! In the Middle Ages you never knew who you were going to meet when travelling on horseback. Most people are right-handed, so if a stranger passed by on the right of you, your right hand would be free to use your sword if required.
Indeed the “keep to the left” rule goes back even further in time; archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the Romans drove carts and wagons on the left, and it is known that Roman soldiers always marched on the left. This “rule of the road” was officially sanctioned in 1300 AD when Pope (教皇) Boniface Ⅷ declared that all pilgrims (朝圣者) travelling to Rome should keep to the left.
This continued until the late 1700s when large wagons became popular for transporting goods. These wagons were drawn by several pairs of horses and had no driver’s seat. Instead, in order to control the horses, the driver sat on the horse at the back left, thus keeping his whip hand free. Sitting on the left however made it difficult to judge the traffic coming the other way, as anyone who has driven a left-hand drive car along the winding lanes of Britain will agree!
In Britain there wasn’t much call tor these massive wagons and the smaller British vehicles had seats for the driver to sit on behind the horses. As most people are right-handed, the driver would sit to the right of the seat so his whip hand was free. Traffic congestion in 18th century London led to a law being passed to make all traffic on London Bridge keep to the left in order to reduce collisions. This rule was incorporated (并入) into the Highway Act of 1835 and was adopted throughout the British Empire.
1. What probably happened in the Middle Ages?| A．Passers-by walked on the right. | B．Strangers fought every time they met. |
| C．People would be attacked by strangers. | D．Tourists travelled everywhere without limit. |
| A．Recognized. | B．Designed. | C．Explained. | D．Postponed. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Indifferent. | C．Negative. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．What Is the “Keep to the Left” Rule? | B．Why Do the British Drive on the Left? |
| C．Where Was “Drive on the Left” Carried Out? | D．When Is the “Keep to the Left” Rule Popular? |
4 . Has your mom or dad ever posted a photo of you on social media that you didn’t want anyone outside your family to see? In an age when people often share personal information on site such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, many parents usually post photos of their children. According to a recent study, a parent will post almost 1,000 photos of a child online before the child turns 5.
Parents often post photos on social media because they want to share their child’s special moments with their friends and family. Some moms and dads do it as a way to connect with other parents. They may have discussions with experienced parents about topics such as how to get kids to sleep or how to deal with kids’ behavioral problems.
Most parents don’t ask their children for permission before posing photos of them. They feel it is not necessary to consult (询问) with their children first because the benefits outweigh any possible risks. Many of them do not fear their kids’ pictures will spread further than intended. Some may even expect unknown people to view and comment on the pictures, and thus meet more new people on the Internet. “The photos I post of my children allow me to know a lot of people I wouldn’t necessarily include on my list.” said Lauren Apfel, a writer and mother of four. “They have helped me create a group on social media.”
Other parents and child experts believe that kids should be consulted. They say that photos can stay online for many years and that kids should have some control over their online photos. Devorah Heiner, an author who runs workshops about kids, is of the same opinion. “Allow your children to decide whether you can share their photos on social media.” she said.
1. What do we know about today’s parents from Paragraph 1?| A．They like posting their kids’ photos online. |
| B．They spend too much time online. |
| C．They often post photos of family members. |
| D．They try to protect kids’ personal information. |
| A．To let more people know their children. | B．To show their children is excellent. |
| C．To get some useful advice on parenting. | D．To kill their boring time. |
| A．It is likely to be risky. | B．It is harmful to children. |
| C．It helps her to make more friends. | D．It makes her online friends bored. |
| A．Letting their kids share. | B．Getting kids’ permission first. |
| C．Telling kids the photos are theirs. | D．Letting kids know sharing is helpful. |
5 . Loneliness in modern culture is so common that many refer to it as an “pidemic”. A related phenomenon is what’s known on social media as FOMO, or the “fear of missing out”. To feel FOMO means to be anxious that there is something going on somewhere that you should be showing up for.
But FOMO doesn’t necessarily motivate us to fight with loneliness in a healthy way. What would it look like to step away from the pursuit of fullness and toward the simple pleasures that mean the most to you? I recently encountered the phrase JOMO, or the “joy of missing out”.
The artist Michael Leunig wrote a short poem, titled Joy of Missing Out, about the emotional intelligence we display when we are content with where we are and what we are doing in any given moment. Competition and anxiety slip away in his vision of an accessible and positive attitude.
Practicing JOMO means turning away from material possessions, shallow relationships, and gossip news in favor of meaningful human interaction, satisfying home and enough time for leisure. I struggle with this sometimes, and you might too. I like being able to say “yes” to opportunities to be with people, try new things and maintain long-distance friendships over social media. But sometimes I’m learning that doing those things means I’m saying “no” to myself, passing up opportunities to plant some seeds in my garden, read another chapter in a good novel or have a long walk-and-talk with a friend.
The truth is, everyone “misses out” on some things. Whether we experience those moments fearfully or joyfully is our choice, but a positive view would certainly lean toward the latter. Is JOMO a helpful way for you to think about how you spend your time and energy?
1. Why is FOMO mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic of JOMO. |
| B．To explain the meaning of FOMO. |
| C．To make a comparison with loneliness. |
| D．To describe a common cultural phenomenon. |
| A．they fight with loneliness |
| B．they want to live a healthy life |
| C．they don’t want to miss out on things |
| D．they pursue simple pleasures in life |
① listening to gossip news ②reading good novels
③ having family time for leisure ④maintaining online friendships
⑤ walking and talking with friends
| A．①③④ | B．①②⑤ | C．②③④ | D．②③⑤ |
| A．News. | B．Science. | C．Lifestyle. | D．Entertainment. |
6 . In 2019, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that international travel had increased to a record 1.4 billion tourist arrivals. It predicted a 3% to 4% annual increase in coming years. That didn’t happen, of course. At the end of 2021, international tourist arrivals were 72% below pre-pandemic levels with 1 billion fewer arrivals than two years earlier. According to UNWTO’s executive director (执行长官), Zoritsa Urosevic, tourism has been seriously influenced by Covid-19 and, while countries such as China were able to switch to domestic(国内的)tourism, smaller nations such as Fiji, where tourism represents between 40% and 70% of GDP, did far worse. The pandemic put about 120 million tourism jobs at risk.
The organisation holds the opinion that by 2024 international tourism will have returned to pre-pandemic levels. If Covid’s impact improves as hoped, it will be replaced by a new virus — wanderlust. Millennials (千禧年一代), according to one survey, would rather travel than do any other thing.
Though the tourism may bring the economy back, the value of tourism depends on how you do it. In 2019, transport-related emissions (释放) from tourism were responsible for 5% of human-made global carbon dioxide emissions, according to UNWTO. Cruise ships produce 21,000 gallons of sewage (污水) per day per ship, much of it ending up in the sea.
1. What can we know about the international travel in recent years?| A．It increased as expected based on UNWTO. | B．It decreased because of Covid-19. |
| C．China didn’t change the way of tourism. | D．Fiji’s tourism has got better. |
| A．By using data. | B．By describing the process. |
| C．By following the time order. | D．By asking questions. |
| A．It would put tourism jobs at risk. |
| B．It would help improve the situation. |
| C．Many people would like to travel very much. |
| D．Many people would suffer from another disease. |
| A．The advantage of tourism. | B．The disadvantage of tourism. |
| C．Environmental protection. | D．Global warming. |
7 . How to Average Results from a Student Survey
Student surveys provide a lot of information that school administrators can learn from.
After all the survey questionnaires have been filled and returned, the results can now be tabulated (制成表格).
On a survey question that provides levels of satisfaction, respondents can answer with numeric values (数值), from 1 to 10, according to how satisfied they are. If five forms were given and returned values of 2, 2, 5, 5 and 3, the sum would be 17 and then dividing that by 5 will get you an average satisfaction rating of 3.4.
Using numeric values is a simple way for respondents to rate questions or statements and would be easier to average the results at the end of the survey.
| A．Answer choices can be designed in many ways. |
| B．The goals for conducting a survey must be clear. |
| C．First of all, handout student survey questionnaires. |
| D．The average can also be expressed as a percentage. |
| E．Then an average for each question can be calculated. |
| F．It means students aren’t satisfied with the surveyed subject. |
| G．School managements can be improved through student feedback. |
8 . Water shortage is occurring in some of the US’ biggest freshwater reserves and it is also evident in other parts of the planet, according to a research study published in the journal Nature last month.
The research study was conducted by Xander Huggins, a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria and his fellow researchers.
The Earth has less than 3% freshwater with only 1% is accessible to the growing human population. Both natural freshwater reserves and freshwater in reservoirs may be at risk if their amount continues to drop and the population continues to increase. In 2021, there are approximately 7.9 billion people by January 31, according to the United States Census Bureau. The research study found 34 trends in terrestrial (地面上的) water reserves observed by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment ( GRACE ) satellites from 2002 to 2016. These trends were acquired when the researchers examined 1,024 basins across the world with the goal of understanding how water availability couples with social processes in the community.
According to Huggins, the main factor they studied were freshwater stress, which is related to the amount of H2O that naturally leaves the watershed or basin per year. The higher the stress or exit of water from the basin means that there will be less water available for ecosystems and for people’s demands, Huggins explains. The significance of the study can be of interest not only to water specialists and water conservators but also to government policy-makers. Huggins stated that after mapping the most high-risk freshwater sources and creating a framework to identify hotspot basins, policy makers will be able to prioritize a specific location.
Huggins shows that while the US score highly in terms of social adaptiveness based on the study’s freshwater stress factor, the country has many freshwater concerns that goes be-yond between freshwater stress and freshwater storage. The states of Illinois and Ohio have the highest levels of lead (铅) pipes carrying water from freshwater basins to residential households. Meanwhile in Colorado, an estimate from the Colorado Water Center predicts there will be a 20% to 30% less water of the Colorado River Basin by 2050.
1. Why did Huggins and his team examine the basins all over the world?| A．To settle the shortage of freshwater in the USA. |
| B．To figure out the number of basins across the world. |
| C．To learn its pollution of the recent years across the world. |
| D．To understand how water availability is related with social processes. |
| A．Freshwater stress. | B．People’s demands. |
| C．His team’s assumption. | D．Policy makers’ requirements. |
| A．The water pipes are too expensive. |
| B．The storage of freshwater decreases most sharply. |
| C．The water carried to households may be polluted by lead. |
| D．The consumption of freshwater gives threats to food security. |
| A．These Are the Most Threatened Freshwater Reserves |
| B．The US Is Losing Some of Its Biggest Natural Reserves |
| C．Water Crisis: Planet’s Freshwater Reserves Are Seriously Polluted |
| D．We Are Facing Terrible Water Shortage on Some Biggest Freshwater Reserves |
9 . Half of all Australian teens now spend more time, or as much time, online with their friends rather than seeing them in person. This is despite the fact that one third of boy’s and 42 per cent of girls say social media makes hard times even more tough. Teenagers who went from using social media weekly to daily had a higher risk of depression and anxiety, the researchers found. New research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies has renewed concerns about the impact of screen time on teenagers’ mental health.
The findings showed 46 per cent of 16-year-olds and 36 per cent of 14-year-olds spent the same time contacting friends via Snapchat, video gaming, Instagram or TikTok as seeing then face-to-face. The findings also showed 7 per cent of 16-year-olds and 5 per cent of 14-ycar-olds mainly interacted with friends electronically. The highest percentage of children who communicated with friends mostly via social media were 16-year-olds with autism (自闭症), the researchers found. The study, which has followed 10,000 children since 2004, surveyed 14 and 15-year-olds and 16 and 17-year-olds about the time they spent online.
Australian Institute of Family Studies researcher Pilar Rioseco said, “The platforms young people are using to commune have changed significantly and digital devices such as mobile phones have become more readily available to adolescents.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that many young people connect, with many having to rely heavily on digital technologies to keep in touch with friends and family.” Dr Rioseco also found that a quarter of teens were victims of cyber-bullying, including threats and name calling. A quarter of those with autism said being online made it easier to be themselves and almost half said being online helped them feel better during difficult times.
Dr Rioseco said online connection “appears to have benefits for some young people in terms of helping social connection and providing support during difficult times” . “Providing young people with the skills to communicate safely online and deal with cyber-bullying is critical,” she added.
1. What does the new research show?| A．36% of 14-year-olds mostly communicated with friends online. |
| B．46% of 16-year-olds mostly communicated with friends online. |
| C．7% of 16-year-olds spent equal time with friends online and offline. |
| D．36% of 14-year-olds spent equal time with friends online and offline. |
| A．update | B．defend | C．connect | D．learn |
| A．It makes them at ease. | B．It is a main threat to them. |
| C．It cures them of the disease. | D．It makes them experience more difficult times. |
| A．By allowing them to connect more online. |
| B．By teaching them to protect themselves online. |
| C．By providing them with more Internet languages. |
| D．By offering them more platforms to communicate. |
10 . Lonely? You’re hardly alone. That’s the finding of a new study. And that appears throughout industrial nations across the globe. The study linked rising loneliness to a greater use of smartphones and the Internet over the same years.
Jean Twenge, a psychologist, took part in the study. Her team has found that since 2012, US teens have been spending less time together face to face.
“Smartphones can help keep us connected with friends,” says Twenge. “But they can also make people feel excluded (隔离).” Girls, especially, may feel this way. One reason may be that they like to post more photos and selfies than boys. Studies have shown that if those images don’t get a lot of “likes”, it can affect a teen’s mental health.
And there’s “phubbing”, a mixture of “phone” and “snubbing (冷落)”. It’s that moment in which a friend or family member takes out a phone and keeps looking at it，paying no attention to everybody else, including you. Phubbing is one way that technology can affect you, even when you’re not the one using it.
The new study pulled its data from a survey. Some 1 million 15-and 16-year-old students from 37 countries took this survey in 2000, 2003, 2012, 2015 and 2018. Its questions mostly dealt with education. But they also included six statements about loneliness, such as “I feel awkward and out of place in my school”. Students could strongly disagree, disagree, agree or strongly agree with each statement.
If technology causes loneliness, should we stop using it? “No, not at all,” argues Twenge. “Everybody of all ages is trying to figure out how we can best use these technologies and stay mentally healthy.” Her advice is to “use your smartphone for what it’s good for. Then put it away.” That includes putting it away overnight—ideally in another room.
1. How do girls differ from boys in smartphone use?| A．They prefer to post pictures with it. | B．They depend on it to keep in touch. |
| C．They use it as a learning tool. | D．They need it to stay in style. |
| A．To introduce a new term of the smartphone. |
| B．To give an example of communication. |
| C．To introduce an embarrassing situation. |
| D．To show the harm of the smartphone. |
| A．Smart phones only do harm to teenagers. |
| B．Parents should buy phones for their kids. |
| C．Boys are in greater need of phones than girls. |
| D．We can use our smartphones to benefit ourselves. |
| A．The Smartphone—the Focus of a Study |
| B．The Smartphone—a Friend of Teenagers |
| C．The Smartphone—a Source of Loneliness |
| D．The Smartphone—a Communication Tool |
