1 . While retiring ahead of time may be easier on the body, a new set of research has found that it may not be so beneficial for the mind. The study, conducted at Binghamton University, finds that an early retirement can speed up the usual rate of cognitive (认知的) decline among the elderly.
The research team analyzed China’s new rural pension system, as well as China’s most recent Retirement Longitudinal Survey, in order to investigate the effects of early retirement and pension benefits on individual cognition among adults over the age of 60. After going over all of the data, the research team noted a clear trend: people receiving pension benefits were experiencing much more rapid mental decline than those still on the workforce. Surprisingly, females seemed to experience even sharper mental decline after retiring early. Overall, the results support the hypothesis (假设) that decreased mental activity accelerates cognitive decline.
Nikolov, the lead researcher, had actually conducted previous studies that found retirement led to a number of positive physical health benefits for retirees, such as improved sleep patterns, less stress, and reduced alcohol consumption. However, retirement is also usually accompanied with a decline in social activities and less overall interaction with people, which has also been linked to cognitive decline.
“For cognition among the elderly, it looks like the negative effect on social connection far outweighed the positive effect of the program on fitness and sleep.” Nikolov says. “Or social connection may simply be the single most powerful factor for cognitive performance in old age.”
The research team are hopeful that their findings will be considered by older adults when thinking about retirement, but perhaps more importantly, they hope that policy makers in developing countries take note while drawing up new pension plans. They recommend building social get-togethers and workshops for recent retirees to help lessen the predicted decline in social interaction and creative thinking that often comes along with retirement.
1. Which of the following best describes retiring ahead of time for the mind?| A．Useless. | B．Beneficial. | C．Damaging. | D．Improving. |
| A．Men retiring as plans. | B．Women retiring early. |
| C．Women over the age of 60. | D．Men retiring ahead of time. |
| A．Longer sleeping time. | B．Fewer social activities. |
| C．More alcohol consumption. | D．More time with family members. |
| A．We should help the retired people |
| B．We should not retire in the modern world |
| C．Early retirement is not so good for the old |
| D．The government should make a new policy |
2 . New parents often spend a long time debating what to call their newborn. Should they name them after a relative, a famous person, or just pick a name at random?
Names usually stay with us for a lifetime, unless we decide to change them. They become part of our identity. Quite often we hear stories of celebrities giving their children unusual names, while other people give their children names which have special meanings, for example,
So, what if you don’t like your given name? A study led by psychologist Jean Twenge found that a person who hates the nickname given to them is more likely to have greater psychological adjustment issues — possibly due to low self-esteem. This is because our title becomes a symbol of our self.
And what if your name is no longer popular? While names like Ethel and Gladys were once in fashion, they now sound a bit out of date, which can be embarrassing.
However, if you choose an unusual name, it’s not all bad news. According to a study conducted by Professor David Zhu, people with uncommon names can develop a sense of uniqueness.
So, when choosing your successor’s name, there are a fair few things to consider — but going for something too common or too old-fashioned may not be a great choice.
| A．the name Sarah comes from a Hebrew word meaning “princess”. |
| B．They can often become more creative and open-minded. |
| C．A person who likes his name will be more self-confident. |
| D．For many of us it can be quite the tiring task, |
| E．And when it comes to unpopular names which aren’t fashionable, they may even affect our lives. |
| F．If we hate our name, our confidence may be affected. |
| G．Unpopular names also has many advantages. |
3 . A new study shows that U.S. teens see more television commercials (广告) for alcohol than for jeans, sneakers, or other teen products, the New York Times reported Dec. 18.
For the study, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University studied the 208,909 alcohol commercials on television. They found that nearly 25 percent of the ads were viewed mainly by teenagers, rather than adults.
Furthermore, 12-to-20-year-olds viewed more commercials for beer and other alcoholic drinks than products marketed directly to young people, such as gum, snacks, and juice. “No one is watching what the industry is doing, and the industry is in denial (拒绝承认),” said David A. Kessler, dean of the School of Medicine at Yale and an adviser to CAMY.
The alcohol industry uses voluntary rules to reduce the number of ads seen by those under age 21. The rules say that ads should not air during programs where at least half of the audience is underage (未成年的).
“We do not forgive illegal underage drinking under any circumstances,” said Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute. “This industry does not, and never has, targeted our advertising to people who can’t legally buy our products.”
However, the report found that alcohol ads ran during 13 of the 15 most popular shows for teenagers, including “Seventh Heaven,” “Gilmore Girls, ” “Dark Angel,” “That ‘70s Show,” “Friends,” “E.R.,” and sporting events.
Jim O’Hara, executive director of CAMY, said the industry rules are false. He added, “These standards do not protect youth from exposure and overexposure to alcohol advertising and marketing.”
1. What’s the result of the study conducted by CAMY?| A．Teenagers like alcohol than jeans and sneakers. |
| B．Alduts see more alcohol ads on TV than teenager. |
| C．Teenagers see ads for alcohol ads on TV more than adults. |
| D．The older teenagers are, the better they like ads for alcohol ads. |
| A．The alcohol industry is widely praised. |
| B．The alcohol industry is closely watched. |
| C．The underage will see less ads for alcoholic drinks in the near future. |
| D．Young people can easily buy such products as alcoholic drinks, snacks and juice. |
| A．Dark Angel and Seventh Heaven are shows for adults. |
| B．The industry rules protect youth from alcohol advertising. |
| C．Not all the most popular shows for teenagers air alcohol ads. |
| D．Teenagers can drink alcohol with the permission of their parents. |
| A．Alcohol commercials on TV. |
| B．Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. |
| C．Illegal underage drinking is not permitted. |
| D．Teenagers see more TV ads for alcohol than other products. |
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
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(1) 调查内容：对春节期间禁止燃放烟花爆竹的看法；(2) 调查范围：你所在的社区；(3) 调查人数：400；(4) 调查方式：访谈；(5) 调查结果：
注意：
(1) 词数 100 左右；
(2) 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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1.比赛的主题;
2.比赛的情况;
3.个人观点。
注意：1.词数100左右;
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Should Students Get Allowances (零花钱) for Doing Chores (家务)?
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The pandemic(疫情) pushed instant noodles to become the main food for many people during the COVID 19 crisis.
In 2021, the global instant noodles industry was worth just $44 billion. The instant noodle was invented in Japan around the 1950s and over time it became a true global food. It is most popular in South Asian countries. Presently, it is produced in over 90 countries and China is said to have the biggest demand when it comes to instant noodles.
When the pandemic came, the demand for instant foods increased. People’s stockpiling(囤积) habits boosted the sales. The instant noodles’ easy-to cook formula, long shelf life and cheap prices are the key contributing factors to the rise in their demand.
Asia Pacific nations held a market share of nearly 80% in the pandemic year. More than 116 billion servings(份) of instant noodles were consumed(消费). That is about 320 million servings a single day. The World Instant Noodles Association reported that China had consumed 46, 000 million servings in 2021 alone, followed by Indonesia with over 12,000 million servings in 2021.
South Korea took the lead with its consumption per person standing at 79 servings. Then there was Vietnam with 72 servings at the second position and finally Nepal at the third position with nearly 53 servings in 2021.
Nongshim is a South Korean food company. It recorded sales of instant noodles worth $1.85 billion in 2021, which was a 16% jump from the previous year. The global instant noodles market is said to climb to $ 72 billion by the end of 2027.
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?| A．Show the author’s attitude. | B．Add some background information. |
| C．Introduce the main topic of the text. | D．Explain the influence of the pandemic. |
| A．The popularity of instant noodles. |
| B．The convenience of instant noodles. |
| C．The reasons for the rise of instant noodles. |
| D．The problems with eating instant noodles. |
| A．China. | B．Vietnam. | C．Indonesia. | D．South Korea. |
| A．Instant noodles become the main food for many people. |
| B．Instant noodles are the most popular in Asia Pacific nations. |
| C．The instant noodles industry experiences ups and downs. |
| D．The instant noodles market sees a big growth during the pandemic. |
8 . There has been an obvious drop nationwide in the rate of high school graduates enrolling (注册) in college in the fall after they finish high school—from a high of 70 percent in 2016 to 63 percent in 2020, the most recent year for which the figure is available, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Many observers have suggested three main explanations for the fall: COVID-19, the smaller number of Americans under 18 and a strong labor market attracting young people straight into the workforce. But while COVID-19 made things worse, the enrollment downturn took hold well before it started. Demographics (人口结构) alone cannot explain the size of this drop. And data show that workforce participation for 16- to 24-year olds is actually lower than it was before COVID-19 hit.
Many surveys point to other reasons for the downward trend (趋势). These include widespread and fast-growing doubt about the value of a degree, impatience with the time it takes to get one and costs that have finally gone beyond many people’s ability or willingness to pay. Fewer than one in three adults now say a degree is worth the cost.
On top of all that is growing dissatisfaction among recent university and college graduates with the value of the education they received. More than four in ten bachelor’s degree (学士学位) holders under 45 did not agree that the benefits of their educations are more than the costs, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, months of discussion about whether the Biden administration will forgive all or some student loan debt(助学贷款) has had an unintended result: It has reminded potential learners just how much people before them had to borrow to pay for college and many of their parents are still paying back their student loans.
In fact, workers with bachelor’s degrees earn 67 percent more than people who have only finished high school. More than half of “good jobs”—meaning those with pay of at least $35,000 for workers under age 45 and $45,000 for people between 45 and 64—call for bachelor’s degrees.
1. Which has the greatest influence on college enrollment?| A．The wide spread of COVID-19. |
| B．Too long time the college education takes. |
| C．The doubt about the value of a college degree. |
| D．The labor market needing more young people. |
| A．To persuade parents to focus on education. |
| B．To advise the government to change education laws. |
| C．To describe the importance of college education. |
| D．To show the heavy stress of college education. |
| A．Bachelor’s degrees cost too much. | B．A college degree does pay off. |
| C．College degrees ensure absolute success in career. | D．Those without college degrees don’t earn less. |
| A．The Difficulty of Entering College |
| B．Two Generations of Education Efforts |
| C．Reasons Why Higher Education Lost Its Shine |
| D．A Strong Labor Market Attracting Young People |
9 . Talking to your children about the misinformation they may find online is a great idea. Children don’t always have the judgment or critical thinking skills to test what they read or watch, but they’ll develop these abilities quickly if you help them figure out how to separate fact from fiction. We’re here to help you do just that!
Don’t wait for your kids to approach you with questions——instead, take a few minutes to sit down with them. Let them know that there’s a lot of content out there on the Internet, and not all o£ it is true. With everything going on in the world, remind your kids that they might be seeing a lot of confusing, false information going around on social media and other parts of the web.
It’s a good idea to turn news reports and TV shows into teachable moments. Look for small opportunities to start helpful conversations about misinformation with your kids. Take a TV show or newspaper article and transform it into a helpful, easy way to understand what misinformation is9 and how to avoid it.
Misinformation can be really upsetting and stressful for your kids to think about. Let them know that you’re always available to listen and answer their questions if they’re feeling confused. Reassure your kids that there are no stupid questions, and that you’re always willing to explain something for them.
Teach your kids a few tricks to fact-check misinformation online. Remind your kids to be on the lookout for strange-looking website like those ending with co. Tell them to read through the headline. If it has a lot of mistakes, or if it’s written in all capital letters, there’s a good chance that it might be misinformation. Additionally, introduce your kids to official websites, which are quick and easy ways to fact-check information.
1. Why should people talk to their children about online misinformation?| A．There is no information holding true online, |
| B．There is no one else willing to teach the children. |
| C．Children lack the ability to judge the information. |
| D．Children can’t develop the judgement on their own. |
| A．relieve children’s financial burden |
| B．approach children positively to help them |
| C．remind parents to seize every chance to teach |
| D．encourage children to communicate with parents |
| A．A passage on the website www. i21st.cn. |
| B．A passage on the website www. pep. com. cn. |
| C．A passage titled with Origins of the Mandela Effect”. |
| D．A passage titled with ”SHOK! GAS RAN OUT YESTERDAY“. |
| A．Parents. | B．Teenagers. | C．Students. | D．Teachers. |
10 . Famous for its tolerance(宽容) as well as its narrow houses and broad canals(运河), Amsterdam is undergoing a change of attitude when it comes to the millions of tourists that come to see it each year. Tolerance has reached its limits in the capital of Dutch, which is now actively urging visitors to head elsewhere.
Ellen van Loon, a partner at Dutch architectural firm OMA, says, “We don’t want to turn into a Venice. While tourism earns the Dutch economy around 82 billion euros a year, the problem we are currently facing is that Amsterdam is so infatuated by tourists that we just have so many tourists coming to the city. ”
Netherlands tourist officials recently took the decision to stop advertising the country as a tourist destination. “Perspective 2030”, report, published earlier this year, stated that the focus will now be on “destination management” rather than “destination promoting”. The document also describes the country’s future strategy, acknowledging that Amsterdam’s livability will be severely influenced by “visitor overload” if action isn’t taken.
Solutions listed include working to discourage groups of visitors by either limiting or completely shutting down accommodation and entertainment products aimed at them, as well as spreading visitors to other parts of the Netherlands. Some of these measures have already come into play. Last year, the famous “I Amsterdam” sign was removed from outside the Rijksmuseum, the city’s main art gallery. The two-meter-high letters have been moved to various lesser-known neighborhoods in order to persuade travelers to leave the center of the city.
But will the measures being put in place be enough to save it from being damaged by its own success? Like many other locals, Ellen van Loon fears that Amsterdam has already lost its uniqueness forever. “The reason tourists come here is that; there’s something in the character of Amsterdam they love,” she explains. “But at a certain point, when the number of tourists is increasing and increasing, they actually kill what they loved in the first place. ”
1. What is the change in Amsterdam mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Saying no to bad travel behavior. | B．Welcoming millions of tourists. |
| C．Redesigning the roads and the canals. | D．Guiding tourists to other places. |
| A．Touched. | B．Blamed. | C．Loved. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．To prevent its livability from being affected. |
| B．To turn the focus on destination promoting. |
| C．To promote the development of other areas. |
| D．To protect the world’s ecological environment. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Doubtful. | C．Optimistic. | D．Supportive. |
