1 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
2 . Some fifteen years ago, when smartphone apps were new and few truly understood their potentials, retailers (零售商)
From the point on, retailers began launching strategies to combat showrooming including releasing exclusive items for sale so that no
“Media have reported showrooming as a big threat to physical stores.” says Casey Carl, a retailer. “However, less
And a showrooming study indicates that it’s wise for retailers to limit the item price to at most 5 dollars
| A．almost | B．just | C．barely | D．simply |
| A．reviews | B．locations | C．shows | D．similarities |
| A．genuinely | B．generously | C．particularly | D．finally |
| A．blessing | B．threat | C．surprise | D．success |
| A．domestic | B．physical | C．imaginary | D．parallel |
| A．superior | B．compulsory | C．routine | D．rewarding |
| A．cornered | B．messed | C．overlooked | D．refunded |
| A．reference | B．alternative | C．exception | D．discount |
| A．criticized | B．publicized | C．exploited | D．executed |
| A．reasonable | B．inevitable | C．illegal | D．acceptable |
| A．assist | B．prohibit | C．monitor | D．expose |
| A．out of stock | B．at random | C．within reach | D．on the spot |
| A．higher | B．lower | C．less | D．more |
| A．reputation | B．greed | C．priority | D．devotion |
| A．attention | B．deposit | C．honor | D．extra |
| A．disorder | B．gap | C．split | D．deadline |
| A．However | B．Actually | C．Besides | D．Therefore |
| A．accessible | B．multiple | C．loyal | D．concrete |
| A．puts out | B．carries out | C．seeks out | D．pulls out |
| A．suspicion | B．effort | C．panic | D．guilt |
3 . Back in Brisbane, Australia, for the Christmas break, I found myself in a public transport dead zone. Bikeless, 7 kilometers from where I was meeting friends and unwilling to get a taxi, I decided to borrow an electric scooter. The trip took far longer than it would have by bike, mainly because of a major spill halfway there. A rock, hit at speed, is a terrible thing: weeks later, I still had the red knees of a primary schooler.
E-scooters have appeared in Brisbane like a rash. In the UK, they are legal only on private land, but the Department for Transport is discussing how to regulate them on public roads and pathways, with the potential for legalisation later this year.
Other cities that have e-scooter rental programs have had teething problems. In Paris, mayor Anne Hidalgo described the situation last year as messy. She has announced that the city is reducing its number of e-scooters to 15,000 and plans to create laws banning them from pavements (人行道). France has put into force laws limiting e-scooter speeds to 25 kilometres per hour.
Similar to dockless (无桩的) hire bicycles, e-scooters are parked on pavements and people leave them up trees or throw them into rivers. Rough handling shortens their lifetime, which is bad for both profitability and the environment. Analysis suggests that the average e-scooter’s lifetime is just three months.
I think e-scooters are an essential part of the effort to make city transport greener. They are seen as a solution to the “last mile” problem — a potential way to reduce transport jam by rapidly getting someone to their final destination. Cars can take up 28 times the space of a person riding a bicycle.
As far as the environmental effect goes, recent research suggests that e-scooters are not as green as walking or cycling, but they are still better than cars. And despite numerous reports of serious accidents, scooting is about as safe as cycling.
Stephen Gossling at Lund University in Sweden has suggested we build car-free “micromobility” streets, where cyclists, pedestrians (行人) and e-scooters could share the road. He thinks this will reduce accident risks and invite more vulnerable (易受伤害的) traffic participants, such as children, to become active transport users.
If more e-scooters mean fewer cars on roads, an improvement in local air quality is also a likely outcome. When 20 kilometers of roads in central London closed for World Car-Free Day last September, a temporary air quality monitor in Regent Street reportedly registered a 60% drop in nitrogen dioxide.
1. What does the underlined part “a major spill” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．A serious fall. | B．A sudden illness. |
| C．A legal defense. | D．A terrible breakdown. |
| A．They are illegal on pavements. | B．They are already out of fashion. |
| C．They are facing more restrictions. | D．They are more common on private land. |
| A．They are not as safe as cycling. |
| B．They stand up to rough handling. |
| C．They are as green as cycling or walking. |
| D．They play a big role in the “last mile” problem. |
| A．To set up more care-free days. |
| B．To invite more cyclists to use e-scooters. |
| C．To get vulnerable pedestrians off the road. |
| D．To separate cars from e-scooters on the road. |
4 . Four years ago, Chris Nagele did what many other technology CEO have done before—he moved his team into an open concept office.
His staff had been working from home, but he wanted everyone to be together. It quickly became clear, though, that Nagele had made a huge mistake. Everyone was distracted, productivity(生产率) suffered and the nine employees were unhappy, not to mention Nagele himself.
In April 2015, about three years after moving into the open office, Nagele moved the company into a 10,000-square foot office where everyone now has their own space — complete with closing doors.
Numerous companies have accepted the open office. But we’re 15% less productive, we have great trouble concentrating.
Since moving, Nagele himself has heard from others in technology who say they long for the closed office lifestyle. It’s unlikely that the open office concept will go away anytime soon, but some companies are following Nagele’s example and making a return to private spaces.
There’s one big reason we’d all love a space with four walls and a door that shuts: focus. The truth is, we can’t multitask(多任务化) and small distractions can cause us to lose focus for upwards of 20 minutes.
What’s more, certain open spaces can negatively impact our memory. We retain(保留) more information when we sit in one spot, says Sally Augustin, an environmental and design psychologist in La Grange Park, Illinois. It’s not so obvious to us each day, but we offload(卸下) memories — often little details — into our surroundings, she says.
Beside the cheaper cost, one main argument for the open workspace is that it increases teamwork. However, it’s well documented(记载) that we rarely brainstorm brilliant ideas when we’re just talk casually in a crowd.
1. How did Nagele feel three years after moving into the new office?| A．He felt satisfied with it | B．He felt doubtful about it |
| C．He regretted his decision | D．He was confused about it |
| A．The suggestions from his friends | B．The cheaper cost of the new office |
| C．The complaints from his employees | D．The negative results of the open office |
| A．The majority of US companies choose open offices |
| B．Nagele influenced some companies to move offices |
| C．Many US companies are moving into private offices |
| D．Open offices will soon be replaced by traditional ones |
| A．We will retain more information | B．We will become more productive |
| C．We will obtain more brilliant ideas | D．We will have trouble concentrating |
