1 . The disposable culture
The disposable (一次性的) culture started small. In1892 William Painter, founder of the Baltimore Bottle Seal Company, patented the bottle cap. The bottles were returned and refilled, but the bottle caps were
Most people feel
With persistence, one may still
This dilemma (困境) occasionally
While some repairs are certainly beyond the ability of the ordinary consumer, many are unbelievably simple. Finding willing
| A．turned out | B．thrown away | C．held out | D．kept away |
| A．invention | B．concept | C．version | D．equipment |
| A．historic | B．political | C．cultural | D．economic |
| A．replace | B．produce | C．maintain | D．launch |
| A．motivated by | B．accustomed to | C．uncomfortable about | D．independent of |
| A．wise | B．relieved | C．bored | D．guilty |
| A．removes | B．discovers | C．fixes | D．adjusts |
| A．tell | B．miss | C．find | D．affect |
| A．service | B．machine | C．information | D．part |
| A．doubt | B．insist | C．know | D．recall |
| A．takes up | B．puts up | C．makes up | D．opens up |
| A．worthless | B．familiar | C．priceless | D．unavailable |
| A．fault | B．stage | C．mistake | D．ease |
| A．popular | B．disappointing | C．accidental | D．satisfying |
| A．managers | B．salesmen | C．repairmen | D．deliverers |
In today’s world, technology has become a necessary part of our lives. However, with the increasing
One of the concerns that technology poses (造成)
Another concern comes from balancing our virtual and real relationships. We can
Navigating responsible technology use is
3 . Some educators are trying to draw students’ attention with technology, such as educational videos, computer gaming and AI, just to name a few. However, teachers using these tools often struggle to keep students focusing on the materials, competing with the latest social media phenomenon, and can feel limited by using them to get some knowledge across.
Graphic novels (图画小说) offering graphic information married with text provide a means of attracting students in the classroom. Educators have used this method in their teaching. For example, instead of filling out problem sheets, students in a math class were asked to read a story called Who Killed Professor X?. In this story, all of the suspects (嫌疑人) are famous mathematicians. As they tried to figure out the connections between the suspects, students often forgot that they were doing math — focusing instead on finding secret details to solve the problem. Although this is just one experience for these students, it improves their confidence and shows them how math can be fun.
Jason Ho, a professor at Marian University, uses Max the Demon Vs Entropy of Doom to teach his physics students about a topic. This topic can be particularly difficult for some students because they can’t physically touch something. Ho said graphic novels can create an attractive learning environment. Most of his students now understand the subject by getting clear explanations for some ideas.
Although the Internet offers a lot of math and physics resources (资源), it can be tiring to search through many hours of videos to find the perfect one to get the “aha!” moment in learning. Graphic novels provide a starting point with different specific topics. Want to learn about programming? Try the Secret Coders series. Need more female role models in science? Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier could be just what you’re looking for.
With all that graphic novels offer, we believe that the right set of graphic novels can inspire future scientists as much as any single person can.
1. What problem are some teachers faced with?| A．Teaching students to learn self-control. |
| B．Helping students master high-tech knowledge. |
| C．Ensuring the teaching effectiveness of using technology. |
| D．Making all the students take an active part in learning. |
| A．They can make learning more enjoyable. |
| B．They serve the field of math the best. |
| C．They require students to learn through performance. |
| D．They lead students to work hard on problem sheets. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Concerned. |
| A．Graphic novels suitable for students |
| B．The great popularity of graphic novels |
| C．How technology influences students’ learning |
| D．Why we should use graphic novels in teaching |
4 . Gina Kiroff was a very creative child. “I loved helping my mom create dishes and the process of cooking with her, seasoning, changing the form of ingredients (原料) and using different skills. All ended up with a finished dish,” says Kiroff.
Kiroff took that creation into her job. She joined Unilever leading marketing of many different foods and other products. Now, her focus is to help to take steps towards carrying out regenerative (再生的) practices for the ingredients used in their products.
The importance of creating and keeping healthy soil has taken a leading position. In 2013 the United Nations General Assembly recognized World Soil Day, which is celebrated yearly on December 5th. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 95% of our food comes from soil. However, 33% of soils’ quality has been reduced. And over the last 70 years, the quantity of nutrients (营养物的量) in food has greatly dropped off.
In honor of World Soil Day and to know about what the food industry can do to help keep healthy agricultural practices to improve food safety, Kiroff was joined by former White House cook Sam Kass at a special dinner to show the power of regenerative agriculture. “The dinner you are about to eat costs $72 tonight. In 2050, this exact same meal will cost $566 as there will not be enough of the ingredients that we can depend on, which makes me worried,” said Kass.
Kass and Kiroff explained how rice and other key ingredients would likely become rarities (稀缺品), if we continued to carry out today’s traditional agricultural practices. “If we stay on our existing path, our kids and grandkids won’t be able to enjoy what we’re eating here,” said Kass. “Our duty is to make nutritious food accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
1. What do we know about Gina Kiroff?| A．She had to help her mother cook. | B．She showed a strong love of food. |
| C．She was very particular about dishes. | D．She used regenerative practices as a child. |
| A．How World Soil Day came into being. |
| B．Humans face serious food shortage issues. |
| C．How soil plays a key role in food quality. |
| D．Healthy agricultural practices are necessary. |
| A．Food safety doesn’t get attention. | B．Dinners will taste worse than now. |
| C．Food ingredients will be in short supply. | D．The food industry is slow to change. |
| A．Rice will disappear in the coming future. |
| B．Present agricultural practices should be changed. |
| C．Many kids will have no access to nutritious food. |
| D．Next generations dislike what we are eating now |
5 . More than half of the 1,000 consumers surveyed by Credit Karma said they have impulsively (冲动地) shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they’ve maxed out (刷爆) a credit card in the past year.
As for age, 68 percent youngsters, responded by saying they have experienced it in the past, compared to 53 percent of the middle-aged and only 26 percent of the old.
In regards to genders, 48 percent of men and 31 percent of women who have stress spent said they had purchased alcohol when stressed. Eighty-two percent of women stress spent on clothing compared to 52 percent of men. Women also lead stress spending for jewellery, 42 percent, compared to 22 percent for men with men stress spending more for electronics 44 percent while 30 percent for women.
In fact, shopping to reduce stress can actually help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. Shopping to relieve stress is also called shopping therapy (疗法) as a form of reducing stress.
The survey found that 82 percent had only positive feelings about their purchases and that the positive mood boost that followed those purchases was long-lasting.
However, the side effect of shopping therapy, for many, can start out as a relatively harmless mood booster but could possibly grow into a financial loss, cause conflict, and therefore add a large amount of stress to a person’s life.
1. How is the passage mainly developed?| A．By giving numbers. | B．By stating arguments. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By giving explanations. |
| A．Women were less likely to buy jewellery when stressed. |
| B．Over half of men had purchased alcohol when stressed. |
| C．More women preferred to buy clothes than men when stressed. |
| D．The favourite goods for men to reduce pressure was electronics. |
| A．Shopping therapy may increase pressure. |
| B．Shopping therapy can totally relieve pressure. |
| C．Shopping therapy’s positive effect can not last long. |
| D．Shopping therapy is not suitable for someone whose blood pressure is low. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Subjective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
6 . Parenting styles have shifted over the years with the rapid changes in the world. Nowadays parents generally spend more time in finding out how best to raise their child whether it’s through technology or tried-and-tested parenting practices.
With easy access to countless websites and social media groups interested in parenting, modern parents are capable of finding answers to their questions, from managing a baby’s cries to communicating with a moody teenager. This increased availability (可利用性) of resources has made parents more involved in their children’s academic, emotional, and social development. They are also more eager to find out effective parenting methods to help them raise well-behaved and confident children.
A modern parenting style that has appeared is helicopter parenting, where parents are too much focused on their children. They help children with tasks that children can do on their own, like selecting activities and friends for them, or calling their teachers about homework matters. Such a parenting style can stifle the development of the children’s ability to handle responsibilities independently. Children might be ill-equipped with life skills such as making the bed, clearing their plates or doing their schoolwork. Always protecting children from failures may also stop them from developing adaptability and gaining skills like problem-solving.
On the other hand, parents in the past tended to monitor less. Children were given more freedom to manage their schoolwork and choose the friends they want to play with. In some families, children of the past were often expected to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for younger brothers and sisters and managing housework. Living in the pre-Internet era, parents were less informed about different parenting methods, and their parenting styles were guided more by their personalities, common sense and friendly advice from their parents and neighbours, rather than by social media influences or parenting websites. There is no one right way to raise a child. Each child is unique and should be raised differently by parents who are present, but not wandering; who are supportive but not controlling; and who protect but not care too much.
1. How does the increased availability of resources influence parenting style?| A．It saves parents’ much time spent on children. |
| B．It makes parents more relaxed in raising children. |
| C．It encourages parents to be less strict with their children. |
| D．It enables parents to be more active in their children’s development. |
| A．Bring about. | B．Hold back. | C．Take down. | D．Set up. |
| A．They educated kids in a strict way. |
| B．They over-judged their kids’ independence. |
| C．They afforded kids more space for self-growth. |
| D．They tended to stay away from social activities. |
| A．How parents raise all-round children. |
| B．How people improve parent-child relationship. |
| C．How parenting modes have changed over the years. |
| D．How information technology affects people’s lifestyles. |
7 . An increase in a country’s working-age population is a blessing. Lots of workers support relatively few children and retired people. So long as the labor market can absorb an increasing number of job-seekers, output per head will rise. That can boost savings and investment, leading to higher economic growth, more productivity gains and developmental speed-up. Yet for countries that fail to seize this opportunity, the results can be tough.
Consider Thailand. It is rapidly aging. In 2021, the share of Thais aged 65 or over hit 14%, a figure that is often used to define an aged society Soon Thailand will, like Japan, South Korea and most Western countries, see a decreasing supply of workers and flagging productivity and growth without extraordinary measures. Yet unlike Japan and the rest. Thailand is not a developed country. It has got old before it has got rich.
This is a big barrier to Thailand’s future development. To protect its aging citizens, many of whom are poor, Thailand’s government will have to spend more on health care and pensions (养老金). This will make it harder to invest in productivity-boosting skills and infrastructure (基础设施). And where Thailand goes, many developing countries will follow.
One conclusion is that countries with a working-age burst need seeking more economic growth out of it. India may never have a better chance than the present. It is widely accepted that privatization and looser foreign-investment rules could raise its growth rate.
Another conclusion is that developing countries need to start planning for old age earlier. They should reform their pension systems, including by raising retirement ages. They should encourage financial markets, providing options for long-term saving and health insurance. And they should try harder to increase female participation in the labor force. Getting more women into jobs would help deal with the fact that women live longer than men, but tend to have less savings and pensions, leaving them in difficult situations in old age.
1. What does “opportunity” in the first paragraph refer to?| A．Providing more jobs for working-age laborers. |
| B．Reducing support for children and the elderly. |
| C．Encouraging investment for economic growth. |
| D．Increasing economic output and labor productivity. |
| A．It causes a shortage of young workers. |
| B．It forces the country to invest in infrastructure. |
| C．It leads to less investment in economic development. |
| D．It increases the burden on the working-age population. |
| A．To extend women’s retirement ages. |
| B．To encourage women to be included in health insurance. |
| C．To equalize the number of men and women in the workplace. |
| D．To settle the conflict between women’s long lifespan and small pension. |
| A．Aging Problems in Developing Countries. |
| B．Planning Ahead for Aging Societies. |
| C．Challenges and Opportunities of Aging Societies. |
| D．The Role of Female Labors in Addressing the Aging Issue. |
8 . Three young American men were on a crowded train when they came across a dangerous robber. Ignoring their personal safety, they rushed the robber and controlled him. Only some people seem capable of this sudden form of heroism (英雄主义). Why some men rise to the occasion — and others don’t — has been a bit difficult to explain. Psychologists have explored this question through biological and personality psychology.
Of course, heroism and courage can appear in many forms, and men and women risk their reputation (名声), health, and social recognition to do what they think is right. When it comes to physically risky bravery, people assume that men will take the lead. There are sound biological reasons for this fixed image. One of the most common fears in men is that they will be viewed as a coward (懦夫), and a man who fails to display physical courage will suffer damage to his reputation in a way that a woman will not. Throughout history, gaining a higher position among peers (同龄人) has been the ticket that needs to get punched for a man to attract future wife and father children.
People tend to have an idea of what heroes are like. When rating (打分) the personalities of movie heroes, participants expected them to be more hard-working, open to experience, approachable, and emotionally stable than the average person. But some studies suggest that people who show heroic behavior usually have the personalities of madmen: risk-taking, coolness under stress, and an eagerness to take over in social situations.
The study of the relationship between personality and heroism is at an early stage. Psychologists are still at a loss to predict in advance who will heroically step up when needed. Often, the hero is an otherwise ordinary person who finds himself on an extraordinary occasion. Meanwhile, some individuals trained to behave heroically might hesitate in a dangerous situation. Various factors like identities, occasions and specific training will influence the final heroism. Hopefully, the right mix of occasion and personalities enable courage to carry the day.
1. How is the topic introduced in the first paragraph?| A．By presenting an idea. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By drawing a conclusion. |
| A．Be bought. | B．Be returned. | C．Be abandoned. | D．Be gained. |
| A．Heroes are born, not made. |
| B．Heroic acts only appear in a specific crisis. |
| C．Individual personality is not a dependable sign of heroism. |
| D．Heroism is a phenomenon influenced by numerous factors. |
| A．How Are Heroes Trained? | B．Why Are Heroes Important? |
| C．Who Are the True Heroes? | D．What Makes a Person Heroic? |
1. What business does the speaker do?
| A．Book. | B．Party. | C．Credit card. |
| A．To express thanks to them. | B．To talk about the discounts. | C．To discuss their bookings. |
| A．The history of her business. | B．The closing of her business. | C．The reopening of her business. |
10 . On a Sunny Saturday, Alyson Machigua, three, screamed with laughter as she and her mother, Marlen, played a game in the front yard of their home. Suddenly, tiny Alyson
The neighbour Luz Jimenez, 26, was preparing dinner in her kitchen and
“Alyson fell into the hole!” Marlen cried to Luz. Then Luz heard Alyson’s cries from deep underground. Luz ran inside her own
“Get out of there,” Perkins told Luz, raising her up by the
As they waited for help in the two feet of dark water, Luz prayed that there were no snakes swimming at her feet. She
Just minutes later, the Hacketts-town Fire Department and Hacketts-town Rescue Team arrived and lowered a
| A．depended on | B．wondered at | C．moved into | D．left behind |
| A．visible | B．dark | C．deep | D．regular |
| A．announced | B．guessed | C．forgot | D．reported |
| A．exercising | B．joking | C．wandering | D．sobbing |
| A．house | B．bank | C．bookstore | D．kindergarten |
| A．filling | B．covering | C．widening | D．narrowing |
| A．table | B．feet | C．chair | D．waist |
| A．ears | B．arms | C．noses | D．eyes |
| A．die | B．cry | C．lose | D．arrive |
| A．another | B．him | C．those | D．herself |
| A．requested | B．defended | C．attacked | D．feared |
| A．humorous | B．calm | C．upset | D．busy |
| A．case | B．bag | C．ladder | D．basket |
| A．tearing off | B．pulling on | C．cutting out | D．complaining about |
| A．naturally | B．typically | C．originally | D．incredibly |
