1 . By now, the story of Britney Spears’s guardianship and its eventual end is well known: For years, Ms. Spears was trapped in a legal situation in which most of the money she earned went to her father, who controlled not only her finances, but things like her medication, her performance schedule and more.
Ms. Spears’s story triggered an examination of guardianship laws, and that may have helped prompt recent assessments of the protections - or lack thereof - available to child influencers. Yet in nearly all of the United States, these workers have no legal protections and no guarantees that they will ever see any of the money that they have earned.
If this has parallels with Ms. Spears’s guardianship, its roots stretch back nearly a century. In 1938, a 23-year-old named Jackie Coogan, who had starred in Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” as a toddler, learned that his mother and his stepfather had spent the millions of dollars he had earned as a child star. He sued and won, and in response, California passed a bill in 1939, commonly referred to as the Coogan Law, to protect children in similar roles.
Today, a revised version of the law requires that 15 percent of a child entertainer’s earnings go into a trust. A few other states have their own versions of California’s law, but barring one exception, these laws do not extend to children who are making their names on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or any of the other major social media platforms. Even if child influencers produce their own content and are not managed by their parents, they are at risk of being exploited by adults in their lives.
Now, politicians are starting to catch up, motivated in part by civic-minded teenagers who have watched as popular family vloggers like Machelle Hobson and Ruby Franke have been exposed for abusing and exploiting their children, mostly behind the scenes, but sometimes on camera.
1. The example of Britney Spears shows that____________.A.people are interested in the news of celebrities |
B.some stars break up with their family after gaining fame |
C.the conflict between parents and children is common |
D.the guardianship law may fail to offer protection |
A.The phenomenon that the government examines the guardianship laws |
B.The phenomenon that child laborers have no control over the money they have earned |
C.The phenomenon that child influencer earned more money than adults |
D.The phenomenon that Jackie Coogan starred in Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” as a toddler |
A.Jackie Coogan was compensated according to this law. |
B.It does not apply to child entertainers on online platforms. |
C.A few states has the law to protect child entertainers. |
D.It requires that 15 percent of the earnings go to the parents. |
A.Politicians are punishing the behavior of child abuse. |
B.Politicians are lifting the age restrictions in banks. |
C.Politicians are improving the related laws. |
D.Politicians are banning children from being content creators. |
2 . 听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
1. Who might be interested in this speech?A.Teachers. | B.Children. | C.Parents. |
A.He is an adult. | B.He is a teenager. | C.He is still a small boy. |
A.Adolescence. | B.Childhood. | C.Adulthood. |
A.It is full of enjoyment. |
B.It is not as hard as it looks. |
C.It is not an easy job. |
3 . The rate of childhood obesity in the U. S. has tripled over the past 50 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made waves this year by recommending that doctors put obese kids as young as two years old on intensive, family-oriented lifestyle and behavior plans. It also suggested prescribing weight-loss drugs to children l2 and older and surgery to teens 13 and older. This advice reflects the organization’s adoption of a more active position on childhood obesity.
Yet the lifestyle programs the AAP recommends are expensive, inaccessible to most children and hard to maintain. Few weight-loss drugs have been approved for children. And surgery has potential risks and few long-term safety data. Furthermore, it’s not clear whether interventions in youngsters help to improve health or merely add to the psychological burden overweight kids face from the society.
Rather than paying close attention to numbers on a scale, the U. S. and countries with similar trends should focus on an underlying truth: we need to invest in more and safer places for children to play where they can move and run around, climb and jump, ride and skate.
Why is it so hard to get kids moving? Experts blame the problem on the privatization of sports — as public investment in school-based athletics dwindles, expensive private leagues have grown, leaving many kids out. In addition to fewer opportunities at school, researchers cite increased screen time and a lack of safe places for them to play outside the home. New York City, for example, had 2,067 public playgrounds as of 2019 — a very small amount for its large population. In Los Angeles in 2015, only 33 percent of youths lived within walking distance of a park.
Kids everywhere need more places to play. Public funding to build and keep up these areas is crucial, but other options such as shared-use agreements can make unused spaces available to the public. These opportunities aren’t primarily about changing children’s waistlines — they’re how we keep childhood healthy and fun.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?A.Childhood obesity is well under control in recent years. |
B.Weight-loss surgery are recommended to children 12 and older. |
C.AAP plays a more active role in fighting against childhood obesity. |
D.Expensive as it is, lifestyle programs are practical for most children. |
A.decline | B.quit | C.increase | D.develop |
A.Prepare fitness equipment at home. |
B.Live within walking distance of a park. |
C.Promote investment in private athletics. |
D.Open up playgrounds when school’s out. |
A.Sports play an important role in children’s growth. |
B.More safe areas for outdoor fun are in urgent need. |
C.Family-oriented lifestyles are crucial to children’s health. |
D.Medical intervention is important to ease psychological burden. |
4 . For the past three decades, companies and consumers have benefited from cross—border connections that have helped to maintain a steady supply of electronics, clothes, toys and other goods so abundant that it has managed to keep prices low across the board.
However, as the pandemic and the Russia — Ukraine conflict continue to weigh on trade and business ties, that period of plenty appears to be undergoing a partial reversal. Companies are rethinking where to source their products and are stockpiling inventory (库存), even at the potential cost of lowering their efficiency and increasing their operation expense. If the situation lasts for very long,
American economists are debating whether recent supply chain troubles and geopolitical conflicts will result in a shake-up of global production, in which factories that had previously been sent offshore or areas with fewer tax regulations, move back to the United States or into other more stable countries. If this happens, a decades-long decline in the prices of many goods could come to an end. We may even witness a slide backwards, meaning a potential boost in prices and overall inflation as a result.
The period of global integration before the pandemic made many of the things Americans buy cheaper. Computers and other forms of technology made factories more efficient, and they rolled out sneakers, kitchen tables, and electronics at a pace unmatched in history. Companies slashed their production costs by moving factories offshore, where wages were lower. The adoption of steel shipping containers and ever larger cargo ships allowed products to be transported from Bangladesh and China to Seattle and Tupelo and everywhere in between at astonishingly low prices.
Those changes, however, had consequences for American factory workers, who saw many jobs disappear. Katherine Tai, the U. S. trade representative, said that, while American consumers have enjoyed the “luxury” of low prices for imported goods for a long time now, the system upon which it was built has always been a very “fragile” one. Americans are not just consumers, but also workers who have to compete in a global marketplace for talent where globalization “has damaged opportunities and wages for average American workers”.
“Some returning is occurring — let’s make no mistake about that.” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala., the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, said in an interview. But the data shows that most businesses are reducing their risk by building up their inventories and finding additional suppliers in low-cost countries, such as Vietnam and Mexico. This process could end up helping more deeply integtate poorer countries in Africa and other parts of the world into the global value chains, said Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.
The intertwined trajectory (轨迹) of globalization, low prices, and inflation on the whole will be closely watched by economists over the years to come. “It would certainly be a different world.” Jerome H. Powel, the chair of the Federal Reserve, said when asked about a possible move away from globalization. “It’s not obvious how dramatically conditions will change,” he said. “But it’s clear that it’s slowed down.”
1. Which of the following best fits the blank in Paragraph 2?A.the trend of global integration |
B.a shift away from fine-tuned globalization |
C.the benefit of cheap and plenty goods |
D.an upcoming economic crash |
A.A potential decline in prices of goods can be expected. |
B.American companies may locate their offshore factories in Africa. |
C.Efficient transportation makes bulk buying convenient for Americans. |
D.Inflation has a role to play in the shake-up of globalization. |
A.Katherine Tai takes a neutral position concerning globalization. |
B.American factory workers face heightened competition from domestic rivals. |
C.American consumers generally benefited from global integration. |
D.Exported goods lead to the lower wages of average Americans. |
A.The Era of Cheap and Plenty May be Ending |
B.Globalization: Crisis or Opportunities? |
C.New Winners in the Post-globalization Era |
D.The Future of Global Economy |
5 . In recent days, a netizen left a comment on the official website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, urging the relevant authorities to issue a statement to encourage residents to not be influenced by superstition and continue with their marriage plans as usual during the Year of the Dragon.
The Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs promptly responded, stating that they would pay attention to this issue. The department explained that there is a year in the lunar calendar that does not have the beginning of spring solar term (节气), which occurs approximately once every two to three years.
The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month each year. However, its date on the Gregorian calendar (公历) varies from year to year. Start of Spring, which is the first of the 24 solar terms, is considered the official beginning of spring.
Why did the ancients think that “no spring year” was not suitable for marriage? As the weather warms up and spring arrives, the earth awakes from its winter hibernation. The rain falls, the thunder surges, and everything in the world comes alive once again. At such a good time, they usually associated the beginning of spring with fertility. If spring does not come, reproduction will not be prosperous. “No spring” means “no child”, and getting married is the most taboo. Superstitions about this time of year often focus on avoiding marriage or other important events because it is believed to be unlucky.
The Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs emphasized that these superstitions, which mean false beliefs without scientific evidence, should not have the final say about people's decisions about their marriages or other important life events. They encouraged residents to continue with their plans as usual during this period and not be influenced by superstition.
The department also reminded the public that marriage is a personal decision that should be based on love, mutual respect, and consideration for each other’s future. They emphasized that the government will continue to provide support and assistance to ensure that all citizens can enjoy a stable and happy life.
1. What was the reason behind the netizen’s comment on the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ website?A.To request detailed information about the spring solar term this Year of the Dragon. |
B.To express dissatisfaction with the government policies to issue a ban on marriage this year. |
C.To motivate inhabitants to resist the impact of unscientific beliefs in the Year of the Dragon. |
D.To criticize the Ministry of Civil Affairs for their delayed response. |
A.Due to unfavorable weather conditions in the “no spring” solar term. |
B.Because it was believed to bring bad luck and misfortune. |
C.As a result of scientific evidence proving it was unlucky. |
D.To avoid conflicts with traditional customs and the wedding ceremonies. |
A.Encouraging residents to follow traditional superstitions by getting married as planned. |
B.Discouraging people from getting married during the Year of the Dragon. |
C.Emphasizing that unscientific beliefs should not have an impact on marriage decisions. |
D.Urging the public to protest against the complicated traditional Spring Festival celebrations. |
6 . As a general rule, all forms of activity lead to boredom when they are performed on a routine basis. As a matter of fact, we can see this
A.principle | B.habit | C.way | D.power |
A.confidence | B.interest | C.anxiety | D.sorrow |
A.same | B.extra | C.funny | D.expensive |
A.well-organised | B.colourfully-printed | C.newly-collected | D.half-filled |
A.broad | B.passing | C.different | D.main |
A.silently | B.impatiently | C.gladly | D.worriedly |
A.promise | B.burden | C.right | D.game |
A.courage | B.calmness | C.confusion | D.excitement |
A.graduation | B.independence | C.responsibility | D.success |
A.carefully | B.eagerly | C.nervously | D.bravely |
A.required | B.obtained | C.noticed | D.discovered |
A.need | B.learn | C.start | D.plan |
A.time | B.money | C.skills | D.knowledge |
A.only | B.well | C.even | D.soon |
A.lost | B.chose | C.left | D.quit |
7 . There’s an enormous amount of personal health information people now feed or tap into digital monitors, health apps, search engines and other online tools. If the same information were provided in your doctor’s office, your privacy would be safeguarded. But that’s not how the digitized health world works.
Instead, we have an ecosystem of abuse in which health technology companies operate largely outside the law that requires doctors and other medical personnel, hospitals and insurers to protect an individual’s health information.
That means technology companies can — and do — dig your digital data for clues about your health status, accessing information like prescriptions you have purchased and other health services you might have sought, and potentially link this information to your name, address, email address and other personally identifying information. The data can then be used by platforms including Facebook and Google to help advertisers target promotions or other communications to you.
It’s a gaping hole in health privacy protections that comes from the privacy law, which protects interactions between patients, medical professionals and insurers but does not, in most cases, protect patient health data that is recorded on new technologies.
Closing the patient privacy gap can- and should -be a priority for lawmakers. The consequences of digital exposure for those seeking reproductive services have drawn significant concern and attention. These worries are reasonable. But reproductive care is only one area of health services where private patient information is digitally disclosed.
Therefore, lawmakers must take action to protect the privacy of people who are now online for all manners of personal, professional and other reasons. Until then, a narrowly targeted approach that protects health privacy may be politically easier to come into effect. The explosion of digital health technology and the dramatic increase in its use in the past few years require it greatly.
1. What can we learn about the present situation of the digitized health world?A.Personal health data is used for other purposes. |
B.Personal health information is difficult to identify. |
C.Targeted promotions are used to improve people’s health. |
D.Medical personnel protect the personal health information well. |
A.Approving. | B.Critical. | C.Cautious. | D.Ambiguous. |
A.The spread of health service. |
B.People’s privacy. |
C.A narrowly targeted approach. |
D.The explosion of digital technology. |
A.To advocate improvement in the privacy law. |
B.To report cases of illegal information exposure. |
C.To explain how the digitized health world works. |
D.To introduce a debate on the effect of technology. |
8 . 听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
1. Whom has the government promised to offer help to?A.Some farmers. | B.Some pilots. | C.Some children. |
A.In Sydney. | B.In Melbourne. | C.In Queensland. |
A.Thankful. | B.Excited. | C.Sorry. |
A.They attended a musical concert. |
B.They enjoyed themselves in the sea. |
C.Their plane was forced to land shortly after take-off. |
9 . 听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1. What is Ratan probably?A.A student | B.A driver | C.A writer |
A.It’s a big price to pay. | B.It’s not his mistake. | C.It’s a good lesson. |
10 . Once I told someone I wanted to get a master’s degree of fine arts in creative writing and they told me it was the second-to-worst post-graduation plan they’d ever heard from a student. Arts degrees—especially fine arts degrees, which usually come in the form of music, studio art, creative writing and theater—have been, over the years, labeled useless.
It’s true that for the most part, STEM degrees lead to higher paying jobs than liberal and fine arts degrees, and it’s understandable why young people care about a higher starting salary and financial security. Student loan debt is playing a role in the physical and mental stress of young people.
And while STEM majors usually have starting salaries that are $20,000 higher than those of liberal arts majors, by the time people reach the age of 40, the salaries between those who majored in the liberal arts and those who majored in STEM are virtually the same. For example, women who major in STEM earned nearly 50% more than social science and history majors at ages 23-25, but only 10% more by ages 38-40, a New York Times analysis reported. So even in terms of salary, which doesn’t solely determine whether or not a degree is useful, liberal arts degrees aren’t all that far behind STEM.
It seems too that since people nowadays are going to have to work longer, it’s more important than ever that we actually like and care about what we’re doing. Pursuing something enjoyable, or else a passion, is continuously found to be a key factor in maintaining healthy relationships, mental health, physical health and energy. In other words, not useless.
Art is also a method of communication. It allows people from different backgrounds, from different walks of life to communicate with each other. In a world where borders and division seem to be all over the place, we need art more than ever. We need liberal arts majors. And more than anything, we need to be able to pursue what we love with confidence, and we need to not get caught up in the ”usefulness“ of what we love.
And just because someone’s primary job isn’t in their field of study—a writer who teaches high school for example—doesn’t make the degree useless. It just means that their way of finding a stable income is different. The same goes for artists who have to work multiple jobs to support themselves. They might have to find other means of supporting themselves and their artistry. It might be copy editing or it might be tutoring,
So I am going to graduate school, and I am going to graduate school for writing. I might be paying rent by way of overnight restaurant shifts—there’s so much I’m not sure of. But one thing I am sure of is this—I would rather be a writer working two jobs to pay my bills than be no writer at all.
1. A New York Times analysis report is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to .A.analyse the potential value of different majors |
B.put forward the opinion on majors by example |
C.prove the argument against arts degrees wrong |
D.demonstrate the link between majors and incomes |
A.Following one’s dream of arts keeps one in good condition. |
B.Doing what one loves builds up one’s self-confidence in arts. |
C.Mastering arts improves one’s understanding of different jobs. |
D.Developing a love for arts helps one maintain passion for work |
A.Students learning arts are more concerned about the value of life. |
B.People tend to place income in the first place when choosing majors. |
C.The man who doesn’t love his work won’t stick with the job for long. |
D.Graduates can find a broader space of development in the field of arts. |