1 . You may study English for years and still not understand a native speaker of English when you meet one. Many language learners know that native speakers say a lot of things that you can’t find in a dictionary. Well, here’s a secret for you: A lot of British people can’t understand each other either!
Across the UK, a number of regions have different dialects. There are many different accents (口音) in London, because it is not just where a person is born in the UK that decides their accent. Language and accents also change across social class and level of education. Therefore, “Multicultural London English” was created at the end of the 20th century.
Other factors are also important in the invention of new accents and ways of speaking. These include the influence of people from different countries and different age groups, too.
“Yoof culture” is an example. The word “yoof” is a slang (俚语) spelling of “youth”. Young people are creating their own language, ideas and identity. By using words that their parents don’t understand, children can talk about things that their parents might not agree with. For example, instead of saying something like “That’s good!” or “I understand”, yoof will use a single adjective like “Safe!”, or “Sorted!” Yoof would use “kind-a-thing” or “sort-a-thing” to replace “if you understand what I’m saying”. In this way, they are starting to find freedom, independence and self-expression.
As learners of English, we may wonder how well we can talk to a native speaker, but perhaps we should worry less about this. Research by the British Council shows that 94 percent of the English spoken in the world today is spoken between non-native speakers of the language. In fact, when we think about “international English”, there is no such thing as a native or non-native speaker. The UK no longer owns the English language.
1. What do we know about “Multicultural London English”?| A．It was invented by Londoners in the 1900s. |
| B．It is now spoken by people around the world. |
| C．It’s a dialect specific to a particular social class. |
| D．It’s a modern accent that crosses educational levels. |
| A．A mix of many different cultures. | B．The way to simplify English spelling. |
| C．Young people’s desire to express themselves. | D．Young people’s longing for more attention. |
| A．Got it! | B．No way! | C．With pleasure! | D．No worries! |
| A．Mastering English is next to impossible. |
| B．The English language is always changing. |
| C．Don’t worry if you cannot understand native speakers. |
| D．It helps for a non-native speaker to talk to a native speaker. |
2 . The halo effect is a cognitive bias (认知偏见) that affects our opinions of quality in products, brands, businesses or people. It describes our tendency to judge a wider concept on our experience of a single moment or interaction. That is, your experience of using a product may colour your impression of an entire brand.
This is a very surface-level, quick-fire response that’s deep in our mind. If we see a good or bad quality, we really can’t help thinking this “thing” must flow through to the rest of the person, business or brand. Marketers understand this and have been using it against you for years.
Advertisers want to back winners, especially those on big stages. The Olympics, the World Cup and the Super Bowl all attract huge amounts of advertising spend. Why? Because when sports stars win big, they create huge amounts of feel-good factors and a brand can use the halo effect to project some of those feel-good factors onto themselves.
Studies have shown that when a product has a label that it is either fair trade, sustainably sourced or organic in nature, it will receive higher ratings in customer satisfaction and people will pay more for it. In a blind taste test though, that’s not necessarily the case. The product could be considered poor in taste or quality, but the act of adding a certain label to the packaging increases people’s liking for it.
The halo effect is a bias we cannot escape. It is in action everywhere in the modern world. Every high-end product you experience leaves a lasting impression and every advertisement that catches your eye is looking to direct your attention towards something you may not have otherwise been interested in. As a consumer, be careful. There are businesses that will go to any extent to influence your behaviour. Next time you find yourself really wanting something, stop and ask yourself why.
1. How does the halo effect influence our opinions?| A．It helps us see things in a better way. | B．It deepens our understanding of things. |
| C．It stops us from jumping to conclusions. | D．It works on us through former experience. |
| A．To use halo effect to attract more audience. |
| B．To contribute to the development of sports. |
| C．To connect their brands with positive emotions. |
| D．To drive sports stars to create feel-good factors. |
| A．It leads to false advertisements. | B．It results in incorrect judgments. |
| C．It ensures the quality of products. | D．It improves environmental protection. |
| A．To warn of unplanned buying. | B．To summarize the halo effect. |
| C．To expose the influence of advertising. | D．To show modern marketing strategies. |
3 . The middle class in Uganda is on the increase. So is the country’s tourism industry. The growth of restaurants and high-end hotels is evidence that both foreigners and Ugandans are spending money. But the owners of these businesses have often had to turn to other countries to find executive chefs (行政总厨) . The reason: a lack of well-trained chefs and other assistants at Ugandan restaurants. Slowly but surely, this is changing.
Uganda has a problem not normally found in a low-income country. It has a shortage of local chefs. In recent years, the number of restaurants and tourism-related businesses has risen. As a result, the demand for well-trained cooks and other assistants has grown. But experienced chefs are difficult to find. Jean Byamugisha is in the Uganda Hotel Owners Association. “The biggest challenge is capacity building. People really need a lot of training, especially now that we are competing to reach East African level.”
To meet the need, many restaurants have turned to neighboring countries for help. Enock Alumasi is from Kenya. He saw that Uganda had a lack of top chefs. So he helped set up the Impact Chefs Academy in 2013. The academy is the only school in Uganda that offers a full training program for chefs. It offers a number of program-starting with one-week courses for those who already have a career in the restaurant industry, to a year-long training program.
One recent day, several students were learning the different ways to fry an egg. This may sound like something that comes naturally to a chef. But some workers have never cooked an egg before. Brian Kazibe has worked as a chef. He says that some trainees have learned about five different areas of restaurant operations over three months. “By the time they get to the kitchen,” he says, “they only remain for two or three weeks, which is not really enough for them.”
The Impact Chef’s Academy has trained more than 3, 000 people in the past two years. Jean Byaugisha says that the need is still growing. “The impact is not yet felt. One week’s training for a chef is too short. We need somebody who can come for two months, six months, nine months and train the chefs and release somebody who can actually come to the restaurant or a hotel and prepare a meal that everybody will fall over themselves to pay for.” However, the academy has gotten a taste of success; it looks forward to expanding.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Uganda is a high-income country now. |
| B．Tourism is Uganda’s main source of GDP. |
| C．Visitors go to Uganda mainly for its foods. |
| D．Uganda’s economy develops at a high speed. |
| A．It mainly trains students to fry eggs. |
| B．It provides courses different in length. |
| C．It employs teachers from neighboring countries. |
| D．It was set up by Enock Alumasi in Kenya in 2013. |
| A．has gained success to some extent |
| B．has trained enough experienced chefs |
| C．has set up a series of chain training schools |
| D．has only opened short-term classes for 3 months |
| A．How to solve the difficulties in Uganda. |
| B．Handling lack of excellent chefs in Uganda. |
| C．The setting up of the Impact Chef’s Academy. |
| D．The expanding of the middle class in Uganda. |
4 . Many Silicon Valley parents are becoming more concerned about preventing their children from using screens. Some parents think that even a little screen time can be extremely addictive, so it is better if their children avoid using or seeing these devices completely. However, it is difficult for working adults in the 21st century to give up using a phone at home. So, it’s simpler to employ someone to do this.
“Silicon Valley nanny (保姆) ”, who takes children back to a time without screens every day is widely needed. From Cupertino to San Francisco, it’s widely agreed that screen time is harmful to youngsters. Therefore, parents are requesting nannies to keep phones, tablets and computers in a hidden place. Others even offer no-phone agreements.
Research shows that spending too much time on technology can harm young minds. For example, teenagers who use social media frequently are more likely to feel depressed and anxious. Insomnia (失眠) rates have also increased amongst this age group, and an increasing number of children display the signs that they can’t focus attention. These seemingly minor (轻微的) problems could become significant challenges for future generations.
“Many parents come back home and focus on their smartphones, ignoring whatever their children are trying to say,” said Shannon Zimmerman, who works as a nanny in San Jose for families that forbid screen time. “As a nanny, I also call on more parents to spend more time with their kids.”
1. Why are the Silicon Valley nannies greatly needed according to the text?| A．To help parents and children balance work and life. |
| B．To teach children how to use technology responsibly. |
| C．To keep children away from screens. |
| D．To encourage children to exercise. |
| A．Feeling confused. | B．Feeling anxious. |
| C．Feeling bored. | D．Feeling nervous. |
| A．Encourage their children more. | B．Play games with their children. |
| C．Stop using smartphones at home. | D．Spend more time with their children. |
| A．A report. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A technology introduction. | D．An advertisement. |
5 . “Practice makes perfect” is a very popular expression. However, can we take this saying literally?
One popular theory (理论) is that if a person practises for at least 10,000 hours, they will reach “perfection”—or, in other words, become an expert in their field. This theory was made famous by Malcolm Gladwell in his 2008 best-selling book, Outliers: The Story of Success. He gave the examples of the music group The Beatles and Microsoft co-creator Bill Gates, who clearly put in over 10,000 hours of practice before they became successful.
However, Gladwell’s book has been said by many to be too simplistic and generalising. Although Gladwell’s work was largely based on research done by Anders Ericsson, Ericsson argued that 10,000 hours was just an average figure. Some people, for example, needed far fewer than 10,000 hours, and others many more. More importantly, Ericsson said that just practising a lot was not enough; the type and quality of practice were also significant. He went on to explain the importance of “deliberate practice”, which is when a person practises a specific part of a skill in depth rather than practising a skill as a whole. Deliberate practice is said to be much more effective, though more tiring.
Many other studies argue that practice alone is far from enough. In fact, a more recent study from Princeton University stated that practice only accounted for up to 26% of reaching an expert level. Many other factors contribute to people becoming experts. Natural talent is an important factor, which is especially evident in sports. For instance, many baseball players in America have amazing vision that allows them to see the ball much sooner than others do. Besides, IQ, personality, attitude, and starting age are decisive factors, too. It is also important to note that becoming an expert doesn’t equal instant success. Success also relies on social factors, environmental factors, and even just being in the right place at the right time!
In conclusion, practice may not make perfect, but deliberate practice has been shown to lead to significant improvement.
1. Why does the author ask a question in the first paragraph?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To highlight his opinion. |
| C．To inspire a reflection. | D．To give a definition. |
| A．Gladwell’s theory is easy to understand. |
| B．Gladwell misinterprets Ericsson’s research. |
| C．Ericsson objects to deliberate practice. |
| D．Ericsson believes quality outweighs number. |
| A．Their personality. | B．Their physical talent. |
| C．Their identity. | D．Their deliberate practice. |
| A．Attitude is everything. | B．Patience determines success. |
| C．Talent counts most. | D．Practice makes a difference. |
6 . Children seem to care so much about their names. A study shows that most of young people wish their parents had given them a different name.
Some people choose to change their names when they grow up. Many people in show business don’t use the names their parents gave them. Have you ever listened to Joanne? No? The answer could be “yes” if we call her stage name instead! You may never heard of Margaret. But if we tell you her stage name, you might know her as a famous dancer.
In many cultures, there are special ideas about how to choose a name. For example, many people choose a name that has been in their family for many years. It tells the child where he or she comes from.
Choosing a good name isn’t easy. Many parents search books that tell them the meanings of names. They could choose a name that carries a message. For example, Edith means “valuable gift”. Amanda means “love”. And Fara means “joy”.
Names like these tell family and friends how happy they are with their new baby. Other names can say something about the events during the birth of the child. In Africa, a first born son may have the name Mosi and the name Ama means “born on Saturday”.
Is every boy called Curitis polite? And is every girl called Mahira quick and full of energy? No parents can tell what kind of person their child will grow up to be. Just because parents name a boy Fahim, it doesn’t mean he will be clever. All they can do is hope.
1. What can we know about the study?| A．Young kids don’t care about their future. |
| B．Most of young people care about their names. |
| C．Most girls want to change their names. |
| D．Most parents want to rename by themselves. |
| A．To prove some people hope to be renamed. |
| B．To introduce a famous dancer to readers. |
| C．To introduce her true name. |
| D．To tell the benefit of name. |
| A．Kids always want to rename. |
| B．It is hard to change kids’ names. |
| C．Parents aren’t sure if their kids will like the name. |
| D．Parents want to choose a meaningful name. |
| A．Names can never influence our lives | B．Your parents’ wish is behind names |
| C．Love your parents, love your name | D．Methods to choose a suitable name |
When people
1. What did the woman do with the thief?
| A．She pretended not to see him. |
| B．She fought with him. |
| C．She did as he asked. |
| A．A necklace. | B．Some money. | C．Nothing. |
| A．Fit a home alarm system. |
| B．Call the police. |
| C．Keep a dog. |
| A．She is puzzled. | B．She is brave. | C．She is frightened. |
9 . “But everyone has one,” begs my son as I tell him that he won’t get a smartphone. Despite my determination, it’s hard not to feel sorry for him. As the end of Year 6 draws closer, the weeks are filled with stories of new classmates whose parents have, as one friend texted recently, “cracked”. Apps are springing up so that friends going to different secondary schools can easily keep in touch. But it pains me to see the anxiety and effect that smartphones cause. So I stick to my decision.
There is research conducted by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) showing that school bullying (欺凌) is more likely to happen on a device rather than face to face. School bullies aren’t new, but their ability to reach the sanctuary (庇护) of the home is a recent development. Headteacher Jon Boyes of Herne Bay High School told parents that they’d have to sort out arguments between pupils that had occurred online.
According to the research, children who were given a phone later went on to experience better mental well-being in relation to their self-confidence and their ability to relate to others. However, those who received a phone at a younger age were more likely to experience sad thoughts, feelings of aggression towards others and the sense that they were separated from reality.
Parents should be willing to consider the idea that it’s possible to refuse to follow the herd (人群) at least until their children are old enough to judge what they find on the Internet. There is power in questioning the idea that a smartphone is the only way to keep a child safe and ensure they have access to important friendships.
My son is only 10. He’s nowhere near ready to deal with the confusing and harmful garbage that he will no doubt find on the Internet. He hasn’t developed the emotional maturity to skillfully avoid the litter along his route. As his parent, why would I believe he could deal with what many adults struggle to get a handle on? Instead, I believe that he can survive with his old-fashioned phone. It turned out that he agreed.
1. What factor strengthens the author’s decision?| A．The text messages from a friend. |
| B．The poor relationship with her son. |
| C．The realization of smartphones’ disadvantages. |
| D．The exchange of class stories with other parents. |
| A．Students’ face-to-face disagreements. |
| B．Serious academic competition among students. |
| C．Teachers’ wrong way of handling arguments. |
| D．Students’ unpleasant communication on the Internet. |
| A．He may show better social skills. | B．He may have greater self-confidence. |
| C．He may have much mental suffering. | D．He may become quite ambitious. |
| A．He is very mature for his age. |
| B．He may continue using his old device |
| C．He is well prepared for life challenges. |
| D．He may strongly oppose his parents’ decision. |
10 . A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
If you answered 10 cents, you’re not alone — most people give the same answer (the correct answer is 5 cents). It’s an example of how we often rely on intuitive responses — answers we feel are true. People give answers that pop into their mind, says cognitive scientist Steven Sloman. We don’t spend much time “reflecting and checking whether the answer is right or wrong.”
The bat and ball question helps explain why we often believe in fake news. It is part of human nature. But “the trick with fake news is to know to verify” — in other words, to stop and question what you know.
In one experiment, Sloman and a colleague invented a discovery called helium rain. They told a group of volunteers about it, but admitted they could not fully explain what it was. They then asked the volunteers to rate their own understanding of helium rain. Most volunteers rated themselves 1 out of 7, meaning they did not understand the concept.
The researchers then told another group of volunteers about the discovery. This time, they said that scientists could fully explain how it works. When asked to rate their understanding, the volunteers gave an average answer of 2. The scientists’ confidence gave the volunteers an increased sense of their own understanding, Sloman says.
According to Sloman, knowledge spreads like a contagion (传染病). “If everyone around you is saying they understand why a politician is dishonest,” Sloman says, “then you’re going to start thinking that you understand, too.”
Another explanation for the spread of fake news is “motivated reasoning”. We are naturally more likely to believe things that confirm our existing opinions. If you already have a negative opinion about someone, you’re more likely to trust damaging stories about them.
So, in a world where misleading information is common, training people to care about fact-checking is important, especially in online communities. Think of the stories that are shared on social media every day. Probably these fit in with your own worldview — but perhaps not all of them are true.
“Develop a norm (行为标准) in your community that says, ‘We should check things and not just take them at face value,’” Sloman says “Verify before you believe.”
1. What would be the best title for the reading?| A．Helium Rain: A Great Discovery | B．Stop, Question, and Verify |
| C．Social Media and How to Use It | D．The Knowledge Limit |
| A．To make sure something is true. |
| B．To think about something for a long time. |
| C．To express an opinion about something. |
| D．To make a formal request. |
| A．people often forget skills that they learned at school |
| B．there is often more than one possible answer to a question |
| C．many people give quick responses without thinking carefully |
| D．people are likely to tell a lie when they are uncertain of something |
| A．You put yourself in others’ shoes when disagreement or even conflict arises. |
| B．You post a message online that gives your opinion about a news story. |
| C．You are not sure if a story on social media is true, so you search online for more information. |
| D．You don’t believe a negative story about a soccer player because he plays for your favorite team. |
