1 . A community canteen at the Zhanongkou Community in Shangcheng, Hangzhou recently launched “happiness blind boxes”, which cost just 6 yuan per box. Sales start at 7 p. m. each evening.
The dishes are packaged in transparent (透明的) containers, but to maintain an element of surprise, stickers are placed over the lid (盖子) of the “main dish” section of each box. The “blind boxes” have become popular since being introduced, and on some nights they sell out by about 8 p. m.
A meal assistance program introduced in Zhanongkou subdistrict ensures the elderly can access meals within a 10-minute walk of their homes or have them delivered within five minutes. The service has also been welcomed by younger people living and working in the area.
Yan Xuyang, a professor at Beijing Union University’s Tourism College, predicts that by 2035, those born from the 1970s to the 2000s will comprise the main group of customers for such canteens. “This generation has a reasonable level of disposable (可自由支配的) income, and many of its members may also lack the willingness to prepare meals for themselves,” Yan said.
The successful operation of community canteens depends on their ability to integrate into the daily lives and culture of local residents. In addition to serving dishes to suit local tastes and fostering a welcoming environment for diners, it is important to widen the functions of these canteens. They have been used for cultural activities and other events, which helps raise awareness and foster a positive perspective on these canteens among local communities.
In the latter part of last year, the Weikang community canteen in Ziyang subdistrict, Hangzhou, experienced a significant transformation from being a canteen for seniors to catering for the whole community. Its services have been broadened beyond regular operations to include services for hospitals and businesses, complete with home delivery options. Some other community canteens have also made efforts to appeal to more residents.
1. What can we know about the “happiness blind boxes” from the passage?| A．They are sold out every night before 8 p. m. |
| B．They are beautifully decorated with stickers. |
| C．They offer a sense of mystery with the unknown main dishes. |
| D．They are only offered to the residents in the Zhanongkou Community. |
| A．Promising. | B．Cautious. | C．Unclear. | D．Objective. |
| A．Reasonable prices. | B．Fast delivery service. | C．Various functions. | D．Unexpected surprises. |
| A．To highlight the popularity of community canteens. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of community canteens. |
| C．To discuss the wide functions of community canteens. |
| D．To show the innovative reform of community canteens. |
2 . Electric bicycles have come and they’re clearly here to stay. Nearly every single country in the world has begun embracing two-wheeled electric mobility, recognizing the benefits hitting the road on e-bikes has, not just for the economy, but for the population’s general wellbeing, as well.
Germany, in particular, has witnessed are mark able upturn in the e-bike industry, displaying no signs of slowing down despite initial hesitations earlier this year. In May, favorable weather made it more convenient to ride e-bikes, which contributed to the increase of e-bike sales. By the end of May this year, Germany had produced over one million electric bikes, marking a significant five-percent growth compared to the same period last year. This growth is particularly impressive considering the challenging economic climate the country has faced.
Burkhard Stock, the Managing Director of the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband(ZIV), discussed this unbelievable turn of events in a report published by German e-bike publication E-Bike News. He mentioned that they had anticipated a slowdown in the market throughout the first half of the year. However, it turned out that a positive change in the industry was seen in May.
In addition to the market within the country, German-made electric bicycles have gone to other parts of the world. In the first quarter of this year, an astonishing 190,000 electric bikes were sold abroad, meaning a significant 28-percent increase compared to the previous year. A majority of these electric bikes were transported to European Union and European Free Trade Association member countries. Before 2023 draws to a close, it’s expected that the German e-bike market will produce two-million electric bicycles.
Some of the major factors driving sales in the e-bike market are the innovative features of the products, fully integrated batteries and drives, appealing designs, and the use of high-quality materials. The e-bike companies are launching new models with advanced technologies and high-tech features such as long battery ranges, which are attracting customers. Moreover, the preference of consumers for a carbon-free and healthier ride along with fuel saving is contributing to the higher adoption rate of e-bikes.
1. What resulted in a better e-bike market in May?| A．Effective marketing strategies. |
| B．Favorable turn of economic climate. |
| C．Improved environmental awareness. |
| D．Weather conditions suitable for cycling. |
| A．Prevented. | B．Guaranteed. |
| C．Encountered. | D．Expected. |
| A．A great demand for electricity. |
| B．A complete hold of the global market. |
| C．A strong export performance of e-bikes. |
| D．A high political rank in the European Union. |
| A．The introduction of advanced battery packs is boosting the demand for e-bikes. |
| B．Bicycle users are on the rise mainly due to the health benefits and selling prices. |
| C．People in Germany rediscovered e-bikes as a safe, recreational means of transportation. |
| D．Continuous growth in pollution and traffic conditions have increased adoption of the e-bikes. |
3 . Madden is an 8-year-old boy. He was playing with his toys in front of the window. Suddenly, he saw water flowing into the
Sandy thought quickly and found a big basin (盆) to put Madden in. They
After being
But as a mother, she couldn’t imagine
Then came good news. Madden was found on the top of a small house, safe and
| A．basin | B．river | C．yard | D．well |
| A．rain | B．flood | C．stream | D．sun |
| A．base | B．wall | C．roof | D．exit |
| A．marched | B．jogged | C．struggled | D．rolled |
| A．cracked | B．disappeared | C．shook | D．overturned |
| A．charge | B．sense | C．sight | D．breath |
| A．separated | B．saved | C．transported | D．delivered |
| A．unique | B．professional | C．responsible | D．lucky |
| A．helping | B．losing | C．calming | D．trapping |
| A．research | B．legend | C．search | D．hike |
| A．sign | B．symbol | C．alarm | D．whistle |
| A．warm | B．dark | C．normal | D．strange |
| A．watch out | B．check out | C．take control | D．break down |
| A．powerful | B．sound | C．active | D．wise |
| A．appreciate | B．accept | C．supply | D．compare |
4 . In China, if you are not married by the time you are 30, you are in for trouble: social blame and pressure from family and friends can get you down. And if you are a woman, it’s even worse.
Many young people get married simply to get other people off their backs (免受别人的指责) . This is a serious compromise (妥协). One ends up not marrying the ideal partner.
There are, however, a few young people who refuse to compromise: if they can’t find a good marriage partner, they say, they would rather not marry at all.
34-year-old Kate is a university lecturer in English. She said she would not describe herself as celibatarian (独身主义者) but simply a woman who hasn’t come across the right man yet. She has sharp comments for the way in which the old generation looks at marriage.
“Many people think marriage is a duty--to your parents, family and society. Nobody cares if your marriage is happy or not, she said, I think this is very wrong and I intend to live and act according to my own will.”
Happily for her, her parents are open-minded and not put pressure on her. But the same does not apply to her friends. They are constantly trying to get her together with some young man or another. She always refuses politely.
1. The main idea of this passage is that _______ .| A．marriage is a duty to society |
| B．people should get married before 30 years old |
| C．women should get married earlier than men |
| D．late marriage should be respected |
| A．she doesn’t think he is the right man she wants |
| B．he is either too old or too young |
| C．he is either important or little learned |
| D．he doesn’t have good manners |
| A．In China, one may face social blame and family pressure if one hasn’t got married by the age of 30. |
| B．Miss Kate won’t compromise if she can’t have her ideal marriage. |
| C．Miss Kate’s parents are always worried about her marriage. |
| D．Miss Kate wants to many a worthy young man. |
| A．nobody will pay attention to whether you are happy or not in your family life |
| B．everybody will be happy and satisfied |
| C．you can easily find an ideal partner |
| D．young people will have nothing to worry about in marriage |
5 . How did nearsighted people manage in the pre-glasses past? Have you ever thought about this? Aristotle may have written the first observations of myopia around 350 B.C. Because their eyeballs are too long, people with this condition can see objects that are close by, but distant objects tend to look blurry.
Neil Handley, a museum curator, said not much is known about how people dealt with myopia before the first lenses for nearsighted people were invented in the 15th century in Europe. And he noted that “even in the history of the invention of spectacles, that is a late development.”
There are 13th-century European examples of handheld convex lenses that were used to treat age-related vision loss known as presbyopia. But the technology wasn’t applied to treat nearsightedness for another 200 years.
“Because of the way that lens is held, you can see through it, and the artist has captured the effect that the glass has,” Handley said. Myopia could be something of a modern condition. Rates of myopia have risen sharply in recent decades, and researchers have projected that half the world will be myopic by 2050.
Doctors are still trying to figure out the cause behind this trend. Some have blamed genetic causes or an increase in studying and screen time.
It’s likely that myopia didn’t affect as many people in the past as it does now. Handley said the late creation of nearsighted glasses suggests that treating the small number of people with myopia wasn’t regarded as a priority and that people could have gotten by with this condition by making some adaptations in their lifestyle. Or, maybe there was more of an emphasis on putting people in jobs that were suited to their ability to see, he said.
For example, people with myopia were historically valued in artisan contexts, such as medieval European monasteries, where illuminating manuscripts and painting required making tiny, precise skills.
1. What can be learned about the first myopia glasses?| A．They came into people’s view around 350 B.C. |
| B．They could help shorten people’s eyeballs. |
| C．They didn’t come out until the 15th century. |
| D．They were initially designed for old people. |
| A．Noticed. | B．Predicted. | C．Doubted. | D．Conducted. |
| A．People in the past didn’t develop myopia. |
| B．My opia could be cured by changing one’s lifestyle. |
| C．People with myopia could also lead a normal life. |
| D．Most art-related jobs favored near sighted people. |
| A．Glasses for nearsighted people have developed a lot. |
| B．Nearsightedness is increasing at an alarming rate. |
| C．Various reasons contribute to modern myopia. |
| D．Myopia was not so disturbing in the past. |
6 . How to disconnect from your phone
Do you know that needy black rectangle (长方形) you carry around everywhere you go! You're probably too attached to it, although it's not formally recognized as an addiction-yet-smartphone overuse affects many aspects of your life. You don't have to give up your device. Small changes can make a big difference.
Make a list.
Instead of taking advantage of convenient features like facial recognition, use a passcode that you have to enter manually. Researchers have found having such a delay before accessing your phone can reduce usage.
Hide social media apps.
Drag all your social media apps into one folder (文件夹) that's not displayed on your home screen, so it takes some work to open them.
Put your phone out of reach.
Much of your phone use is mindless.
| A．Make your phone more annoying to unlock. |
| B．Handle them all at once, either hourly or less frequently. |
| C．Here are some good strategies that can be of help to you. |
| D．Now let's explore why taking a phone break is so good for you. |
| E．Even better, remove them from your phone and access them only through your laptop |
| F．Thus, putting up little barriers, like keeping it behind you and facedown, can be effective. |
| G．Before you pick up your phone, make a list of exactly what you want to achieve busing it. |
7 . At its core, social media is about advertising, but not just in terms of the products. Users are advertising themselves, making themselves look special and happy, no matter how many filters (滤镜) it takes. This can actually be damaging, especially to younger people. Because they traditionally look to their peers (同龄人) to help them determine what’s normal and who they should desire to be, and they particularly fear the social exclusion that comes from not fitting in with their peer group’s expectations.
With social media, their peers appear light years ahead in terms of wealth, beauty, and access to the kind of overall resources most of us can only dream of. The problem is that most of them achieved their fabulousness (难以置信的美好) through pure luck.
That’s why the core of our advice, for both adults and kids, begins with learning to accept what you can and can’t control, especially during those times when making things better isn’t really possible. And the one thing you can control when life sucks (令人不愉快) is knowing your standards for being a good person and living up to those standards regardless of how you feel or look or what other people think.
Being a good person isn’t about being perfect or ultra-unselfish; you don’t need to work in a soup kitchen or donate a kidney in order to qualify. In part, that’s because helping others must always come second to doing the smaller things required every day to take care of your own responsibilities and live up to your own values.
After explaining these ideas to their kids, parents can ask them to think about what they can and can’t control given how often life is just plain unfair. They can also ask their kids to think about the qualities they admire in people they believe to be good. This way, parents aren’t lecturing their kids about the importance of real values but encouraging them to make up their own minds about the values they find important. After all, people of any age are much more likely to make smart decisions if they’re asked to think through issues carefully and determine the right thing on their own, rather than being pushed in that direction.
1. Why are kids more likely to be harmed by social media according to paragraph 1?| A．They lack self-discipline. |
| B．They cannot distinguish good from bad. |
| C．They often have unhealthy online habits. |
| D．They tend to compare themselves with their peers. |
| A．Accepting reality. |
| B．Finding a role model. |
| C．Ignoring others’ opinions. |
| D．Having an optimistic attitude toward life. |
| A．To suggest how we can be a good person. |
| B．To state that helping others makes us perfect. |
| C．To explain the importance of living up to our values. |
| D．To clear up possible misunderstandings about being a good person. |
| A．Parents should have regular communication with their kids. |
| B．Parents should motivate their kids’ inner drive. |
| C．Children should be taught about real values. |
| D．Children should make clever decisions. |
8 . Water pollution caused by the coal industry is a critical issue that requires urgent attention. According to a report by environmental and clean water groups, coal plants are the primary source of toxic (有毒的) water pollution in the United States. Nearly 70% of 274 coal plants have no limits on toxic materials, such as As2O3 and Pb, and they were dumped directly into waterways. Over one-third of these plants have no requirements to monitor or report discharges of these toxic materials to government agencies or the public.
Furthermore, the report reveals that 71 coal plants discharge toxic water pollution into waterways that have already been declared damaged due to poor water quality. Almost half of the 386 coal plants surveyed operate without Clean Water Act permits, and 53 of them have permits that went out of date five or more years ago. These results are due to the lack of any strict standards limiting toxic pollution from coal plants.
Coal-fired power plants are the main source of toxic water pollution in the United States, accounting for more than half of all toxic water pollution. The human health impacts from this pollution are serious. The EPA estimates that nearly 140,000 people per year experience increased cancer risk due to As2O3 in fish from coal plants. The report indicates that almost 13,000 children under the age of seven each year have reduced IQs because of Pb in fish they eat, and almost 2,000 children are born with lower IQs because of toxic fish their mothers have eaten.
Fortunately, the EPA proposed the first ever national standards to limit toxics dumped into waterways from coal plants in April 2013. According to the EPA, these standards should reduce pollution by more than 5 billion pounds a year. The report suggests that the EPA’s new coal plant water pollution standards will not only clean up our water but will also save lives.
Affordable wastewater treatment technologies exist to prevent toxic discharges and are already in use at some plants. It is time for the coal industry to be responsible for the damage it is causing, and for the government to set stricter standards to protect the environment and public health. With the proposed EPA standards, there is hope for a cleaner future. By holding the coal industry responsible, we can make significant steps in protecting our waterways and ensuring that future generations have access to clean and safe water.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Over 100 coal plants have limits on toxic materials. |
| B．Most coal plants operate with Clean Water Act permits. |
| C．About half of 274 coal plants monitor the toxic materials. |
| D．Strict standards limiting toxic pollution are urgently required. |
| A．Outdated Clean Water Act permits. |
| B．Consumption of polluted fish by humans. |
| C．Air pollution caused by Coal-fired power plants. |
| D．Not advanced wastewater treatment technologies. |
| A．Significant. | B．Ineffective. |
| C．Alternative. | D．Meaningless. |
| A．Lack of strict standards to limit toxic pollution. |
| B．Serious health problems affected by coal plants. |
| C．Urgent joint efforts to deal with water pollution caused by coal plants. |
| D．Importance of affordable wastewater treatment technologies in the United States. |
9 . In the past decade, the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities (名人) and turned the famous into the infamous overnight.
A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. Short video apps such as TikTok took the world by storm. Why are these short videos — which are rarely longer than a few minutes — so popular? Jiang Yige, a Singapore — based analyst, has a theory. Short videos are “just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules”, he told CNBC．These videos — apart from being very convenient — are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to CNBC.
The sense of community that users of short video apps get is another appealing feature. Lisa Koshy, a user of TikTok, who has over 2 million followers, said that she was thrilled when anyone said that her video had “inspired” him. “It’s really cool...because I think as short video creators that’s what we all expect.” she added.
Live streaming is another feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise. It’s a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live.
However, the boom in social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it arguably causes. Material shared on these platforms is often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can sway users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn’t mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds.
1. The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being ________”．| A．changeable | B．steady | C．promising | D．violent |
| A．Because they are very convenient. |
| B．Because they help people kill time. |
| C．Because they allow people to express themselves. |
| D．Because they provide a sense of community. |
| A．The information from social media is highly reliable. |
| B．Short videos have been replaced by live streaming. |
| C．People can’t communicate with each other without social media. |
| D．There is still much room for social media to make improvement. |
| A．The Key Trends of Social Media | B．Short Videos Taking the World by Storm |
| C．The Influence of Social Media on Teenagers | D．Live Streaming: Tomorrow of Social Media |
10 . Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and
A recent study showed that two
Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products
The
| A．part | B．lack | C．lots | D．varieties |
| A．applied to | B．contributed to | C．exposed to | D．devoted to |
| A．possibility | B．chance | C．result | D．effect |
| A．Therefore | B．Furthermore | C．Similarly | D．However |
| A．After | B．Though | C．Before | D．Unless |
| A．reused | B．safe | C．friendly | D．returned |
| A．of | B．on | C．from | D．out of |
| A．rhyme | B．way | C．section | D．branch |
| A．carry | B．take | C．include | D．make |
| A．advantage | B．technique | C．point | D．attraction |
| A．concern | B．hope | C．care | D．plan |
| A．what | B．how | C．whether | D．when |
| A．saying | B．trust | C．attitude | D．fashion |
| A．pressure | B．pleasure | C．discussion | D．interest |
| A．enlarging | B．sharing | C．cleaning | D．improving |
