1 . Housing officials say that lately they are noticing something different: students seem to lack the will, and the skill, to deal with ordinary conflicts. “We have students who are mad at each other and they text each other in the same room,” says a teacher. “So many of our conflicts are because kids don’t know how to solve a problem by formal discussion.”
And as any pop psychologist will tell you, bottled emotions lead to silent discontent (不满) that can boil over into frustration and anger. At the University of Florida, emotional conflicts occur about once a week, the university’s director of housing education says, “Over the past five years, roommate conflicts have increased. The students don’t have the person-to-person discussions and they don’t know how to handle them.” The problem is most dramatic among freshmen; housing professionals say they see improvement as students move toward graduation, but some never seem to improve, and they worry about how such students will deal with conflicts after college.
Administrators guess that reliance on cell phones and the Internet may have made it easier for young people to avoid uncomfortable encounters. Why express anger in person when you can vent (发泄) in a text? “Things are posted on someone’s wall on Facebook like: Oh, my roommate kept me up all night studying,” says Dana Pysz, an assistant director at the University of California, Los Angeles. “It’s a different way to express their conflict to each other, consequently creating even more conflicts as complaints go public.” In recent focus groups at North Carolina State University, dorm residents said they would not even deal with noisy neighbors on their floor.
Administrators point to parents who have fixed their children’s problems in their entire lives. Now in college, the children lack the skills to attend to even modest conflicts. Some parents continue to interfere (干涉) on campus.
1. What is the main reason for many roommate conflicts?| A．Students are not good at reaching an agreement about the problems. |
| B．Students are not satisfied with each other. |
| C．Housing directors are not responsible for them. |
| D．Students are not strong-willed. |
| A．Students, especially freshmen, should bottle up their dissatisfaction. |
| B．Students in Florida sit down and have a person-to-person talk once a week. |
| C．Not all students are able to handle conflicts by the time they graduate. |
| D．The number of conflicts among roommates has decreased in the past five years. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Indifferent. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．They should be involved in their children’s life on campus. |
| B．They should deal with their children’s problems in their whole lives. |
| C．They should constantly contact the administrators of the college. |
| D．They should teach their children the skills to tackle the conflicts. |
2 . The Group of Seven (G7), a collection of the world’s most industrialized countries, declares to share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and human rights as well as claims to have jointly responded to global challenges. The 2021 G7 Summit was hosted in the UK to discuss climate change. The organizers of “Zero Carbon Tour” hired an electric bus to travel from London to the summit in Cornwall. It seemed like a great idea. Sadly, the bus got stuck before it could return home. It tried five different charging stations but none of them worked.
The incident illustrates the huge importance of charging facility (设施) to the future of sustainable (可持续性的) electric driving. According to Fitch Solutions, electric car sales in Europe jumped by 72 percent in 2021. The market is clearly growing fast. However this growth will slow if EV (electric vehicle) drivers can’t easily find a place to power up.
At present, many EV owners charge their vehicles at home using regular domestic (家庭的) plug points. Domestic charging is slow, but it is convenient. Drivers usually do it overnight.
However, there is also the option of public charging on streets, workplaces, car parks, petrol stations and motorway service stations. Public chargers are usually quicker, and obviously, they serve people who are travelling as well as those who cannot charge their EVs from home. According to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, there are we lover 200,000 of these points across the EU.
Public charging points are run by competing operators that typically charge a monthly fee for access or offer pay-as-you-go (though credit card payments are often not accepted). Many EV now have associated apps that direct motorists to the nearest point. Typically, drivers need a smart card or phone app to unlock access.
Although the charging network is growing, it is silvery fragmented (分散). There are multiple competing suppliers, and the stations are not equally supplied. Some areas are over-supplied while others have hardly any. Needless to say, as the EV market expands, drivers will need plentiful and convenient access to public charging points. Ideally, the market needs also global standards and improved management of electricity delivery. Just as important charging stations must offer simple and secure access along with easy payments.
1. Why does the author write about the G7 Summit incident in paragraph 1?| A．To make a prediction. | B．To bring out a problem. |
| C．To provide some advice. | D．To offer background information. |
| A．The energy. | B．The safety | C．The cost. | D．The speed. |
| A．open up | B．hold up | C．turn up | D．keep up |
| A．Charging EVs for Free | B．Developing EV Markets |
| C．Making EV Charging Convenient | D．Driving EVs for the Global Climate |
3 . If you’re reading this, you were probably born in the 2000s. The ohohs. The 21st century.
That would make you young, creative, connected, global, and no doubt smart. Maybe goodlooking, too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?
Some adults worry that you’re more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the “facedown generation” because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends, and family. Are today’s teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies to become successful in real life — or “IRL”, as you would say?
Other adults worry that today’s youth are spoilt (宠坏的) and don’t want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by “helicopter parents”. They were always there to guide and help them with a busy schedule filled with homework and extracurricular activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With parents who do everything for them, today’s youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.
Does the facedown generation need a headsup? Well, probably not. The fact is that many of today’s teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They also seem to be enthusiastic (热情的) and willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai, the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls’rights to go to school.
So if you’re one of the ohohs, there’s reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the facedown generation. Chances are that you will do GR8 (great) and LOL (laugh out loud).
1. What can we learn about the ohohs ?| A．They are addicted to screens. |
| B．They are always in bad mood. |
| C．They were born before the 2000s. |
| D．They are busy with their texts. |
| A．They travel by air all year round. |
| B．They instruct everything for their children. |
| C．They depend on their teenagers. |
| D．They avoid challenges of adult life. |
| A．Proud. | B．Awkward. | C．Passionate. | D．Peaceful. |
| A．Facedown Generation |
| B．Promising Generation |
| C．Struggling Teenagers |
| D．Generation Under Control |
4 . As a means of dealing with loneliness and social isolation (孤立) in English towns, local police forces have begun providing specific public benches that can be used for making friends and having conversations.
The “Chat Benches”, which are now located in two different parks and outdoor areas in Somerset, are recognized by a little sign reading: “Sit here if you don’t mind someone stopping to say hello!”
The Avon and Somerset Police Department Facebook page recently published photos of their two new “Chat Benches” in Burnham and Taunton with an encouraging note for readers to stop by and use them for socialization (社交). “The sign simply helps to break the silence between strangers who find themselves sharing a common place,” says the police department. “We can all play a part. Simply stopping to say ‘hello’ to someone at the ‘Chat Bench’ could make life a little better for many people.”
According to a survey of the department, 17% of old people are only in contact with family, friends and neighbors less than once a week. This rises to about 9 million British people who suffer from loneliness and isolation each year.
The police force started the Chat Bench earlier this month to go with World Elder Abuse (虐待) Awareness Day. Though the officers say that there are many different forms of elder abuse which need our concern (关心), they hope that the Chat Bench will help to deal with senior loneliness in their communities. “The Chat Bench is a fantastic new thing and I hope people of all ages start many more conversations in the future,” says Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens.
1. What can we know about the Chat Bench according to the text?| A．It is intended for prisoners. |
| B．It can be seen in every English town. |
| C．It has helped many people get rid of loneliness. |
| D．It has signs encouraging strangers to start conversations. |
| A．Most old people in Britain live alone. |
| B．The British pay less attention to mental health. |
| C．The British have little interest in social activities. |
| D．Increasing British old people feel lonely and isolated. |
| A．He has high expectations for the Chat Bench. |
| B．Elder abuse hasn’t drawn public attention. |
| C．He doesn’t think people can enjoy using the Chat Bench. |
| D．Senior loneliness has been a serious social problem in Britain. |
| A．The history of “Chat Benches” |
| B．New tourist attractions in British towns |
| C．British police find communication areas in the towns |
| D．British police create “Chat Benches” to fight social isolation |
5 . A hotel that calls itself the world's first "polar bear hotel" has opened in northeastern China. The Polar Bear Hotel is part of the Harbin Polarland amusement park in Harbin, the capital and largest city in Heilongjiang province.
It opened earlier this month and promised that guests would be able to see live polar bears from all 21 guest rooms. "Whether you're eating, playing or sleeping, polar bears will keep you company," Harbin Polarland said in a statement on the WeChat messenger service. Photos and videos from Chinese state media showed people watching two polar bears in a closed, indoor space with artificial ice and small pools of water.
Yang Liu is a spokeswoman for Harbin Polarland. She told Reuters that the indoor area is the only part of the bears' total living space. She said they are also let outdoors when temperature and air quality permits. Liu added there has been "very high" interest in staying at the hotel, where rooms cost from about $ 290 to $ 351 a night.
But some animal rights activists have criticized the hotel. Jason Baker is vice president at animal rights group PETA. He told Reuters, "Polar bears belong in the Arctic, not in zoos or glass boxes in aquariums - and certainly not in hotels." He added, "Polar bears are active for up to 18 hours a day in nature，roaming home ranges that can scan thousands of miles, where they enjoy a real life."
In 2016, a shopping center in the southern city of Cuangzhou drew worldwide criticism after videos showed a polar bear named Pizza lying on her side in a glass-walled area.
Harbin Polarland was established in 2005. It calls itself the world's first polar performing arts amusement park.
1. What makes the Polar Bear Hotel in Harbin unique?| A．Guests can watch polar bears in their room. |
| B．Polar bears will play with tourists. |
| C．Tourists have chances to film videos with polar bears. |
| D．Guests can touch polar bears in outdoor space. |
| A．Objective. | B．Critical. | C．Positive. | D．Favorable. |
| A．It's secure for them to stay in the zoo. |
| B．They can enjoy a happy life in glass boxes in aquariums. |
| C．They fall asleep in most of the time in nature. |
| D．The range of their activity can cover thousands of miles. |
| A．A science report. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A textbook. | D．A news report. |
6 . Primary and junior-high school students and their parents across the country have seen some changes since the new school year started on September 1. Students have less homework, and their parents no longer need to correct the homework of their children. At the same time, the number of after-school tutoring institutions for primary and junior-high school students is reducing. These changes are the result of national guidelines to ease the burden(负担）of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students during the nine years of compulsory education(义务教育）.Known as the“double reduction”policy(双减政策），the guidelines were issued at the end of July,and took effect this semester.
The policy is an important step in China's boosting of more well-rounded educational practices. In addition to providing compulsory education, China is also working to develop an education system that enables young people to create a moral, intellectual, physical and mental grounding. China's education system had become increasingly exam-oriented(应试教育）in recent decades due to the desire of achieving high scores in high school and the college entrance examinations. In addition, the extracurricular tutoring companies,most of which privately funded, were producing social anxiety in the name of creating a better future for children. Each of these factors contributed to an excessive burden on primary and junior-high school students, and made education a results-oriented tool serving short-term interests, endangering the entire education system and even the mental health of the future generations.
The policy of easing study burden aims to help education recover its essential purpose with schooling as the cornerstone of the system, social education as the supplement and family education as the foundation, so as to better educate high-caliber talents for the country.
The policy may bring back well-rounded education; however, the motivation to receive and offer exam-oriented learning will last as long as exam scores remain the standard for entry to high schools and colleges. There is still a long way to go for China to change fromexam-oriented to well-rounded education.
1. What change has taken place since this September?| A．Students have no homework. |
| B．Parents have to correct homework. |
| C．After-school tutoring institutions disappear. |
| D．The burden of students becomes less. |
| A．An education to develop students in many ways. |
| B．An education to encourage students to achieve high scores. |
| C．An education to train students to deal with exams. |
| D．An education to put young students' health in danger. |
| A．To welcome the new policy. |
| B．To introduce the new policy. |
| C．To question the new policy. |
| D．To support the new policy. |
| A．In a text book. |
| B．In a novel. |
| C．In an education magazine. |
| D．In a diary. |
7 . Becoming famous is the dream of many, and Tian is getting closer to that dream.
Tian, 30, is a white - collar worker in Beijing. On short video application Douyin, Tian has more than 2, 000 fans, So far, she has received more than 50, 000 likes on the Dubsmash - like app. On her page on Douyin, Tian shares everything, from her son's daily activities, to her pet dogs, to little skits (段子) made up by her and her husband. “Making funny videos, and combining them with music is really interesting, ” Tian said. “Of course, I make the videos for fun because it is quite relaxing.”
China's short video market has seen great growth, according to a report. The report said that China's short video market was valued at 5. 73 billion yuan ($ 900 million) in 2017, an increase of 184 percent. The industry value is expected to go up to the 30 billion mark in 2020. Companies like Tencent, Sohu and Iqiyi have all started providing short video content.
“Short videos are popular because they are an addition to traditional audio and video content on the internet, ” said Sun Jiashan with the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
Fans say that the short videos help them “chill out” from a stressed - out lifestyle. “My favorite videos are all about pets, ” said Zhou Na, a nurse in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province. “After a whole day's work, watching the 15 - second videos makes me laugh, which reduces my pressure.”
1. Why does Tian make short videos in Douyin?| A．To get fun | B．To become a well - known person |
| C．To attract fans | D．To record her family's routine |
| A．They have a huge amount of value |
| B．They make people s star dreams come true |
| C．They enrich internet audio and video content |
| D．They greatly reduce people's pressure |
| A．Feel cold | B．Calm down |
| C．Catch a cold | D．Become concerned |
| A．China's short video market is open |
| B．Douyin brings the Chinese great happiness |
| C．Every Chinese is using Douyin to make short video |
| D．China's short video market has developed rapidly |
8 . These years, we can see more and more people like dancing in public. We call this kind of dance “Guangchangwu”.
| A．At times, they choose to go to and enjoy those places. |
| B．At times, they choose to stay away from those places. |
| C．Nowadays, about the dancing, people have different ideas. |
| D．It seemed to come into being in the 1990s. |
| E．It seemed to come into being in 2010. |
| F．It is all right for the elderly to get exercise and have fun. |
| G．But，not all people have the same idea. |
9 . Many children love using a trampoline（蹦床）for fun. They love the excitement the activity brings to them. But are trampolines safe to use?
Starting in the early 1990s, trampolines saw a major increase in popularity. In 1989, 140,000 trampolines were sold in the United States and by 1998 that number had increased to 640,000. But with the increase in popularity there was a rise in pain. From 1990 to 1995, trampolines-related injuries jumped by 98% and in 1999 over 100,000 kids were treated in the emergency room because of using trampolines.
The data behind the danger is clear, but parents may not know that even though trampolines are made for children, they are not suitable for kids under the age of six. Kait Ellen posted an article on Facebook about her visit to a trampoline gym with her son Colton. Actually the visit was anything but enjoyable for the little guy. Colton, who was three years old, broke his bone while jumping up and down on a trampoline. And in her article there was a warning from a government department, which advised that children under the age of six should never use a trampoline.
In 2004, the first indoor trampoline park opened Thursday in LasVegas, Nevada and parks have been growing rapidly ever since. Parents should keep in mind the advice of experts for keeping their kids safe. To keep your kids from getting injured while using trampolines, you’d better keep them away from them.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing Paragraph 2?| A．To make comparisons. |
| B．To show trampolines’ popularity in America. |
| C．To advise people to buy trampolines. |
| D．To prove trampolines are unsafe. |
| A．Through the advice of expert. |
| B．Through a government department. |
| C．Through her son’s accident. |
| D．Through the data behind the danger. |
| A．Negative | B．Cautious | C．Uncertain. | D．Approving. |
| A．Kids can easily get hurt while playing. |
| B．Trampolines are dangerous for kids under 6. |
| C．Parents often make trampolines for their children. |
| D．Trampolines are very popular with children. |
10 . If you love eating and drinking for free and are looking to make some pocket money, there's a job in China with your name on it. A new type of online service allows people to hire others to eat or drink their favorite treats, either to cure their boredom or satisfy their appetite without the calories that usually come with it.
Chinese media recently reported on an increasingly popular service on online platform Taobao that's as startling as it is appealing. People can now go online and hire others to consume certain foods and drinks, and ask them to provide video evidence of them eating or drinking the said treats.
Fees usually range from two to nine yuan ($0.30 - $1.35) plus the cost of the food. It's not exactly a get-rich-quick job, but there are quite a rot of people willing to do it for the free treats alone.
“Bubble tea drinking" is a particularly popular service, as the chewy tapioca(木薯粉)balls and popping drink is all the rage in Asia these days, but there are also ads from people willing to eat fried chicken or hot pot for anyone willing to pay for them.
Advertised as being "fat-free" and "free of queues", those who pay for the service will receive the full experience, which includes a 360-degree video of the drink, photos, and a detailed description. Prices of the service are based on the drink's sweetness level, its price, and popularity. Some clients even require a short written review to be sure that the person they hired actually does what they are supposed to.
Sellers explained that most customers buy their "Bubble tea drinking" service maybe because they're trying to shake off desires while they're on a diet. Drinking bubble tea by proxy may help customers avoid high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other health problems that the sugar-laden drink may cause.
So why would anyone pay a total stranger to enjoy a treat rather than consume it themselves? Well, apparently, the online service is so cheap that some people simply do it out of boredom, while others get satisfaction from watching others indulge in their favorite treats.
This indulging-by-proxy service（代享受服务）has received a lot of attention on social media in China, with some people describing it as the job of their dreams.
1. What kind of people may buy the new type of online service?| A．Those who are boring. |
| B．Those who are trying to lose weight. |
| C．Those who love eating and drinking for free. |
| D．Those who are looking to make some pocket money. |
| A．That they can make a fortune. |
| B．That the foods and drinks are cheap. |
| C．That they can consume the treats for free. |
| D．That they can realize their dreams. |
| A．To prove that the new type of service online is popular. |
| B．To list an example of the new type of service online |
| C．To show bubble tea is greatly welcome in Asia. |
| D．To promote the new type of service online. |
| A．Indulging-by-proxy service online helps lose weight. |
| B．Boredom leads to indulging-by-proxy service online. |
| C．People hold different opinions on indulging-by-proxy service online. |
| D．Indulging-by-proxy service online is getting increasingly popular. |
