Japan is experiencing record heat. Last week, the temperature in eastern Japan
Japan’s heat wave is set to continue. The weather agency said that the country’s
2 . Cyberbullying (网络欺凌) is the use of electronic communication to threaten or insult someone. A child can be involved in cyberbullying in different ways. They can bully, be bullied, or witness the bullying of others. The more digital forms of communication a child uses, the more exposure he or she may get to cyberbullying. Parents, teachers and other adults need to be aware of children’s online usage. Some warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying are:
●Spending much more or less time on electronic devices, including texting
●Hiding their screen when others are near, and avoiding discussion about what they are doing on their device
●Closing social media accounts and opening new ones
●Avoiding social situations, even ones that were enjoyed in the past
●Becoming depressed, or losing interest in people and activities
Cyberbullying is like other forms of bullying and should be handled in a similar way. If a child is being cyberbullied, adults should support the child being bullied and tell the child doing the bullying that cyberbullying is something serious that should be stopped.
If a child sees hateful content online, there are a few easy ways they can deal with it. The child could report the content anonymously (化名地), as hateful speech goes against most websites’ principles of service. They can also block the person from posting abusive content. While ignoring posts might seem easier than blocking someone, it will not make the problem go away.
Adults can try to make their kids put themselves in the others’ shoes and consider how other people feel. They should see whether more help is needed for those involved, like speaking to a guidance counselor or mental health professional.
Cyberbullying may be impossible to stop completely, but parents could watch their child’s behavior and Internet time.
1. In which situation is cyberbullying most likely to happen?| A．A lady is doing online shopping. |
| B．A child is chatting on the Internet. |
| C．A student is attending a lesson online. |
| D．A teenager is watching a film on the Internet. |
| A．Get away from his or her cellphone. |
| B．Share his or her social media accounts online. |
| C．Start bullying other kids on the Internet. |
| D．Avoid taking part in activities and meeting people. |
| A．Post the content of cyberbullying online. |
| B．Ignore the person doing the cyberbullying. |
| C．Show mercy and close their social media accounts. |
| D．Pay attention to their behavior and online time. |
| A．To explain what cyberbullying actually is. |
| B．To warn some children to stop cyberbullying. |
| C．To give some advice on how to handle cyberbullying. |
| D．To persuade parents to care more for their children. |
3 . I believe that we can use social media for a lot of great things and it’s important especially for business owners like me. Ever since I started my calligraphy business two years ago, I’ve never spent a day without going on social media, especially a kind of social app on my phone, on which I promoted my products and services and got in contact with possible customers.
Later I found it got in the way of more important things. I hate to say I was hooked by it, but I was. Every time I turned on my phone, I would dive into it. For a long time, I had been I ignoring other parts of my life, like my family, my friends and my happiness. One day, I was thinking that a break should have happened long before to me.
Then I decided to remove the app off my phone for a month and only use that on my computer to keep track of my business. I wanted a clean break to reflect and plan for the future.
I had believed that if I spent less time on the platform, I would miss out much. Actually, I was so wrong. During this month off, I realized there was much to enjoy in life. I found more time to enjoy my hobbies and contacted my good friends that I had lost touch with, I was refilled with energy in all aspects of my life.
This one month off the app on the phone was healthy for me. If it were not for my business, I would like not to have it on my phone. I downloaded the app again on my phone, but only used it to post my own content. I didn’t intend to paint social media in a negative light, but now I just don’t think the way I was using it was healthy. It’s difficult to find balance, but I’m going to try to do it anyway. I’m going back, but it’s going to be different.
1. What did the author mainly do on social media?| A．He connected with his friends. | B．He worked on business activities. |
| C．He learned calligraphy on his own. | D．He shared advice about keeping fit. |
| A．Opposed to. | B．Injured by. | C．Addicted to. | D．Frightened by. |
| A．It was meaningless to share on social media. |
| B．There was lots of fun away from social media. |
| C．The social app contributed little to his business. |
| D．The social app in the computer was more practical. |
| A．One month away from social media upsets him. |
| B．He wants to seek more hobbies on social media. |
| C．He has confidence in balancing social media and life. |
| D．His friends ask him to communicate on social media. |
4 . Schoolchildren spend most of their time surrounded by their peers (同龄人). They spend a lot more time with classmates, teammates and fellow club members than with adults in their lives. Peer pressure can have a huge influence on the lives of children in grades two through twelve.
From birth through age six, the family shapes a child’s sense of identity (个性). Parents and brothers and sisters affect (影响) a child’s likes, dislikes, tastes in clothing, food and music and, perhaps most importantly, values. Once children enter school, they form connections to the larger group of their peers. This group brings new ideas and experiences. Peer pressure happens when a student’s actions are influenced by this group. The “pressure” happens when peers suggest or demand actions different from the child’s normal behavior and values.
Peer pressure leads to some disturbing negative (消极的) behavior in schoolchildren. In the USA, about 75% of high school students have tried alcohol (酒) offered by their friends in middle or high school. According to a survey, students felt pressured by their peers between 35 and 49% of the time. The power of peer pressure can result from a schoolchild’s growing desire to fit into a group.
Thankfully, peer pressure can also be positive (积极的). For example, wanting to join an athletic group of friends may force a student who has been sitting for a long time to try out for the soccer team. In a survey on peer pressure, 51% of teenagers felt that peer pressure was sometimes positive. One teenager responded, “Sometimes it can help you gain confidence.” Other examples of positive peer pressure include students encouraging a classmate to run for school president, or friends suggesting that that a talented peer try out for a talent show.
1. What leads to schoolchildren’s peer pressure?| A．The identity shaped by their family. | B．The connections with their classmates. |
| C．The childhood experiences with their friends. | D．The differences in their behavior and values. |
| A．To kill their boring time. | B．To fit into a peer group. |
| C．To help gain confidence | D．To improve social skills. |
| A．Peer pressure does more harm than good |
| B．Peer pressure is very good for schoolchildren’s growth. |
| C．Peer pressure is not necessarily bad for schoolchildren. |
| D．Peer pressure plays an important role in shaping a child’s values. |
| A．Why schoolchildren turn out the way they do | B．Ways to help schoolchildren deal with peer pressure |
| C．Peer pressure highly influences schoolchildren | D．How to improve schoolchildren’s behavior and values |
5 . Life expectancy (寿命) in Africa rose by nearly 10 years in the first two decades of this century, according to the World Health Organization. “This rise is greater than in any other region of the world during the same period,” the WHO said.
In the year 2019, the average African could expect to live to be 56. However, that is still well below the global average of 64 years. WHO official Lindiwe Makubalo warned the life expectancy gains could easily be lost unless countries strengthen and make greater investments in the development of health care systems.
Makubalo said Africa has made a good start over the past two decades. On average, she said, access to essential services like basic health care improved to 46% in 2019 compared with 24% in 2000. “Other factors include improvements in reproductive, newborn and child health care, as well as advances in fighting infectious (传染的) diseases, such as TB, malaria and HIV.”
While progress has been made in preventing and treating infectious diseases, the report found health services for non-infectious diseases are lagging. It says the great rise in diabetes, cancer and other non-infectious diseases could jeopardize (危害) health gains if those conditions continue to be ignored.
The report says the COVID-19 outbreak has brought about greater damages to essential health services in Africa compared to other regions of the world, which might affect healthy life expectancy.
“It is important that significant improvements are made in health services, and governments ensure quality, equal and accessible services for all,” Makubalo said.
According to the report, some progress has been made in achieving universal health coverage, but it is far from enough. Health officials say one of the key measures to improve access to health services is for governments to increase their public health budgets. That, they say, would reduce the huge out-of-pocket expenses by families that are pushing millions of people into poverty.
1. What was the average life expectancy of people in Africa in 2000?| A．46. | B．54. | C．56. | D．64. |
| A．Plenty of food supplies. |
| B．Improvement in basic health services. |
| C．Easier access to clean drinking water. |
| D．Progress in fighting against non-infectious diseases. |
| A．Unique. | B．Independent. | C．Informal. | D．Underdeveloped. |
| A．Positive. | B．Uncertain. | C．Concerned. | D．Pessimistic. |
6 . Diversity has always been a topic that arouses a wide range of reactions, from real enthusiasm (usually among the underrepresented) to eye-rolling or complete unfriendliness. However, over the following few years, not only did the representation of women on FTSE-100(富时100指数) boards more than double but the mindset shifted in the UK. This was no longer a special interest issue but everyone’s issue.
But we’re now at crossroads. The gender issue in particular is a well-worn subject but not yet one we have mastered. Yes, there are more female world leaders and company directors, but many women tell me they feel discouraged about their prospects. They can’t see the link between their own reality and gender equality efforts that often seem targeted at a narrow group of white, privileged and highly educated women, rather than at all women.
I am optimistic that the next breakthrough is within reach. Technology has changed how we work, communicate and influence. Command & control power structures are rapidly breaking down, and emerging instead is a more inclusive notion of power. Leaders today need to be able to connect. This is good news for people who are empathetic, who are collaborative-qualities that are often described as feminine, although obviously men can exhibit them too.
Women of my generation who’ve made it to senior roles had to fit in with past practices to succeed. Today, we have an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent the rules, to create new ways of working, living and bringing up families. We no longer need to give in: instead, we can change the system.
But a new danger comes. The diversity agenda has gone off track and we need to remind ourselves of the basics again. Diversity is about being different, and inclusion is about welcoming those differences. Somehow that has become confused with the opposite notion, that valuing people as equals means preventing our differences.
1. What is people’s attitude towards diversity?| A．Indifferent. | B．Supportive. | C．Negative. | D．Divided. |
| A．Because they can not enjoy gender equality. |
| B．Because the gender issue is a well-worn subject. |
| C．Because they have not mastered the gender issue. |
| D．Because there are more female company directors. |
| A．Ability to connect with others is crucial to leaders. |
| B．Women of my generations needn’t adapt to past practices. |
| C．Women instead of men are more empathetic and collaborative. |
| D．Command & control power structures are replacing inclusive ones. |
| A．Welcoming differences. | B．Lacking diversity. |
| C．Including unfairness. | D．Causing unfriendliness. |
7 . After growing up in the foster (寄养) care system, Shanté Elliott is working to help others transition(过渡，转变) out of it. Elliott is no stranger to the foster care system. She was forced to change schools and adapt to different homes over and over again before finally being adopted at the age of 13. Elliott became the first member of her family to graduate college, double majoring in literature and communication and earning a master’s in education policy. Today she is pursuing her doctoral degree.
Elliott knows the challenges facing teenagers within the foster care system. “Often, teenagers are not viewed as children but as adults,” she recently told Reader’s Digest. “Think about it—most families looking to adopt want to adopt an infant or a young child, so they can experience developmental milestones with the child.”
There are ways to help foster children without becoming a foster parent, but finding permanency is still what most foster youth need most. And for those who age out of the system without finding those forever homes, there are additional challenges to face. According to Youth.gov, these kids are at greater risk of homelessness, health problems, dropping out of school and legal issues, all of which can make succeeding in adulthood more difficult.
Elliott wants to see that stigma end. “We need to change the national dialogue around this in a way that highlights the needs of older children. All foster-involved children want consistent homes. Potential families need to realize this.”
It’s a reality Elliott is passionate about helping others realize. “The need for protection, love, opportunity, and safety has no age limit. If more teenagers were adopted, youth would have more successful long-term outcomes after foster care.” That’s something these older foster kids who found their forever homes can prove.
1. How was Elliott’s early adoptive life?| A．Difficult. | B．Busy. | C．Strange. | D．Successful. |
| A．Because teenagers are too old to be fostered. |
| B．Because infants lack personal experience and education. |
| C．Because parents can become part of the children’s growth process. |
| D．Because they want to foster children without becoming foster parents. |
| A．Homeless children will drop out of school. |
| B．People don’t want to become foster parents. |
| C．There are some ways to help foster children. |
| D．Children without forever homes may suffer in the future. |
| A．Few teenagers want to find forever foster homes. |
| B．It’s easy for teenagers to find forever foster homes. |
| C．Teenagers are supposed to be offered permanent homes. |
| D．Only teenagers need protection, love, opportunity and safety. |
8 . While waiting in bus stations, airports or parks, some people are busy with a friendly conversation, and others read newspapers, comics (漫画), novels and pocket books. That was many years ago.
Today everyone uses smartphones, tablets and laptops at home, work and school. Exactly, it improves our communication, social media, entertainment and provides convenience to work. The computers, Interweb, and smartphones have become part of our everyday life.
However, the publishing houses suffer terrible losses, and the comics industry is out of business, for everyone goes digital and gadget (小玩意) dependent.
Especially in the COVID-19 times, the sales (销售) of PC, laptops and gadgets suddenly went up quickly. Because of health safety problems, people chose to shop online. Moreover, education happens through Online Distance Learning, which forced parents to buy desktops and smartphones. Yet behind the benefits and use of these modern gadgets is a sad reality. Many students lose the face-to-face conversation power. skills in public speaking, and social skills.
Another problem is health. The young generation today spends so much time on gadgets inside homes. They don’t live the traditional healthy outdoor life. The result is eyesight problems and enjoying very little sunlight.
For workers, too much exposure (暴露) to video call meetings has damaged their health. What’s more, many of us are expected to continue working at home.
Modern information technology (IT) has really-affected our way of life. In the COVID-19 times, these products of modern technology have protected us from public exposure and direct interaction with people. However, its continuous use can also harm people’s health and interest. Thus, we should take control of IT application in our life and not allow IT to endanger our health and safety.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To give tips on how to make good use of our time. | B．To draw readers’ interest in traditional ways of life. |
| C．To serve as the background information of the text. | D．To provide readers with a typical life scene many years ago. |
| A．A smartphone is more useful than a computer. | B．Without information technology, we can’t communicate |
| C．We are not able to work or study with no computers. | D．Information technology brings people many benefits. |
| A．Many students talk little face to face. | B．Many publishing houses turn to IT business. |
| C．Many parents are forced to learn to use IT gadgets. | D．Many workers are out of work and have to stay inside. |
| A．How did COVID-19 affect information technology? |
| B．How does modern information technology affect us? |
| C．How did modern technology become part of our everyday life? |
| D．How do people make use of modern technology? |
9 . When it comes to elite universities like Cambridge and Harvard, students often worry that they are not clever enough to get in. But the truth may not be as simple as that.
According to The Guardian, most applicants to top schools have equally perfect test scores.
When James Keeler, the admissions tutor at Selwyn College, UK, went through a pile of essays for medical school candidates, one of them caught his eyes. “He's been volunteering with St John Ambulance, and also training to be a special policeman.
"Unfortunately, most essays fail to highlight what's unique about each applicant. Students are often obsessed with maintaining a faultless image of themselves and are afraid to show who they really are. They write an essay, and then it gets passed through the English teacher and the parents and the aunt and uncle and the guidance counselor.
| A．We are eager to meet straight A students |
| B．By the time it gets to us, it's just so wonderful that it's hard to really get a sense of that person |
| C．We want them to be as individual as possible |
| D．In terms of extracurricular activities, universities are also looking for "distinguishing excellence" |
| E．Students get rejected largely because they "failed to shine" as a person |
| F．No single student will be admitted unless they are academically top "A" |
| G．That's something I've never seen before |
