1 . It was the day I graduated from university. The car I was driving
The driver climbed out of his truck, slowly and
My mom
I graduated that evening with my family in
| A．beat | B．found | C．attacked | D．hit |
| A．changed | B．decorated | C．destroyed | D．abandoned |
| A．carefully | B．curiously | C．considerately | D．creatively |
| A．showed off | B．went away | C．gave in | D．got up |
| A．harmonious | B．identical | C．broken | D．remarkable |
| A．wandered | B．screamed | C．danced | D．laughed |
| A．fag | B．key | C．head | D．hand |
| A．rejected | B．transformed | C．preserved | D．crashed |
| A．quietly | B．suddenly | C．sincerely | D．negatively |
| A．as for | B．except for | C．along with | D．in spite of |
| A．hear | B．plan | C．celebrate | D．reward |
| A．dirt | B．ice | C．blood | D．cash |
| A．invested | B．produced | C．monitored | D．repaired |
| A．particular | B．advance | C．attendance | D．person |
| A．relevant | B．strong | C．impressive | D．vivid |
2 . On October 20th comes “Killers of the Flower Moon” from the director Martin Scorsese. At nearly three and a half hours, its length is nearly double that of the average film last year. Even movie fans struggle to concentrate for that long. During the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, some viewers dozed off. Afterwards there was a mad dash (and long queue) for the toilets. When did watching a film become such a labor?
Film-makers started producing long-lasting movies at a rapid pace in the early 1960s. Cinema was booming and filmmakers wanted to distinguish their art from television. Epics surpassing the three-and-a-half hour mark graced the silver screen. Back then, audiences enjoyed an interval while the projectionist prepared the reels for the next act. Runtimes of popular films experienced ups and downs over subsequent decades. But they have ballooned since 2018.
Movie series is one driver of this trend. Studios want to squeeze the most out of their costly intellectual property, but they are competing with streaming platforms for eyeballs. The hope is that a spectacular, drawn-out blockbuster (大片) will tempt audiences away from the small screen and into cinemas. This approach has often paid off: “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), which showcased Marvel superheroes remarkably with a runtime of three hours, achieved the highest box office revenue among all films in that year.
Anything that attracts people away from their sofas to see a film in theatres is good news for cinemas. But lengthy runtimes also pose a “fundamental problem”, complains Clare Binns of Picturehouse, a British cinema group and film distributor. Long movies can mean abandoning two showings per night, which hurts ticket sales and profits.
Another explanation for longer films has to do with directors’ growing influence. Who would dare tell the likes of Mr Nolan to shorten his masterpieces? Streamers, which do not have to worry as much about concision because viewers can pause whenever they like, may attract big names with deep pockets and promises of creative freedom. “Killers of the Flower Moon” will debut on AppleTV+ after its theatrical release.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．Movie fans tend to have a dislike for long movies. |
| B．Movie theaters should provide adequate restrooms. |
| C．The average movie fan cannot focus for over three hours. |
| D．Long movies affect audience engagement and physical comfort. |
| A．Expanded with air. | B．Made great profits. |
| C．Enjoyed great popularity | D．Increased rapidly in length. |
| A．To demonstrate the trend of longer movies. |
| B．To highlight the success of Marvel series. |
| C．To illustrate the strong appeal of movie series. |
| D．To emphasize the studio-streaming platform contest. |
| A．Movie Marathons: Past and Present | B．Long Movies: Impacts and Reasons |
| C．Filmmaking: Challenges and Rewards | D．Streaming Platforms: Promising and Profitable |
3 . While it’s true that introverts tend to enjoy alone time, it’s not true they dislike people or social environments. Just because you show more reservation than enthusiasm in these settings, it doesn’t mean you need to change or that you can’t make new friends. Kat Vellos, a speaker and connection coach, advises introverts to “Resist pressure from the outside world and don’t hide your true nature or force yourself to be extroverted.”
Danielle Bayard Jackson, a friendship coach, says that introverts can be good friends. “I think we sometimes joke about them being incapable or not knowing what to do…and they actually have a lot of superpowers that we don’t give credit(赞扬)to. They’re very observant. They’re really good listeners. And I think that makes for really good friends.” So, how can introverts use their strengths and make new friends in the process?
“One of my favorite ways to do this is by going to a social event, then camping out on the edge with other highly sensitive people who don’t want to be in the center of the action.” Vellos, who is an introvert herself, says. “The kitchen and the edge of the yard are where I’ve often found the best conversations and feelings of connection at an otherwise overwhelming(令人难以应对的)party.”
The key for introverts is to be mindful of how they spend their energy so that when they spend it, they spend it well. “If you know you have a small social battery and you can show up for one hour after which it’ll be overwhelming for you, make good use of that information about yourself.” Jackson says. “If you know you only have an hour to spend, choose carefully the things that you say yes to.”
As an introvert, you feel and think deeply, so this means that you have the rare(罕见的)ability to go deeper more quickly with someone new. An hour or two nay be just the amount of time you need.
1. What is Vellos’ suggestion for introverts?| A．Change yourself to make personal relationships better. | B．Make friends with more extroverts. |
| C．Organize various social events. | D．Accept who you really are. |
| A．They prefer to enjoy alone time. |
| B．They are incapable of making new friends. |
| C．They have many advantages that are often ignored. |
| D．They are more popular than extroverts in the workplace. |
| A．Stay with other introverts in less crowded places. |
| B．Invite other introverts to go camping with her. |
| C．Have conversations with sociable guests. |
| D．Give a hand in the kitchen. |
| A．Why we need introverted friends |
| B．How to make friends as an introvert |
| C．Ways of getting along with introverts |
| D．Differences between introverts and extroverts |
4 . Imagine you’re out for an evening stroll (闲逛) in a foreign city, looking to find a restaurant for dinner. You will look for the busiest restaurant with the most diners because its popularity is bound to reflect on the quality of food and service. But is this true?
In tourist areas, which lack regular, local customers, the number of diners is unlikely to hold information about the quality of the meal. In this case, following the example of others could have led to a sub-optimal (次佳的) dinner choice in an overcrowded restaurant.
Spontaneously (不由自主地) copying other people’s thoughts or choices or simply going with the crowd is often referred to as “Herd behaviors”. It is a frequent occurrence among humans as well as many other animals, a common example being sheep.
Herding can appear to make a lot of sense. Average judgements of large groups of people often outperform individual choices. Furthermore, following the crowd appears to offer protection and comfort — after all, there’s “safety in numbers” — while helping to maintain a favourable reputation. Finally, following the herd reduces the effort needed to make a personal or unique decision.
Herd behaviors, while common and easy to explain, can have many harmful effects. Blindly following the herd can have grave consequences when trying to escape from danger. As seen in examples during earthquakes, herding may result in the entire crowd rushing for the same door, even if other exits are available. This unavoidably affects evacuation (撤退) efforts and may result in avoidable injuries or even deaths.
Psychology research suggests that it’s surprisingly difficult to resist the influences of the herd. In an experiment involving financial decision making, researchers found that warning messages about the potential errors of the crowd were surprisingly ineffective in helping customers make better choices. It appears there is no quick and easy fix. Instead, it is advisable to involve individuals adopting more critical approaches towards peers’ opinion, and questioning others’ behaviors as opposed to blindly following them.
1. What does the author want to tell us by the restaurant example?| A．Undesirable outcomes of herding, | B．Wise dinner choices of most customers. |
| C．Practical ways of avoiding herding. | D．Poor conditions of popular dining places. |
| A．Its application. | B．Its disadvantages. |
| C．Its definition. | D．Its benefits. |
| A．Send warning messages. | B．Follow peers’ opinions. |
| C．Stop behaving critically. | D．Have our own judgments. |
| A．Why can’t you find the reasons for herding? |
| B．Why shouldn’t you follow the crowd blindly? |
| C．When should you avoid influences of herding? |
| D．How can you discover wisdom of crowds? |
5 . Recycling is a great way of doing your bit for the environment and helping to protect the earth’s precious resources. However, a new study has revealed that our desire to be sustainable maybe doing more harm than good. According to waste company Biffa, this is because of “wish-cycling” — assuming that items such as disposable coffee cup sand pizza boxes will be recycled if put in the recycling bin. In fact, pollution from those items or other non-recyclables can result in recyclable items that have been put in the correct bin going to landfill. David Heaton, a business director at Biffa, said: “Pollution happens when items are disposed of in the wrong bins or haven’t been cleaned before being recycled.”
Experts at Biffa analyzed the amounts of non-target and non-recyclable materials that entered UK material recycling facilities between 2016 and 2020. It was found that, in 2016, the average pollution rate of recycling waste was 13.4 percent, rising over four years to 17 percent by the end of 2020. This shows that, even as people are becoming more eco-conscious, wish-cycling is increasing both in households and businesses.
The Biffa experts say that one of the best ways to prevent pollution of recycling is to clean recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. They suggest cutting off the top of old pizza boxes and only recycling that part to avoid pollution from the grease (油脂). Check the on-packaging recycling label to check it can actually be recycled When it comes to plastics, Biffa recommends checking the resin code, the number in the plastic triangle, to know whether it should go in the recycling bin. In general, resin codes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are recyclable, while 3, 6 and 7 are not. Larger items, like electronics, furniture and batteries, can also be recycled but often can not go in household recycling bins as they need specialist separating. These will need to be taken to recycling centers or sustainable waste management companies.
“It’s vital as a nation that we get better at effective ‘pre-cycling’— sorting waste correctly before collection to reduce pollution rates,” added Mr. Heaton.
1. What’s the truth of “wish-cycling” according to the first paragraph?| A．The desire to lead a sustainable life. |
| B．The good intention to help recycling. |
| C．The habit of throwing items that end up in landfills. |
| D．The practice of recycling items that can not be recycled. |
| A．People are becoming more eco-conscious. |
| B．Wish-cycling is on the rise in recent years. |
| C．Pollution happens less frequently in recycling facilities. |
| D．People are used to cleaning recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. |
| A．Dispose of electronics together with household waste. |
| B．Skip the step of checking the on-packaging recycling label. |
| C．Check the resin code of plastics to see whether it is recyclable or not. |
| D．Cutoff the top of old pizza box and throw the rest to the recycling bin. |
| A．Recycling: a Big Project | B．Wish-cycling: a New Trend |
| C．Wish-cycling: a Growing Concern | D．Pre-cycling: an Effective Method |
6 . Computer games have seriously caught the attention of Mass Media. The increasing amount of games with violent scenes socks the society and makes it very aware of them. The fact that violent games cause violence in people is not even doubted by most people. Some say that the reason lies in games being too close to reality. But is it justified only according to the external similarity of these two worlds?
Games originally are entertainment. Contemporary games are very realistic and for this reason they are a source of great experience for the player and develop the imagination. Games are more than entertainment. The research of the New York University led by Green and Bavelier claims that the player preferring active games get an improvement of some types of brain activity, related to processing of visual information. In particular, game players cope with problems of simultaneously (同时地) tracking several moving objects at the average level of 30% better than people who do not play active computer video games. A game is an abstraction. A player gets abstract tasks and acts according to abstract rules. Games are also the possibility to be whoever a person wants to be and to rest from the outside world for some time.
But what if a person gets so much excited with the game scenes that he becomes violent in reality? Then, it proves that the games cause people to become violent. A psychologically healthy person will never confuse or connect these two different worlds. A game is a virtual world with visual images very similar to human. These images represent by themselves nothing but simple playing obstacles. A game may potentially give the opportunity to “destroy the obstacles” that may not be destroyed according to the rules, but it is more about personal choice whether to do it or not. This leads us to the conclusion that violence is not a consequence but the cause. People who originally tend to violence may get annoyed by games and perform violence in the “real world”. In this case violence in games is a simple justification of the violent nature of the player.
1. Which of the following best explains “sock” underlined in Para. 1?| A．Transform. | B．Strike. | C．Interest. | D．Confuse. |
| A．Games can promote some kinds of brain activity. |
| B．Games can give people space to be themselves. |
| C．Games can be a source of great experience. |
| D．Games can help players solve problems. |
| A．Abstract violent tasks. | B．Violent visual images. |
| C．Realistic computer games. | D．Individuals’ violent nature. |
| A．Violence: Not a Consequence of Games | B．Violence: Not a Justification of Players |
| C．Games: The Violent Virtual Reality | D．Games: The Cause of Violence |
7 . A team from the University of Tokyo just published a new study that says that writing on paper is actually the best for your mind. “Paper is more advanced and useful compared to electronic records because paper contains more one-of-a-kind information for stronger memory recall,” said Professor Kuniyoshi L. Sakai, a neuroscientist at the University of Tokyo and author in the study.
Most people like smartphones or tablets because they seem to make everyday tasks easier, but after gathering 48 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 29 for the study, the researchers found that those who wrote on paper to finish note-taking tasks completed these 25 percent faster than people who used smartphones or tablets. What is the reason? The team said that using paper gave the volunteers more of a chance to write in their own form, while digital devices (数字设备) are more consistent (始终如一的).
The researchers divided the volunteers, including college students and office staff, into three groups depending on their memory, preferences for using paper or digital tools, sex and age. Then each volunteer read a conversation that highlighted characters explaining their plans, which mentioned what they wanted to do in two months, their 14 different class times, the deadlines for the characters' homework, and any other things. After using their paper or a device to take notes about this conversation, the volunteers were given an hour break and at ask to keep them from thinking directly about the study. They were then asked a number of questions like “What are the deadlines for the characters’ homework?”
Those who used paper for notetaking took only 11 minutes to jot down their thoughts during the study, while people who used tablets took 14 minutes; smartphone users spent the most time on the task, taking 16 minutes to write down their thoughts. As for the accuracy of the answers, those writing on paper seemed to stand out. This suggested that writing on paper benefited their memory.
1. Why did the volunteers writing on paper finish note-taking tasks faster?| A．Their tasks were less difficult. |
| B．They took notes without any stops. |
| C．Their writing styles were consistent. |
| D．They could write in their unique ways. |
| A．Make up some conversations. |
| B．Raise questions for each other. |
| C．Take notes about a conversation. |
| D．Discuss notes with group members. |
| A．To test their memory. | B．To ensure the accuracy. |
| C．To keep them energetic. | D．To remove their thoughts. |
| A．Leave out. | B．Write down. | C．Break down. | D．Concentrate on. |
8 . We’re frequently told that our attention problem-being easily distracted-result from modern technology. If we truly want to focus, according to the popular belief, we need to turn off all our digital devices and quit social media.
Here’s my opinion about that idea. This era(时代)is no different than any other-there has always been a “crisis of attention”. Think about life long ago: people in ancient India or Europe didn’t have smartphones and social media, but they were faced with the same problem.
A crisis of attention can happen anytime you don’t allow yourself a break-when you don’t allow your mind to daydream, which may inspire your creativity. We are always engaged in something. With these digital tools at our fingertips, we have constant access to all these forms of communication, content, and interaction, and we don’t let our thoughts wander(漫游)freely. When was the last time you stood in line at a store and just…looked around? Thought about whatever came to your mind? Or did you pull out your phone, check your texts, read your email during that time?
We all do it. We catch ourselves all the time going from one type of mental engagement to the next. Like surfing online (clicking from link to link), we go from one task to the next and the next. We are “all task and no downtime”. Even something you might think of as relaxing is more engagement. Checking your phone messages may seem “fun”, but it’s just another task for your attention. Your attention is focused on task after task after task, without a moment for the mind to wander freely.
It’s not always realistic to unplug. We can’t just turn off our phones and pause our email. We can’t create a distraction-free world. The problem is not the existence(存在)of modern technology; rather, it’s how we’re using it.
1. Why does the author mention people in ancient India?| A．To argue against the popular belief. |
| B．To discuss the benefits of technology. |
| C．To suggest a solution to the attention problem. |
| D．To show the seriousness of the attention problem. |
| A．Chatting with friends. | B．Reading a newspaper. |
| C．Sitting back doing nothing. | D．Checking phone messages. |
| A．Work long hours. | B．Improve technology. |
| C．Stop using digital devices. | D．Balance work and leisure. |
| A．Culture. | B．Fashion. |
| C．History. | D．Opinion. |
9 . Emojis are very popular among mobile phone and social media users. While there are emojis of almost every kind imaginable, from dinosaurs to joyful tears and eggplants, there is no emoji for forgiveness. Seeing the need to show understanding, a Finnish group decided it was time for a "forgiveness" emoji.
Every year, the Unicode Consortium, which sets the standards, adds new emojis to the emoji keyboard on mobile phones and computers. In 2019, the Forgivemoji campaign was launched. Forgivemoji's site made an open call to the public to give their designs for a new forgiveness emoji, with the goal of presenting the symbol to the Unicode Consortium and getting it accepted by people.
Tuomo Pesonen, communications director of the Unicode Consortium, explained why the forgiveness emoji is indispensable in today's world. “In our modern communication culture, emojis are an important way of expressing human feelings beyond words.” The campaign gained popularity, reaching over two million people around the world. They received many designs, including a bandaged heart, two holding hands, and people from different cultures hugging.
After hundreds of people offered their ideas for this emoji, the winner was announced in February 2020. Former Finnish president Tarja Halonen was selected to choose the winner as she has been important in building bridges between people. The emoji that will be presented to the Unicode Consortium is an image of two hands giving a thumbs-up symbol in front of a heart. If the Unicode Consortium accepts the design, it will become available to the public in late 2021.
The Forgivemoji campaign goes far beyond having a strong influence on social media. The message of showing forgiveness and understanding is helpful for the world at large.
1. What's the idea behind the Fogivemoji campaign?| A．people develop pleasant habits. |
| B．To get people more friendly to each other. |
| C．To pick a forgiveness emoji for the public to use. |
| D．To make mobile phones and computers more convenient to use. |
| A．Necessary. | B．Different. | C．Changeable. | D．Interesting. |
| A．She launched the campaign herself. | B．She designed the most popular emoji. |
| C．She was familiar with the emoji history. | D．She played an important role in relating people. |
| A．Forgiveness is important for people | B．Emoji for forgiveness is on the way |
| C．Emojis are becoming interestingly popular | D．Finnish people explore the stories of emojis |
10 . E-scooter(电动滑板车)sharing, which once looked like it would completely change traffic in large cities around the world, is turning out to create just about as many problems as it solves.
When e-scooters began to appear on the city streets, it was thought that people would take e-scooters instead of driving, which could cut down on traffic jams, pollution, and parking problems. And for some people, there is usually no direct public transport from the bus and subway stops to their homes. So, e-scooters were also seen as a solution for the "last-mile" problem at first, helping connect riders' homes with bus and subway stops.
Then some companies started to make e-scooters and rent them out. They put lots of e-scooters in popular locations around busy cities. And customers can use their smartphones to find and rent e-scooters. It usually costs about $1 to unlock an e-scooter and then about 15 to 25 cents for every 15 minutes after that. When customers finish riding, they simply can park e-scooters in any place that's convenient.
However, soon e-scooters were being left almost everywhere. They were blocking sidewalks and sometimes roads. E-scooters weren't just in the way, and they were also dangerous. e-scooters can go as fast as 16 miles per hour. They're too fast for sidewalks and can put walkers in danger. But they're usually too slow for city streets, where they block the faster traffic of cars and buses. And people began to get injured. Scientists studied nearly 200 people who got injured in a three-month period in Austin, Texas. About 15% had serious brain injuries. Riders aren't just getting injured, there have also been several e-scooter-related deaths.
Most cities with e-scooters have now made rules about where and how e-scooters can be used. Other cities have gotten rid of them completely. Anyway, e-scooters have become a very popular way to get around in many big cities, but it will take time and effort to make e-scooters fit in with big city traffic safely.
1. Why were the shared e-scooters put on the market?| A．To encourage a healthy lifestyle. |
| B．To reduce the cost of transportation. |
| C．To help solve the city traffic problems. |
| D．To raise public awareness of saving energy. |
| A．They can move as fast as buses. |
| B．They are easy to access in cities. |
| C．They can carry users' smartphones. |
| D．They can be ridden by people of all ages. |
| A．They are hardly found on the main streets. |
| B．They are disliked by many American people. |
| C．They become the main reason for traffic deaths. |
| D．They increase traffic pressure and safety concerns. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Objective. | D．Disapproving. |
