1 . Richard is a very a successful businessman. It is common for him to work hard with a non-stop. He wasn’t aware that he might wear himself out or die an early death until he overslept one morning, which was a sort of alarm. And then what happened? He had a week’s leave during which time he read novels, listened to music and walked with his wife on a beach, which has enabled Richard to return to work again.
In our modern life, we have lost the rhythm between action and rest. Amazingly, within this world there is a universal but silly saying: “I am so busy.”
We say this to one another as if our tireless efforts, were a talent by nature and an ability to successfully deal with stress. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, and to be unable to find time to relax — this has become the model of a successful life.
Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the guide telling us where to go, the food providing us with strength, the quiet giving us wisdom.
How have we allowed this to happen? I believe it is this: we have forgotten the Sabbath, the day of the week — for followers of some religions — for rest and praying. It is a day when we are not supposed to work, a time when we devote ourselves to enjoying and celebrating what is beautiful. It is a good time to bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals, walk and sleep. It is a time for us to take a rest, to put our work aside, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world.
Rest is a spiritual and biological need; however, in our strong ambition to be successful and care for our many responsibilities, we may feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. The Sabbath gives us permission to stop work. In fact, “Remember the Sabbath” is more than simply permission to rest; it is a rule to obey and a principle to follow.
1. What’s the function of the paragraph 1?| A．To tell us that Richard lives a healthy life |
| B．To give us a brief introduction of Richard |
| C．To bring up the topic of the passage. |
| D．To tell Richard is a successful businessman. |
| A．a signal of stress | B．a warning of danger |
| C．a sign of age | D．a spread of disease |
| A．Enjoying delicious meal. | B．Taking a good break. |
| C．Praying for our family. | D．Only working for two hours. |
| A．We should balance work with rest. |
| B．The Sabbath gives us permission to rest. |
| C．It is silly for anyone to say “I am busy”. |
| D．We should be available to our family and friends. |
2 . From video games and museums to medical training, virtual reality (VR) has been changing our lives for the better. However, this amazing new technology has a so-far unsolvable shortcoming: motion sickness. “With modern VR systems, the possibility of motion sickness after only 15 minutes is anywhere from 40 to 70 percent.” Thomas Stoffregen, a researcher told ABC News. Indeed, some VR applications have a user-sickness rate of nearly 100 percent!
When caused by VR, this sickness is called cybersickness. It’s probably caused by sensory conflict, explains Stoffregen. When you are wearing a VR device, your body’s motion sensors cannot match the information received by your eyes. For example, when we wear a VR headset and ride a virtual roller-coaster, we think we are going up and down, but our bodies stay still. It leads to confusion of balance and spatial orientation. Sickness is our bodies’ natural response to this confusion. Adding to this problem, Stoffregen says, “Women are more likely to feel sick from the VR experience than men.”
According to a study by Bas Rokers, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, one reason could be the headsets. To work properly, VR headsets must match up with your pupil distance. Since they are designed larger than the average PD, not everyone gets the best experience.
Rokers found that when the headset PD is too large, users experience greater discomfort. Based on his studies, about 90 percent of women have a shorter PD than the headset is designed for. In comparison, only 5 percent of men had this problem. ABC News says that cybersickness presents a “serious barrier” to widespread use of VR technologies. However, people believe it will become comfortable and easy to use and that it can play a great role in our lives.
1. What do we know about cybersickness?| A．It’s a sickness caused by VR applications. |
| B．It has a higher incidence among young people. |
| C．It is caused by one’s poor sense of direction. |
| D．It immediately happens when VR device is used. |
| A．They have a poor sense of balance. | B．VR headsets are too large for their PDs. |
| C．It’s difficult for them to set the VR headset. | D．They can feel discomfort more easily. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Uncertain. | C．Hopeful. | D．Worrying. |
| A．The Reality of Cybersickness | B．New Treatments for Cybersickness |
| C．Getting to Know Virtual Reality | D．Saying No to Virtual Reality |
3 . While video games used to be considered harmful to young people, various studies have also proved the positive effects of computer games, especially action video games.
Angela Pasqualotto from the University of Trento and her team have now tested whether such video games can help primary school children learn to read. They’ve developed such a computer game called Skies of Manawak.
“Reading involves many important skills, including knowing how to move our eyes on the page or how to use our working memory to connect words into a meaningful sentence,” explains Pasqualotto. “It’s known that action video games improve these still, such as vision, general attention, working memory and cognitive (认知的) flexibility.”
For their study, the researchers tested 150 school children between the ages of eight and twelve. Half of them played the game Skies of Manawak two hours a week for six weeks. The other half, the control group, received the educational game Scratch, which is intended to teach children the basics of programming. Both games are basically to train the executive (执行的) functions of the brain.
“We started by examining the children’s ability to read words, non-words and paragraphs and their attention control,” explains Pasqualotto. “After six weeks, these skills were tested again.”
“We found a seven-fold improvement in attention control in the children who played our action video game compared to the control group,” said Pasqualotto. The team also saw significant improvements in reading speed and accuracy among Skies of Manawak players—there were no improvements in the kids who played Scratch. It’s also worth mentioning that the children’s reading skills have improved, although the game itself doesn’t contain any reading exercises.
“For the study, we also carried out three further evaluation tests six, twelve and eighteen months after the training. Each time, the trained children performed better than the control group,” adds Pasqualotto.
Of course, while the study suggests some benefit in action video games, it does not mean that one must do nothing else.
1. What did the 150 school children do in the study?| A．They received training on programming. | B．They finished some reading ability tests. |
| C．They created video games on their own. | D．They played games with reading exercises. |
| A．Its influence on reading skills is not temporary. | B．The study results about it seem to be untrustworthy. |
| C．Reading ability can’t be improved with its assistance. | D．Kids need consistent reading training after playing it. |
| A．They have nothing to do with reading. | B．People shouldn’t get addicted to them. |
| C．School kids are supposed to avoid them. | D．They should be replaced with Scratch. |
| A．Video Games Prove Harmless to Young People at School |
| B．Time for Children to Play Video Games Should Be Limited |
| C．Children Easily Fall in Love With Reading in a Video Game |
| D．Playing Action Video Games Improves Kids’ Reading Skills |
4 . 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? |
5 . Has your mom or dad ever posted a photo of you on social media that you didn’t want anyone outside your family to see? In an age when people often share personal information on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, many parents usually post photos of their children. According to a recent study, a parent will post almost 1,000 photos of a child online before the child turns 5.
Parents often post photos on social media because they want to share their child’s special moments with friends and family. Some moms and dads do it as a way to connect with other parents. They may have discussions with experienced parents about topics such as how to get kids to sleep, or how to deal with kids’ behavioral problems.
Most parents don’t ask their children for permission before posting photos of them.They feel it is not necessary to consult with their children first because the benefits outweigh any possible risks.Many of them do not fear their kids’ pictures will spread further than intended. Some may even expect unknown people to view and comment on the pictures, and thus meet more new people on the Internet. “The images I post of my children allow me to know a lot of people I wouldn’t necessarily include on my list,” said Lauren Apfel, writer and mother of four.“They have helped me create a group on social media.”
Other parents and child experts believe that kids should be consulted.They say that photos can stay online for many years and that kids should have some control over their online photos. Devorah Heitner, an author who runs workshops about kids, is of the same opinion. “Allow your children to decide whether you can share their pictures on social media,” she said.
1. What do we know about today’s parents from Paragraph 1?| A．They spend too much time online. | B．They like posting their kids’ photos. |
| C．They often post photos of family members. | D．They try to protect kids’ personal information. |
| A．They share the photos just for fun. | B．They hope to introduce their kids. |
| C．They are in need of parenting advice. | D．They want to offer support to their kids. |
| A．It is likely to be risky. | B．It is harmful to children. |
| C．It makes her online friends bored. | D．It helps her to make more friends. |
| A．Get kids’ permission first. | B．Try to do it with their kids. |
| C．Tell kids the photos are theirs. | D．Let kids know sharing is helpful. |
6 . After finishing my teaching for a school year. I thought that I should go back to Montreal, Quebec, my hometown, for a visit. My main goal was to relax in preparation for the challenges of my retirement in the coming year.
Through my stay in Montreal, I met lots of Chinese who were trying hard to succeed and then led a better life in Canada. Some travelled thousands of miles to get knowledge. When I spoke with some of them about the major barrier they had to face after they arrived in Canada, they all talked about the two official languages of Canada. But I was impressed by their ability to express their ideas while they were changing between English and French.
Almost all of those people said they often felt homesick. They missed their families and friends. Though Montreal had lots of Chinese restaurants, they longed for a home-cooked meal.
I met some tourists who were trying to realize their childhood dreams of experiencing the life in a developed country. When I asked them if Montreal had lived up to their expectations, they hesitated. They said that reality never agreed with fantasies. However, they were glad to have the opportunity to visit Montreal and didn’t regret taking the trip.
Not all the Chinese people I met were happy. I once met a young lady who met with a gentleman through the Internet. However, to her disappointment, he disappeared after he promised to marry her in Montreal.
I was served by another Chinese person who could not deal with the challenges of studying in an English-speaking environment and ended up working in a restaurant with low pay.
Exploring different parts of the world, without any doubt, is a rich experience .However, one should be realistic when it comes to leaving his hometown to start a new life in a foreign country. One should spend time examining the advantages and shortcomings of the adventure before he decides to chase an uncertain dream of achieving success or leading a better life.
1. Why did the author go back to his hometown?| A．To meet his old friends. | B．To study a new language. |
| C．To go on with his teaching. | D．To prepare for his retirement life. |
| A．Food. | B．Languages. | C．Homesickness. | D．Income. |
| A．overseas Chinese are good at communication in Canada |
| B．people often express their regret at the trip to Montreal |
| C．overseas Chinese feel disappointed at their life in Canada |
| D．people should think carefully before chasing their dreams abroad |
| A．Improving Life Skills in Canada | B．Exploring Different Parts of Canada |
| C．Struggling for a Better Life in Canada | D．Going to Canada — Your Ideal Destination |
7 . Medha Pappula, an eight-grader at Brambleton Middle School, is using her skill set to solve a problem — bullying. She recently earned an award from National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC) for her anti-bullying efforts in software development and animation (动画).
Pappula, 13, said she discovered that a classmate had experienced cyberbullying (网络欺凌), which was painful for her to learn about. “Even though I didn’t experience it, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even my worst enemy.” Pappula said.
Then she developed a program. “It takes a message, and then recognizes signs of bullying and gives a rating (评价) to the cyberbullying.” the teen said. “If the rating is high, the program can be used to carry out things like removing that message or reporting it.”
In addition to this program, the NBPC awarded Pappula for a three-minute animated video about Unity Day, which she created and shared on YouTube last October. Unity Day was started by the NBPC in 2011 to raise bullying awareness among school-age children. Schools encourage their students to wear orange on Unity Day, as it is a color that is connected with safety.
Pappula visited different websites to develop her animation skills several years ago. She spent more than a month creating her 2-D animated video using an animation software called Krita. The effort paid off, as nearly 6000 people have already viewed the “Unity Day” video on YouTube. Pappula hopes to continue to work with the NBPC and use her skills to lift those around her.
1. According to Pappula, cyberbullying _______.| A．was her painful experience | B．was her worst enemy |
| C．shouldn’t happen to anyone | D．could be stopped easily |
| A．Take a message. | B．Carry out bullying. |
| C．Recognize signs of bullying. | D．Give a rating to the cyberbullying. |
| A．She developed the skills herself. | B．She asked schools for help. |
| C．She learned from YouTube. | D．She developed Krita. |
| A．A Cyberbullying Experience | B．An Anti-bullying Software |
| C．A Bullying Prevention Center | D．An Anti-bullying Teenager |
8 . Crushing disappointment
“If you want to make money in Cuba, buy garlic,” says a farmer in Artemisa province, in western Cuba. Garlic, known as “white gold” for its value, is critical to the unique seasoning of Cuban food.
Every year garlic-sellers on the streets of Havana peddle bulbs from backpacks, as if selling fake luxury handbags or electronics. The price of garlic tends to boom around November and December, before more comes onto the black market. A pensioner in one part of the capital complains that a bulb now costs 25 pesos ($1) and 450g (11b) costs 240 pesos, four times the price in September.
But the pandemic has worsened shortages of basic goods in Cuba, along with fertilizers, fungicide, seeds and supplies for animals. Thousands of rabbits died last summer in an outbreak of haemorrhagic disease. Pigs may be next.
| A．Profiting from garlic is nothing new. |
| B．Another way to get the bulbs is through garlic resellers. |
| C．The country is on high alert following an outbreak of African swine fever in the Dominican Republic. |
| D．Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba has been developed a program of plant breeding with the aim of obtaining adaptation to the country conditions. |
| E．That is why these pensioners refuse to pay the garlic sellers on the street. |
| F．As with so many things on the communist island, however, it is in short supply. |
In many countries, it is not unusual for families of
But this type of housing,
A co-housing complex is a place
10 . We've all been there：those times you need to argue your point of view to someone who you know disagrees with you. You immediately go to your keyboard and start to type out that 280-character Twitter，the Facebook reply，or a paragraphs-long email. Surely the reason，logic and strong power of your written words will persuade whoever disagrees with you to see your point of view. But new research suggests a different idea.
That research was conducted by Juliana Schroeder，assistant professor of University of California，Berkeley，and her colleagues. In Schroeder's study of almost 300 people，participants were asked to watch，listen，and read arguments about subjects they agreed or disagreed with. They were asked to judge the character of the communicator and the quality of the argument. Schroeder's team found that the participants who watched or listened to the communicator were less dismissive（抵触的）of their claims than when they read that communicator's same argument.
The idea for her study came from a newspaper article about a politician. “One of us read a speech that was printed in a newspaper from a politician with whom he strongly disagreed. The next week，he heard the exact same speech playing on a radio station. He was shocked by how different his reaction was toward the politician when he read the speech compared to when he heard it. When he read the statement，the politician seemed idiotic，but when he heard it spoken，the politician actually sounded reasonable.
So in the workplace，speaking to someone in person often involves nothing more than walking a few doors down to their office. And that's exactly what you should do if you need to convince that boss or colleague of why your blueprint for the company or project is the right one. Only as a last way should you try to communicate with someone who you disagree with over social media. Twitter's limited text allowance and social media users' short attention make arguing your point a difficult battle.
1. What's the result of the research？| A．Written words are more logical and reasonable. |
| B．People prefer to communicate with keyboard. |
| C．Spoken，not written，communication works better. |
| D．When reading an argument，the participants were less dismissive than hearing it. |
| A．To explain what inspired Schroeder to conduct the research. |
| B．To summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| C．To introduce the reaction of the politician to the study. |
| D．To introduce the politician's speech. |
| A．Silly. | B．Practical. | C．Familiar. | D．Special. |
| A．To persuade your boss，you need to walk to his office and leave a message. |
| B．Communicating with others over social media is encouraged. |
| C．Arguing over social media is more convenient than speaking in person. |
| D．It's difficult to fully explain your points due to social media's limitation. |
