2 . We’ve all done it before—dropped a box of unwanted household belongings at a flea market and driven off with a sense of accomplishment. But have you ever stopped to think about where those items actually go?

Business journalist Adam Minter began considering this while cleaning out his late mother’s home. Seeking reassurance that his mother’s donated items would be put to good use rather than destroyed, he started a journey worldwide that resulted in his latest book, “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale”. He found the industry significantly in the dark, with a disturbing lack of data on secondhand goods, despite their crucial role in clothing, furnishing and educating people worldwide.

In this book, Minter fully reveals himself as an investigative journalist. He doesn’t shy away from the commonly-accepted assumptions about the global trade in used goods. First, Minter questions the idea that shipments of secondhand clothes from developed countries to Africa have destroyed local textile industries (纺织业). That’s overly simplistic, he says. He further explains that multiple factors, such as declining cotton production in local areas and economic liberation, have influenced the situation.

Minter then explores the topic of car seats, making a statement that recycling car seats, instead of selling them secondhand, is wasteful and might compromise (危害) safety for children in developing countries. It is disturbing to say so in a society that prioritizes child safety and highlights zero risk, but when you consider the excessive caution that might endanger children’s lives elsewhere, the situation starts to look different.

Minter calls it “waste colonialism,” this idea that developed countries can apply their own safety standards onto the markets of developing countries—and it’s deeply wrong. Why label an used car seat or an old TV as unsafe if someone else, with different skills, is perfectly capable of repairing it and willing to use it, especially if they lack access to new products and other options?

The book explores the huge problems of handling surplus (剩余的) items and how producers discourage repairs and promote the sales of new products. Minter calls for initiatives to enhance product repairability and increase product lifetime.

4 . What you believe in has a magic way of shaping your reality. The concept of “you can become what you believe” is more than just a motivational quote. It’s a truth that stresses the remarkable influence of your mindset (心态) on your journey through life. At the heart of this idea lies the distinction between two fundamental mindsets: the growth mindset and the fixed mindset.

The growth mindset is a mindset that embraces the idea that abilities and intelligence can be developed through devotion, effort, learning, and perseverance. Those with a growth mindset grow better on challenges, viewing them as opportunities to learn and improve. Effort is seen as a path to mastery, and setbacks are viewed as stepping stones on the journey to success. Criticism is taken constructively as a chance to improve skills, and the success of others serves as inspiration and a blueprint for one’s own progress.

In contrast, the fixed mindset is characterized by the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and talents are fixed characteristics that cannot be changed. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, fearing that failure might reveal their limitations. They avoid pushing themselves because they see it as a sign of their weakness. Criticism is frequently interpreted as a personal attack, and envy or anger can be stirred up by others’ achievement. In nature, a fixed mindset limits individuals to their current abilities and limits their potential for growth.

The power of a growth mindset lies in its capacity to drive positive change. By believing in the potential for growth and improvement, individuals open themselves to a world of possibilities. “If you imagine less, less will be what you, undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love and don’t stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, and think big, “Debbie Millman, a writer, designer, educator, artist and brand consultant said.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I was driving home, northbound on a 6-lane highway. A pickup truck crashed into a car which was switching lanes. A huge accident, involving 5 other cars, unfolded in front of me.Immediately, I ran to a car which was upside down. I got someone to help by holding pressure on a big cut above the woman’s left ear, and then, with help, got her and a large,unconscious man, both upside down, out of the car. I then went to the four other cars to check if anyone else was hurt badly. Fortunately, no one else was in serious condition. It all took just a few minutes.

In the meantime, the southbound traffic had stopped. I looked over and saw a group of 12 people, out of their cars standing in a circle about 15 feet away from a young man, bloody and wounded, lying still on the pavement. I asked a couple of different people what had happened. The young man had gotten out of his car to cross the road and help, when a car drove along the inside lane, very fast, to get around the stopped traffic. The “Good Samaritan” was hit by the car, which launched him high in the air. He lay where he dropped. Everyone said he was dead; several had checked, But a feeling inside me said, “I didn’t check him. Can they be certain he is dead?”

He was covered in blood with arms and legs hurt and his head almost to his chest. I felt for pulses(脉搏) at different spots and felt nothing. Then I checked him once again. I realized at that moment, I was feeling for a normal pulse. When I felt again with this in mind. I thought I felt a very weak and rapid heart rate of about 160. I knew I was not supposed to move his head, but I saw no other way to hopefully open his airway. I pushed his chin(下巴) upwards. He then started taking rapid, shallow breaths.

注意：1. 续写词数应为 150左右;

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

By then, the ambulances were driving up.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Due to the doctors and care of nurses, the “Good Samaritan” did survive.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . As a junior economics reporter, I was once given an assignment to write a story about an economic concept I didn’t really understand. Just then, Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator, walked past my desk. I took a deep breath and asked him. He explained it clearly in a few sentences, and if he thought I was a silly man because I had asked, he never made me feel that way. Ever since then, I have been a big believer in asking “stupid” questions, by which I mean questions that you fear make you look stupid. But I’m worried this is a dying art.

Best questions from students, the ones that they worry might be silly but are actually very useful, tend to come during breaks or on the walk between buildings after the lecture has ended. When teaching moved online, those opportunities disappeared. But many academics discovered online tools actually made it easier for some, students to ask questions. Platforms like Mentimeter added an extra layer of comfort by allowing students to ask questions without stating their identities. Some academics have integrated these online tools into their face-to-face lectures.

There is clearly some value in this. But what if we are losing something too? The more we use technology to remove ourselves from the discomfort of asking questions, the more fearful we might grow about doing it face to face. One academic got so frustrated by the silence in lectures that he brought in a softball and told his students, “I’m going to throw this out and whoever catches it has to ask me a question. Any question.” He said they looked at the ball like it was a hand bomb.

Yet asking someone questions face to face can be the best way to ensure you really understand something. I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a Martin Wolf wandering by. But most people really don’t mind being asked something “stupid”. If they do, it is probably because they don’t really understand it themselves, or they have something to hide. In that sense, you learn something useful either way.

8 . It’s no secret that our jobs can have a major impact on our lives outside of work. But what many employers don’t realize is that how employees spend their time at work can have substantial spillover effects on their children.

To explore the impact of parents’ work on their children’s development, my team conducted a study that followed more than 370 low-wage, working-class families over more than ten years. We intentionally focused on low-wage families, as they generally receive far less attention in the work-family literature while facing some of the greatest challenges. We, therefore, could get more authentic data. We completed in-home interviews and first-hand observations of parent-child interactions with strict assessments and reports from parents and teachers.

The data showed that parents who experienced more autonomy on the job and who had more-supportive managers and coworkers were in turn warmer and more engaged when interacting with their kids. Checking back in with these families years later, we consistently saw that the children of employees who had had more-positive work experiences in their first years as parents had better reading and math skills, and better social skills.

So it is important to promote workers’ physical and mental health. Some organizations tend to focus on high-level policy changes such as flexible scheduling options, more paid leave, etc. And to be sure, these systemic initiatives are certainly important. But our research suggests that ensuring workers feel respected and supported in their daily work is often just as critical. That means employers should give employees the time and space to share their experiences and ideas. In this way, employers will ensure workers feel buoyant in their daily work. The workers will feel bright and lively, enjoying more autonomy and respect.

Ultimately, how companies treat their workers today will determine how the next generation grows up tomorrow. That means building workplaces that value the welfare of working parents — and that of their kids, too.

9 . Matthew began working on the brakes of his truck immediately he got home late on a Monday. For safety, he couldn’t _________ repairing his truck any longer. His teenage son, Dalin, came to help. Matthew couldn’t get a good _________, so he slid his body under the truck to hit it. But when the rotor (刹车片) bounced off, the truck moved forward and _________ right on top of him.

Matthew couldn’t breathe, move or yell. This was definitely a _________ situation. Seeing this, Dalin was scared. _________, he sprung into action despite his fear and was _________ enough to lift the truck a little. Dalin _________ as hard as he could to get the truck up just enough for his father to roll out.

The _________ left Matthew with a separated shoulder. Matthew was taken to the hospital for his _________. Everything happened so fast, Matthew couldn’t remember how he __________. “Later, we looked at our security cameras and realized Dalin __________ the truck enough for me to roll out. My son is my __________. He saved my life.” Matthew recalled.

Not only the father but also everyone was __________ for Dalin’s bravery and quick thinking. It was a situation that could have easily __________ differently were it not for his quick __________.

10 . There was a unique restaurant in London that beat out thousands of stylish restaurants to earn the top ranking on the popular TripAdvisor, despite not existing.

The tale began with a belief that Oobah Butler had developed after a part-time job writing fake(虚假的)TripAdvisor reviews for restaurants: The site was a “false reality”, despite millions of genuine reviews. He decided to see how far he could take a fake restaurant on the site so “The Shed at Dulwich” was born. Butler created a web page with a menu based on emotions and attractive photographs of dishes. He also listed its location as the street he lived on with no address, calling it an “appointment- only restaurant”, to avoid being attacked by fact—checkers.

The Shed was unexpectedly approved by TripAdvisor to be listed in May, starting out as the 18,149th-ranked restaurant in the city: dead last. Butler began having family and friends flood the site with fake reviews. “Spent a weekend in London and heard that this place is a must-visit,” one wrote. “After a few mildly frustrating phone calls I was in.” Soon the customers started calling. “We’re fully booked,” Butler told the would-be diners. However, the restaurant’s reputation started to grow in TripAdvisor’s rankings. Some companies used an estimated location of The Shed on Google to send free samples to Butler, expecting to work with him. In November, Butler received a note from TripAdvisor saying The Shed had become the No.1 ranked restaurant in London!

Butler thought it was time to expose the trick. The story has been praised as an incredible feat(事迹). However, in an era that is increasingly being influenced by all of the disinformation that can be found online, it has also served as another reminder of the ease with which dishonest actors are able to handle online platforms to sometimes unthinkable results.