1 . The rate of childhood obesity in the U. S. has tripled over the past 50 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made waves this year by recommending that doctors put obese kids as young as two years old on intensive, family-oriented lifestyle and behavior plans. It also suggested prescribing weight-loss drugs to children l2 and older and surgery to teens 13 and older. This advice reflects the organization’s adoption of a more active position on childhood obesity.
Yet the lifestyle programs the AAP recommends are expensive, inaccessible to most children and hard to maintain. Few weight-loss drugs have been approved for children. And surgery has potential risks and few long-term safety data. Furthermore, it’s not clear whether interventions in youngsters help to improve health or merely add to the psychological burden overweight kids face from the society.
Rather than paying close attention to numbers on a scale, the U. S. and countries with similar trends should focus on an underlying truth: we need to invest in more and safer places for children to play where they can move and run around, climb and jump, ride and skate.
Why is it so hard to get kids moving? Experts blame the problem on the privatization of sports — as public investment in school-based athletics dwindles, expensive private leagues have grown, leaving many kids out. In addition to fewer opportunities at school, researchers cite increased screen time and a lack of safe places for them to play outside the home. New York City, for example, had 2,067 public playgrounds as of 2019 — a very small amount for its large population. In Los Angeles in 2015, only 33 percent of youths lived within walking distance of a park.
Kids everywhere need more places to play. Public funding to build and keep up these areas is crucial, but other options such as shared-use agreements can make unused spaces available to the public. These opportunities aren’t primarily about changing children’s waistlines — they’re how we keep childhood healthy and fun.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Childhood obesity is well under control in recent years. |
| B．Weight-loss surgery are recommended to children 12 and older. |
| C．AAP plays a more active role in fighting against childhood obesity. |
| D．Expensive as it is, lifestyle programs are practical for most children. |
| A．decline | B．quit | C．increase | D．develop |
| A．Prepare fitness equipment at home. |
| B．Live within walking distance of a park. |
| C．Promote investment in private athletics. |
| D．Open up playgrounds when school’s out. |
| A．Sports play an important role in children’s growth. |
| B．More safe areas for outdoor fun are in urgent need. |
| C．Family-oriented lifestyles are crucial to children’s health. |
| D．Medical intervention is important to ease psychological burden. |
2 . Television has transformed politics in the United States by changing the way in which information is spread, by altering political campaigns, and by changing citizen’s patterns of response to politics. By giving citizens independent access to the candidates, television reduced the role of the political party in the selection of the major party candidates. By centering politics on the person of the candidate, television accelerated the citizen’s focus on character rather than issues.
Television has altered the forms of political communication as well. The messages on which most of us rely are briefer than they once were. The stump speech, a political speech given by traveling politicians and lasting 1 to 2 hours, which was popular in the nineteenth-century, has given way to the 30-second advertisement and the 10 second “sound bite” in broadcast news. Increasingly the audience for speeches is not that standing in front of the politician but rather the viewing audience who will hear and see a short video of the speech on the news.
In these simplified forms, much of what comprised the traditional political speech of earlier ages has been lost. In 15 or 30 seconds, a speaker cannot establish the historical context that shaped the issue in question, cannot detail the probable causes of the problem, and cannot examine alternative proposals to argue that one is preferable to others. In short videos, politicians assert (断言) but do not argue.
Because television is an intimate (亲密的) medium, speaking through it requires a changed political style that is more conversational, personal, and visual than that of the old-style stump speech. Reliance on television means that increasingly our political world contains memorable pictures rather than memorable words. Schools teach us to analyze words and print. However, in a world in which politics is increasingly visual, informed citizenship requires a new set of skills.
Recognizing the power of television’s pictures, politicians craft televisual, staged events designed to attract media coverage. Much of the political activity we see on television news has been crafted by politicians, their speechwriters, and their public relations advisers for televised consumption. Sound bites in news and answers to questions in debates increasingly sound like advertisements.
1. What do we know about “stump speech” in paragraph 2?| A．It’s an event created by politicians to attract media attention. |
| B．It’s an interactive discussion between two politicians. |
| C．It’s a kind of political presentation typical of the nineteenth century. |
| D．It’s a style of speech common to televised political events. |
| A．politicians need to learn to become more personal |
| B．attractive politicians are favored by citizens |
| C．citizens tend to favor a politician who analyzed issues |
| D．citizens need to learn how to evaluate visual political images |
| A．Political presentations today are more like advertisements than in the past. |
| B．Politicians today tend to be more familiar with the views of citizens than in the past. |
| C．Citizens today are less informed about a politician’s character than in the past. |
| D．Political speeches today focus more on details about issues than in the past. |
| A．Television: an Agent of Change in Politics | B．Television: a Platform for Political Debate |
| C．Television: an Alternative to Stump Speech | D．Television: a New Medium for Communication |
1. What did the two men plan to do?
| A．Attend a sailing race. |
| B．Travel between two islands. |
| C．Get away from their country. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Optimistic. | C．Upset. |
| A．They were found by a passing boat. |
| B．They boated to the nearest shore. |
| C．They found a floating device. |
4 . The Lipstick Effect
In 2020, the world was plunged into an economic down turn as the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread closures to businesses.
The lipstick effect refers to the phenomenon of consumers spending on small luxury goods even when an economic depression occurs.
Whatever the causes of the lipstick effect. this phenomenon is no short-lived trend. During the global depression of 2007-2009, sales of cosmetic in the United States increased by around 5%. Based on such data, it seems that even in the current insecure economic climate, the luxury cosmetics industry is one that will be sticking around.
While lipstick as an economic indicator makes sense, it can be difficult for the public to access sales data on lipstick and similar products at regular intervals, such as weekly or monthly.
| A．What does lipstick tell us about the economy? |
| B．They do not have enough to spend on big-ticket luxury items. |
| C．The lipstick effect is a behavior that reflects economic conditions and emotional states. |
| D．So, how exactly do consumers who are short of cash justify making such purchases? |
| E．By using products such as lipstick, they may feel more confident during job interviews. |
| F．As a result, the lipstick indicator helps the chair of Estée Lauder know how to plan his budget. |
| G．Under these circumstances, millions of people suddenly found themselves facing financial insecurity. |
5 . It was a quiet morning in the library, and we librarians were enjoying a rather loud chat. Suddenly, a patron (常客) marched up to us, gave us an annoyed “Shush!” and went back to her seat. How strange for a group of librarians to be shushed by a patron! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Well, it’s complicated. If you’re like me, a middle-aged woman, you probably remember libraries as places of silent reading. These days, however, libraries are more like active community centers.
In the past, most libraries didn’t focus much on programs for kids whose age made it impossible for them to be quiet on demand. But growing knowledge about the importance of kids and teens learning through hands-on experiences has since caused a sea change in how libraries connect with young readers. Now libraries begin offering interactive programs for kids, including crafts, board games, and story times. These types of programs certainly aren’t designed to be silent.
Along with more programs for ever-younger children, technology today has played a part in the transformation of libraries into places where both kids and adults can use computers, make something on a 3D printer and more. In addition, many libraries now offer programs for adults, who can participate in in book discussion, learn calligraphy, and even take college classes.
Of course, libraries still need peaceful phones. These days, many libraries have glassed-off study rooms or quiet areas. They are also less noisy in the early afternoons, after morning children’s programs and before the after-school kid crowd arrive.
It’s clear to me now that on the day my colleagues and I were shushed by a patron, we should have been using our “library voices” as we talked. Still, it’s unlikely that libraries will ever return to the days when they were places of silence. There’s just too much fun and learning happening.
1. How did the author respond to the patron’s behavior?| A．She approved of it. | B．She was disappointed at it. |
| C．She hesitated about it. | D．She was astonished at it. |
| A．The past and the present of libraries. | B．The reason for the change of libraries. |
| C．The activities for young children in libraries. | D．The connection between libraries and readers. |
| A．They heavily depend on technology. | B．They offer online programs for adults. |
| C．They still provide silent reading places. | D．They care much about time arrangement. |
| A．Libraries Should be Loud | B．Reading Can be Fun in Libraries |
| C．Libraries Make Learning Happen | D．Library Programs Target Children |
6 . Rachel Maclean’s toy shop on Ayr high street appears like any other in a town centre at first sight. Step inside and you will notice that familiar promotional entreaties (恳求) are backwards: Don’t Buy Me, Nothing Must Go. Everything is upside down and nothing is for sale.
Matilda Coleman, six, picked up one of the toys—a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Disney princess(公主), and turned her upside down. Underneath the skirt was a pale-faced witchy (女巫的) version. The girl liked it, and then was confused that the toy wasn’t available to buy. Maclean’s work playfully breaks the grasp that consumer culture has on modern minds.
“What art can do best is to make you look at things that you’re very used to in a different way,” said Maclean (b.1987), a Glasgow-based multi-media artist who has rapidly established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in the UK. “Sadly the decline of our city centres is something that is common these days, so I want to bring people into a space where they can reflect on it in a fun way.”
“When the shop first opened, everyone was interested in finding out what it was,” said Parker, a local teenager. “It has lots of different themes about identity, consumerism, capitalism, but they are silent messages and everyone has different thoughts about it.”
Maclean has taken over this former butcher’s shop in Ayr as part of Jupiter Plus, a new arts and education initiative, which aims to reluyenate empty high street shops in towns and cities in Scotland with free art exbibitions and workshops for young people. People’s immediate joy at seeing something happening in here is abivious and it drives conversations about how they remember the high street and how the space could be used again.
1. Why is Matilda Coleman mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To illustrate consumer culture. | B．To show the girl’s passion for toys. |
| C．To erase doubts about Maclean’s work. | D．To highlight the features of Maclean’s shop. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By using quotes. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By sharing experiences. |
| A．Expand. | B．Refresh. | C．Replace. | D．Surround. |
| A．She has a creative mind. | B．She respects others’opinions. |
| C．She makes profits in a different way. | D．She draws public attention to education. |
1. What happened to the woman at the beginning?
| A．She lost her phone. |
| B．She couldn’t find the way. |
| C．She was trapped in heavy snow. |
| A．The car was running out of gas, |
| B．She stopped to answer a call. |
| C．The engine couldn’t work properly. |
| A．By drinking hot tea. | B．By using the car heater. | C．By having more clothes on. |
| A．They called an ambulance, |
| B．They led the woman to her home. |
| C．They helped the woman go to the main road. |
8 . Lifestyle creep, sometimes called lifestyle inflation, is when living expenses and non-essential expenditures grow with income. In bad cases of lifestyle creep, this unnecessary spending can cut into savings.
Lifestyle creep is most visible among high earners, but anyone can fall into this trap. Who hasn’t justified eating out more often every week after receiving a 1 or 2 percent raise? The temptation of a more costly lifestyle is difficult to resist. If you’re making enough money to afford a larger apartment, shouldn’t you move to a larger apartment?
Improving your standard of living as your income increases isn’t an objectively bad thing, but when that habit cuts into your savings efforts, it can be a major financial risk. As Katie Waters, a financial planner at Stable Waters Financial, says, “Something’s got to give.”
Then how to avoid lifestyle creep? It just takes the same moderation and planning you used when you had a smaller income. If you can, head off lifestyle creep from the beginning by giving your raise or bonus money a purpose immediately. This can be to pay down debt, save for a house, or add to retirement accounts. This way, you won’t be tempted to spend it on a non-necessity. If you fear you’ve already fallen victim to lifestyle inflation at any level, you can still turn your spending around. If you are putting all your expenses on your credit card, Waters recommends rearranging so only routine, fixed monthly expenses are on the card. “The monthly variable costs—food, clothing, personal care, purchases for the home, the list goes on—are where your money slips away easily.” Waters says, “Calculate your possible savings each pay period and put that money into a separate checking account.”
“As with all things, the secret to managing your finances like an adult is a constant strive for balance,” Waters says. “Have fun along the way, but don’t let the tail wag the dog.”
1. What can we learn about lifestyle creep?| A．It contributes to a pay raise. | B．It refers to a high living standard, |
| C．It sometimes affects a person’s savings. | D．It only traps people with a high income. |
| A．To list the bad consequences of lifestyle creep. |
| B．To stress the importance of giving in one’s life. |
| C．To show that lifestyle creep is quite understandable. |
| D．To support that lifestyle creep can cause financial problems. |
| A．Put all the expenses on a credit card. | B．Save the bonus money for a non-necessity. |
| C．Increase the monthly costs on food and clothing. | D．Set different checking accounts for specific purposes. |
| A．Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. | B．Don’t put the cart before the horse. |
| C．Don’t do one thing under the cover of another | D．Don’t count the chicken before they are hatched. |
9 . Going green is good for business. Consumers are often willing to pay more for eco-friendly products than other comparable products on the market, according to market research. But not all environmental claims are created equally. “Greenwashing” is a form of misinformation often used to fascinate an enthusiastic green consumer. Companies promising to be sustainable, or biodegradable sometimes fail to meet the promises they make to consumers.
Greenwashing is particularly common in the fashion industry, says Maxine Bédat, director of The New Standard Institute, a think tank(智库) focused on improving the industry’s environmental standards. Being sustainable is the latest trend and a way for the industry to attract consumers. “I think we’re at the top of green washing in the industry,” she says.”
Retailers(零售商) will mislead consumers by distracting them from a company’s larger issues. For example, a large retailer might roll out a new line of products, such as jeans, that uses less water and therefore theoretically has less of an environmental impact than the other clothes the company sells. “You think ‘Oh that sounds great,’” Bédat says. But that same company might ignore water usage in the rest of their products lines, while doing nothing to address the other ways that their production might be harming the environment.
When it comes to fashion, Bérdat says to rethink shopping habits. After all, buying a new sweater labeled “carbon neutral(碳中和)” still produces more carbon than wearing a sweater already in your closet. She notes, “The most sustainable thing you can do as a consumer is wear the things you have more.”
As more companies look to cash in on sustainable marketing, governments are beginning to take more action to safeguard consumers. In New York, The Fashion Act would require fashion companies operating in the state to obey the Paris Climate Agreement. A new law brought forth by members of the European Union would more strictly regulate environmental claims and sustainability labels slapped on products sold in Europe.
1. What is the purpose of greenwashing?| A．To advocate proper use of water. |
| B．To introduce green ways to wash clothes. |
| C．To reduce the impact on environment. |
| D．To appeal to those eco-friendly customers. |
| A．A new trend in fashion. | B．A new kind of product. |
| C．A trick of greenwashing. | D．A large issue of a company. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Indifferent. | C．Disapproving. | D．Tolerant. |
| A．To enhance the quality of products. |
| B．To shelter customers from greenwashing. |
| C．To raise people’s awareness of going green. |
| D．To encourage carbon-neutral product lines. |
10 . If you’ve got more than one kid, you’re showing favoritism, whether you know it or not.
“Parents may favor one child over another, for a lot of reasons. The child may have an easy temperament (性情) or might behave particularly well or may look like you,” says Susan Newman, a psychologist. “But regardless of the reason, every child must be made to feel loved and special, in order to fully develop.” Newman warns that favoring one child over their siblings (兄弟姐妹) publicly can have a significantly negative effect.
“The unfavored child can feel defeated, and unmotivated, as a result of working hard to get parental support, with no success,” says Yelena Gidenko, a licensed counselor. “He orshe may also suffer from depression and become angry, bitter, or jealous,” she adds Children feeling this way may act out, in an effort to get their parent’s attention, making matters worse. They may also behave inappropriately, becoming the black sheep, which they believe their parents already see. “Unfavored children may have a hard time accepting who they are, since they do not feel accepted by their parents,” adds Gidenko.
Favoritism is not exactly a boon for the favored child, either. Kids who feel that they are their parent’s favorite sometimes translate that into a go pass for their behavior in future relationships. “Favored children may feel a sense of entitlement, and that rules do not apply to them,” says Gidenko. This can negatively affect the way they act in school, at work, and in their friendships.
It may seem absurd, but the opposite can also occur. Favored children may experience anxiety and insecurity, resulting from their favorite child status. “Children are observant. They know when they are getting praise for things they have not earned, such as being your favorite. For this reason, they know, and fear, that these things might be taken away fromthem at any time, for any reason,” says Gidenko
Newman urges parents to remember that it’s not possible to treat children equally because they are all different. What parents can, and should do is talk to their kids about how, and why, they treat them the way they do. “According to research, parents don’t talkabout this. They don’t say why one child gets more time than another. If they do, they are preserving their bond with each child,” says Newman
1. What can we learn about unfavored children?| A．They want to please their parents |
| B．They care little about their siblings. |
| C．They tend to lack a sense of identity |
| D．They hope to be the black sheep of the family. |
| A．Blessing. | B．Challenge. | C．Honor. | D．Burden. |
| A．Treat their children equally |
| B．Explain themselves to their children |
| C．Strengthen their bond with their children |
| D．Remove the differences between their children |
| A．The solutions to parental favoritism |
| B．The consequences of parental favoritism |
| C．An analysis of why parents play favorites |
| D．A contrast between favored and unfavored children |
