1 . The apparent complexities of the TikTok algorithm(算法)may actually be as simple as a bag of chips. In a video with more than 700,000 views, creator Celeste Aria laid out her “Dorito theory”, which she uses to explain the addictive nature of endlessly-scrolling social media feeds.
Everyone has a topic they just can’t stop thinking about, and Aria’s Roman Empire is Doritos. In her popular video, she expresses that TikTok scrolling is so addictive because it is never fully satisfying. Like a Dorito, a scrolling session on the For You Page is most stimulating during the first few bites. The end of the chip or video brings a desire to start consuming another one, thus returning to that first-bite feeling.
Essentially, the Dorito theory suggests that activities like eating Doritos, which provide a quick burst of pleasure but lack lasting satisfaction, can be highly addictive. Aria compared it to consuming foods that offer deeper satisfaction, like a hearty steak, where the feeling of fullness and contentment lasts longer.
The theory can apply to a lot of different experiences, but it’s particularly well-suite d as a metaphor for the dopamine(多巴胺)boosts that occur while scrolling through social media feeds. Dr. Jamie Sorenson, a board-certified psychiatrist, said that the Dorito theory is consistent with existing ideas regarding addiction. “The more immediate the reward is, the more likely we are to repeat that behavior, whether it’s eating Doritos or scrolling on social media.”
Aria may not be a licensed medical professional, but she treats junk food the way any nutritionist would. “I’d recommend just trying to remove anything that you think falls into the Dorito category,” she says in her video.
The Dorito theory trend has led to reflections on the nature of addiction and the pursuit of instant satisfaction in today’s society, resonating(共鸣)with many TikTok users who recognize similar patterns in their own lives. So, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Doritos responds to Aria’s theory.
1. What do the underlined words “Roman Empire” in paragraph 2 probably refer to?| A．A video. | B．A subject. | C．A country. | D．A snack. |
| A．Social media. | B．Different flavors. | C．Lasting satisfaction. | D．First-bite feeling. |
| A．By introducing a concept. | B．By conducting an experiment. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By quoting an expert’s words. |
| A．TikTok: an appealing platform |
| B．Celeste Aria: an insightful discoverer |
| C．Chips or steaks: a challenging choice |
| D．The Dorito theory: an ongoing hit online |
2 . The UN this week launched a report urging companies to stop issuing false net-zero targets that amount to greenwashing.
Greenwashing is a term used to describe situations where companies mislead consumers by claiming to be eco-friendly or sustainable as a marketing plan rather than as a core principle of their business model. Often, these industries spend more money making themselves appear sustainable than they do taking actual sustainable measures into their company.
Cities, financial institutions, and scores of companies have announced plans to reduce their emissions to zero, which, in principle, should help the fight against climate change.
“The problem is that the criteria for these net-zero commitments have varying levels of precision and loopholes (漏洞),” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the launch of the report.
Many net-zero plans contain far-away or unclear targets and often call for the use of unproved technologies like carbon capture and tree planting, which effectively allow companies to continue polluting the atmosphere. Studies show that most of these net-zero plans will do little to stop temperatures from rising. For example, many oil majors have announced plans to reduce emissions from their operations to zero by 2050 that do not take into account the carbon emitted by the fossil fuels they sell, which would allow them to increase production. Far from decreasing, fossil fuel production is going strong.
To close these net-zero loopholes, the UN this week released a report that includes 10 recommendations to ensure that companies, cities, regions, and other non-state actors issue credible and accountable net zero commitments. “Their plans cannot rely on cheap carbon credits instead of immediately cutting their own emissions,” Guterres said.
Financial institutions need to cut down emissions from all their investments and businesses need to bring down the carbon footprint of their supply chain, the report said. The report’s lead author, Catherine McKenna, urged companies to release new net-zero targets within a year. The updated targets must contain concrete actionable details.
1. What does “greenwashing” refer to?| A．A green technology. | B．A misleading statement. |
| C．A business model. | D．A spending target. |
| A．To prove oil majors are really responsible. |
| B．To set some good examples for other companies. |
| C．To show some net- zero commitments make no sense. |
| D．To indicate the benefit of net zero plans to climate change. |
| A．Dissatisfied. | B．Guilty. | C．Shocked. | D．Confused. |
| A．Plant more trees. | B．Share more supply chains. |
| C．Depend on cheap carbon credits. | D．Make concrete actionable targets. |
3 . You’ve ordered a new pair of shoes online. They arrive; you rush to the front door and carry the box as you open it. You untie the laces, guide them toward your feet and they don’t fit.
So, back in the box they go and an hour later you drop them at the local collections store. It’s disappointing. The shoes have never been worn and they’ll be making their way to a new home soon. Right? Wrong.
What does happen to our goods when we order online and then return them? The reality is that much of it simply ends up in landfill (垃圾场). Each year, 5 billion pounds of waste is generated through returns in the world. In the US alone, customers return approximately 3.5 billion products, of which only 20% are actually faulty according to Optoro, a company which specializes in tackling the returns.
It turns out that returns create a real headache for companies. Many companies simply don’t have the technology to handle these faults in returned goods, so it is often most profitable for them to sell them cheaply to discounters via a web of shipping, driving and flying them around the globe, or to simply truck them to the dump.
Optoro’s software helps retailers (零售商) and manufacturers resell unsold goods more easily. They offer a number of options for retailers, including a website to resell their goods, called Blinq, as well as helping with re-routing goods to donation, store shelves, Amazon or eBay. They estimate their work helps reduce landfill waste by 70%.
Ann Starodaj, Senior Director of Sustainability at Optoro, says that while consumer habits might still be harmful, creating a profitable and environmentally friendly fashion model from start to finish is the way forward. “I don’t think people are going to stop buying stuff, but creating a business model where you’re making it easier for them to make sustainable choices is very important.”
1. What are the statistics in Paragraph 3 about?| A．Waste disposal. | B．Goods delivery. |
| C．Clothing fashion. | D．Waste returns. |
| A．Very little profit can be made. | B．Related technology is not available. |
| C．Goods are damaged on purpose. | D．No places can be found to bury them. |
| A．A difficult task. | B．A marketing plan. |
| C．A practical solution. | D．A producing process. |
| A．Returns are easy to deal with. |
| B．People should stop buying goods online. |
| C．Consumer habits bring about harmful results. |
| D．It is vital to create a sustainable business model. |
4 . Thousands of teenagers face rising lack of sleep and the number of admissions to hospitals has been increasing over the past six years. Rating it just behind obesity (肥胖症), anxiety and mental health, experts have described it the fourth hidden health disaster for teenagers.
Data from NHS Digital show that admissions with sleep disorders among those aged 19 and under have risen from 605,200 in 2013 to 940,290 in 2019, although sleep disorders in the other age groups have fallen noticeably at the same period of time. Mandy Gurney from Millpond Sleep Clinic, a private children’s sleep clinic in London, said that there was a 30% rise in sleep-related disorders among teenagers last year.
“It is a very worrying increase, especially if this rate keeps going up,” Gurney said. She added that prescriptions for melatonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙) the body produces naturally in reaction to darkness and helps prepare us for sleep, had also risen. “We feel that the rise in sleep problems is very much based on anxiety — school pressure, peer pressure and, in particular, social media addiction.”
Vicki Dawson, founder of the Children's Sleep Charity, said her organization was flooded by families’ calls seeking help. She said the rise in sleep disorders was partly due to the blue light from screens that suppresses the production of melatonin. “We are increasingly seeing families where both parents are out working, which means that traditional bedtime routines may be rushed or abandoned all together,” she said. “More often than not, children are left to the company of screens.”
1. What can we learn from Mandy Gurney’s words?| A．Melatonin is an effective cure for sleep disorders. |
| B．Sleep problems are becoming the most serious health crisis. |
| C．It is the social media that lead to the sleep disorders among the students. |
| D．She is particularly concerned about the fast rise of sleep disorders among teenagers. |
| A．Multiply. | B．Changes. |
| C．Reduces. | D．Monitors. |
| A．In paragraph 1. | B．In paragraph 2. |
| C．In paragraph 3. | D．In paragraph 4. |
| A．The serious consequences of lack of sleep. |
| B．The measures to improve school children's sleep. |
| C．The relationship between screen time and mental health. |
| D．The sleep problem among the teenagers and the causes. |
Bullying (霸凌) among elementary, middle and high school students has become
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While still others may hold that the best way to deal with bullying is a swift fist in the face, the Japanese
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6 . In this Pennsylvania city, Pittsburgh is shrinking but getting wealthier. Since 2000, its population has declined by 95,000 while its income per capita (人均) has shot up 24 percent. The trend is taking hold in many other cities, like Buffalo in New York, Providence in Rhode Island and New Orleans.
Some of these areas have created more high-paying jobs in energy, health care or education. Others have managed to reshape their producing industry for a new economy. Higher-paying jobs have a greater effect because they create demand for additional services. "The story in Pittsburgh is very positive, and other areas are looking at it as an example of the transformation that might be possible，”said Guhan Venkatu, who wrote an economic history of the area called “Rust and Renewal” for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have helped bring tech jobs and innovation(革新) to the area by sponsoring tech centers that help graduates start companies without moving to Silicon Valley or San Francisco. This has helped keep Pittsburgh's educated young population growing even as the entire population in the city has dropped.
Pittsburgh has more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs than other shrinking cities, about 80, 000 or 7% of all jobs. STEM jobs add productivity and income growth to the area. Manufacturers of high-tech medical equipment in the Pittsburgh area also have doubled employment in the last 10 years.
However, some experts question whether growing income per capita can really make up for a declining population. According to Patrick Adler, a researcher at the University of Toronto, population loss does matter if it means lower-skilled workers have fled because of a lack of opportunity. What's more, high-paying jobs in education and health care can disappear if the population declines too greatly. So it'd be wise to find ways to increase the population.
1. In what aspect does Pittsburgh set a good example?| A．Transforming old energy into new energy. |
| B．Creating more well-paid jobs. |
| C．Prohibiting the manufacturing. |
| D．Sponsoring higher education. |
| A．By helping to attract more talents from other areas. |
| B．By providing much technical support to local companies. |
| C．By hosting tech centers for local educated graduates. |
| D．By assisting in employing a large number of educated youths. |
| A．To show the disadvantage of a declining population. |
| B．To suggest increasing high-paying jobs. |
| C．To raise doubts about growing income per capita. |
| D．To tell a reason why lower-skilled workers flee. |
| A．How Fast Job Growth Is Related to Population Growth |
| B．How Less-crowded Cities Plan Their High-tech Economy |
| C．Why Some Cities Are Losing People but Getting Wealthier |
| D．Why Some Cities Are Suffering From a Shrinking Population |
7 . A typical school day in the UK starts around 8:30 am. This is often even earlier elsewhere in the world, with students sitting down to their first lesson at 7:30 am in the US. The average teenager ideally needs eight to nine hours’ sleep each night, but in reality a lot of teenagers struggle to get this much. A lot of the problems arise because our sleep patterns are not fixed, and they change as we grow.
So a later school start time could help to solve this problem, by ensuring to get their eight plus hours of sleep and react properly to their body’s natural rhythms (规律). There has been a general shift over the past 25 years to shorten the school day. This is not at the cost of teaching time (which has remained constant) but at the cost of natural breaks, which has led to reduced lunch time and lesson breaks.
Later start times could help teens’ grades and health. This is mainly because it makes the management of children easier. Supervising (监管) hundreds of children “playing” requires effective staffing (人员配备). And there is always the fear that behavior worsens during breaks. So the theory goes that having them in class and strictly supervised must be better.
But this means that students barely have enough time to absorb what they were doing in maths before suddenly they are thrust into ancient history. And teaching staff also transit from one class to another, with hardly a rest or time to refocus.
Clearly rethinking the school day could benefit everyone involved. Anyway, it could also lead to better achievement in teenagers and less of a struggle for parents in the mornings. For teachers, it could also mean a less stressful day all around and what could be better than that?
1. How do schools often shorten the school day?| A．They reduce children’s lunch time and lesson breaks. |
| B．They reduce the teaching time. |
| C．They properly adjust children’ natural rhythms. |
| D．They increase more holidays. |
| A．To supervise children more easily. |
| B．To make children quickly take in what they. Learned. |
| C．To reduce children’s excitement. |
| D．To make children behave better in class. |
| A．It will add to the teacher’s pressure. |
| B．It has always been there for 25 years. |
| C．Parents may support it. |
| D．It benefits the students only. |
| A．The benefits of a less stressful day. |
| B．The benefits of later school start time. |
| C．How to solve teenagers’ sleep problem. |
| D．The reasons why teenagers sleep differently. |
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