1 . The social media platform Instagram once made headlines for limiting likes in an effort to reduce the comparisons and hurt feelings resulting from attaching popularity to sharing content. It’s a small step in the right direction, says Jacqueline Sperling, a psychologist who works with youth who experience anxiety disorders.
Social media has a reinforcing nature. The platforms are designed to be addictive. According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. This puts a large amount of the population at an increased risk of feeling anxious, depressed, or ill over their social media use. But what makes users come back for more even when it can literally make them feel sick?
To boost self-esteem (自尊心) and feel a sense of belonging in their social circles, people post content with the hope of receiving positive feedback. When reviewing others’ social activity, people tend to make comparisons such as, “Did I get as many likes as someone else?” or “Why didn’t this person like my post, but this other person did?” They’re searching for validation (认可）on the internet. FOMO—fear of missing out——also plays a role. If everyone else is using social media sites, and if you don’t join in, there’s concern that you’ll miss chats, jokes, connections, or invitations, which can create anxiety and depression.
Sperling acknowledges that we can benefit from social platforms to some extent, as they allow people to stay in touch with family and friends around the world. Still, she says, the platforms have opened a “Pandora’s box” as they continue to evolve more quickly than we can research their impact.
In addition to limiting likes, as Instagram has done, Sperling suggests social platforms consider decreasing mass sharing. They might function more as messaging services by highlighting one-on-one communications. As to individuals, we can monitor our behavior to see how our use impacts us, and how to act as a result.
1. Why did Instagram limit likes?| A．To make headlines. | B．To control online time. |
| C．To promote other functions. | D．To relieve anxiety. |
| A．Social media users don’t care whether they get recognized. |
| B．Social media users tend worry to hope for negative feedback. |
| C．The concern that you’ll miss a lot won’t contribute to anxiety. |
| D．Social media users are likely to be influenced by others’ activities. |
| A．Objective | B．Ambiguous | C．Indifferent | D．Supportive |
| A．Sharing feelings online frequently. |
| B．Spending more time on social media. |
| C．Limiting receiving positive feedback. |
| D．Focusing on face-to-face communication. |
1.赞成及理由；
2.反对及理由；
3.你的看法。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
提示词：燃放烟花爆竹 set off fireworks and firecrakers
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3 . Chinese companies are ramping up(提高)production capacity in Europe, as local customers’ demand for Chinese heating products ranging from electric carpets and heat pumps(热泵)to heaters and hot-water bags has boomed. Europe faces an enormous gap in fuel supplies that makes the winter intolerably cold for many households.
European firms have been actively sourcing warming equipment from Chinese sellers in recent months to help get through the winter, as the region faces tight energy supplies after relations with Russia soured. Russia used to be Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas.
Data provided by Chinese Customs showed that in July, the EU imported about 1.29 million electric carpets from China, up nearly 150 percent from June.
The energy crisis in Europe is boosting the heat pump market, Cheng Lin, general manager of MBT overseas business with Midea Group, said in an online video conference, along with Europe’s efforts to realize carbon neutrality.
Luo Lanxian, manager of a hot-water bag shop in Yiwu,told the Global Times on Thursday that orders from Europe were up about 20-30percent this year. “European customers used to be conservative in placing orders, but this year they’re bolder(大胆的) ,” she said.
Experts said that the rising popularity of Chinese “heating gadgets(小器具)” is another example of Chinese private economy helping overseas households get through the energy supply crunch(短缺). That is to say, without China, it’s hard for Europe to find other sources to meet the mounting market demand, as factories elsewhere can’t adjust supply chains as fast as China.
1. What does the underlined word “sourcing”mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Originating. | B．Obtaining. | C．Providing.4 | D．Selling. |
| A．Fearless. | B．Courageous. | C．Traditional. | D．Adventurous. |
| A．Chinese private economy helped foreigners overcome the shortage of energy supply before. |
| B．Europeans can only find the fastest adjustment of supply chains in China. |
| C．Russia has been Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas. |
| D．The energy crisis in Europe makes little difference to the heat pump market. |
| A．The business of the Chinese. |
| B．Europeans’ great demand for heating gadgets. |
| C．The great popularity of Chinese heating products in Europe. |
| D．The boom of the resource need in Europe. |
4 . Since its birth, the dollar has undergone many updates and changes, but nothing compares to the change being debated today: to adopt a digital dollar, which is one of the central bank digital currencies(CBDC)that can be stored in apps or “digital wallet” on our smartphones.
It’s a cashless future that other countries are already embracing. China, for example, has already adopted its digital cash, E-CNY, in many cities on a trial basis. India this week said it would do the same soon. Now the US is weighing whether it should accept a digital dollar with such enthusiasm.
Why do we need a digital dollar when we have such cashless payments such as Alipay and Apple Pay?
Reducing fees is one clear benefit. When we make a payment on our smartphones today, it may seem immediate, but a lot happens behind the scenes. The cashless payment systems, such as Alipay and Apple Pay, have to inform a whole series of banks, to confirm who we are and how much money is in our bank accounts, before any payment is actually made. At each step of the way, there are fees. In 2021, they added up to more than $110 billion, which was generally shouldered by businesses. With a digital dollar, we can avoid those middlemen in theory. If we want to buy a sandwich, for example, we can pay from a “digital wallet” directly to a cashier.
Another argument for creating a digital dollar is to help Americans who don’t have bank accounts. According to a survey, more than 5% of US families are “unbanked”. Providing them with a digital wallet would allow people to participate in our increasingly cashless financial system.
What are the challenges?
Without question, the biggest concern is privacy, because the central bank could collect a vast amount of data. That could be useful to regulators who want to fight against money laundering(洗钱), for example, but it would also raise serious privacy concerns.
Security is another important problem. To adopt a digital dollar, the US government would need to modernize the country’s financial systems to avoid online attacks.
“So I think it’s more important to do this right than to do it fast,” the central bank leader Powell told reporters. “It might take five to ten years to introduce a digital dollar in the US.”
1. What does the underlined word “embracing” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Discussing. | B．Refusing. | C．Welcoming. | D．Losing. |
| A．It can be considered as a bank account. | B．It has to be used on Alipay and Apple Pay. |
| C．It just charges big companies for payments. | D．It is a digital cash created by a central bank. |
| A．Acceptance. | B．Security. | C．Cost. | D．Privacy. |
| A．It is not necessary at present. | B．It takes time to be introduced. |
| C．The US has to adopt it faster. | D．Americans will not accept it. |
5 . Jacob Kohut, 35, was one of the soldiers. He finally had some downtime during his 12-hour shift. He sat in the back of a Humvee, flute in hand, teaching students via his laptop how to play Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. That meant he was on double duty, as an active soldier and as a dedicated school band teacher.
For the past five years, he’s taught music at two Fairfax County, Virginia, schools—Canterbury Woods Elementary School in the morning and Frost Middle School in the afternoon. When he was on duty, Kohut’s days began in the morning with teaching his elementary class remotely from the drill floor of the DC Armory, finishing the lesson mere minutes before his shift started at 10 a.m. Later in the day, during his break, he would go online to teach his middle school students from the back of a Humvee.
Diane Leipzig, the headteacher of Canterbury Woods Elementary School, told Kohut she would find a substitute teacher to cover his classes while he was on duty, but he insisted on continuing to teach. She says, “He’s an excellent example. He teaches our kids the significance of practice and determination.” Music has always been a driving force in Kohut’s life. “My mom was a music teacher. That’s why I do what I do, because she was such a good role model.” says Kohut. Kohut insists he is not doing anything extraordinary. “We are here to do what’s needed, and if that means standing outside for 18 hours straight in the freezing cold, we're ready to do that.” he says. As the 11 instruments played by his virtual students synchronized in song, the familiar melody of Ode to Joy rang through the Humvee. At that moment, Kohut realized there wasn’t a timelier tune to teach his students. “It’s a symbol of unity and peace,” he says, “and that’s what the world needs right now.”
1. What’s the double identity of Jacob Kohut?| A．Soldier and teacher. | B．Soldier and student. |
| C．Teacher and student. | D．President and teacher. |
| A．The lesson began in the afternoon. | B．The lesson finished very near his shift. |
| C．The lesson was performed face to face. | D．The lesson was targeted at music itself. |
| A．Kohut had a positive effect on kids. | B．Kohut wasn't equal to the position. |
| C．Kohut should be replaced by others. | D．Kohut was typical of an inspired soldier. |
| A．Thrilled. | B．Devoted. | C．Ambitious. | D．Humorous. |
6 . It warmed my heart today to walk into the Thirsty Camel downtown in the Thanksgiving Day, for a quick lunch before a haircut and library trip. Ihan, a food shop owner, said that he was refusing to take money today because it was Buy Nothing Day. To increase awareness(意识) of the strange’s over-spending nature of our society, Ilan suggested a trade for food today. He simply asked that you offer something of equal personal value for the meal you received.
At first I was really uncomfortable, wondering if it would be fair to exchange a yet to be determined “I Owe You” (IOU) for food? What could I give him of equal value? After all, his food is the best in the town!
We ended up writing our IOU’s with promises of a book, some paintings and the offer of work in a variety of ways if he needs it.
I think the idea isn’t that the trade is “equal” so much as the importance of the kind of transaction. We put thought into our offer and we had an even greater understanding for the meals we ate.
We don’t buy a lot, especially at this upcoming time of year. We don’t give gifts at all in fact. The holiday time is spent enjoying each other’s company and doing things together with family and friends. This is what seems most sensible.
Ilan is a good person. We are all lucky to have someone like this in our community.
1. Ilan did not take any money that day in order to .| A．have a quick lunch before a haircut and library trip |
| B．trade for something of equal value in return |
| C．make people aware of their over spending |
| D．buy nothing that day to save some money |
| A．some promises | B．a book |
| C．some paintings | D．work in different ways |
| A．transport | B．trade |
| C．meal | D．giving |
| A．Disagreeable | B．Meaningless. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
