2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The world's cities are getting more and more crowded. Cities such as Tokyo and Shanghai     1    (consider)"megacities"(特大城市), because of their big size and huge populations. There are two main reasons why cities are becoming so crowded.

First, the primary cause of cities     2    (become)so crowded is economic. As a country develops,    3    (it)cities become the engines of development. Jobs are available in these areas. For example, Tokyo was the motor for Japan's economic boom in    4    1960's and 70's; as a result, its population increased rapidly. People     5    (move)to Tokyo because they could find employment there.

Second, another contributing factor is sociocultural. Thousands of people move to the cities not only for jobs but also for     6    (education)and personal reasons. The better universities in big cities attract thousands of students every year, and most of them choose     7    (work)in the cities after graduation. Moreover, young people will move to the cities as rural areas are underdeveloped. In their opinion, it is a barrier to their personal freedom.

In    8    (conclude), economic and cultural     9    (factor)are the major causes of huge urban population. People will always move to the areas     10    provide opportunities and freedom.

4 . How would you feel if you had to give up your smartphone for nine days? In 2014, and again in 2018，philosophy professor and writer Ron Srigley offered extra credit to those who would give him custody of their phones for nine days and write about the experience.

“What they wrote was remarkable, and remarkably consistent,” Srigley wrote. At first, all the students felt disoriented and frustrated.     1    

They paid more attention to the people around them.

For one thing, they observed, for the first time, how much other people were using their phones, for example in the middle of a face-to-face conversation.

“    2    , but yet again, I find myself guilty of this sometimes because it is the norm,” one student wrote. Another noted that as she walked by other people, they tended to pull out their phones “right before I could gain eye contact with them”.

They had better face-to-face conversations with family.

Two of the students were accustomed to using their phones to constantly message with their family members throughout the day, and they felt deprived of this contact. But when the students spent in-person time with their parents,     3    .

They were more afraid.

Some of the students reported that they were fearful of having no phones, wondering what they would do if they were kidnapped or attacked or had to call an ambulance for some reason. Srigley noted, “What’s revealing is that these students perceived the world to be a very dangerous place.     4    . The city in which these students lived has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and almost no violent crime of any kind, yet they experienced a pervasive, undefined fear.”

“Without cellphones, life would be simple and real,     5    .” That’s probably truer for all of us than we would like to admit.

A．This action is very rude and unacceptable

B．their conversations were constantly interrupted

C．but we got things done quicker without the cell

D．Cellphones were seen as necessary to combat that danger

E．but we may not be able to cope with the world and our society

F．But after a few days without smartphones, they began to notice other things too

G．the parents were mostly pleased because they suddenly had their children’s undivided attention

5 . It's good to share, right? Growing up as kids we are told to share our toys and not be selfish. We also live in an age where discussing our feelings is encouraged. But when does it all become too much? With new fashion trending all the time, such as dance challenges and wearing a pillow as a dress, the question is: when can sharing become oversharing on social media?

What is oversharing? The term has become associated with social media, but it doesn't only belong to this platform. Imagine you head to a party and you meet someone. Within five minutes they have given away details about their personal life. While some of us may try to escape these people, according to marriage therapist Carolyn Cole, this form of oversharing could come from a strong desire to connect with someone. But how does this translate to social media?

Dr. Christopher Hand, a lecturer in internet psychology, says the more details people disclose, the less sympathy we express when things go wrong. This could be due to a belief that we attract our own negative experiences the more we share them. It seems that the idea of searching for sympathy by oversharing, is generally viewed as negative rather than the cry for help it could actually be.

However, Dr Hand's research also seems to suggest that the more positive posts we share on a platform, the more socially attractive we become. Even back in 2015, Gwendolyn Seidman PhD, said that we should avoid complaining and being negative online. We are supposed not to show off, as it's now known—especially about our love lives. It makes sense—if your date is going 'that well', would you really have time to share a photo with text?

So, how can you know if you are oversharing? Well, why not ask your friends in real life. They would probably be more than happy to tell you if your posts about your breakfast or your complaint about your lack of money really are too much.

1. Why do some people try to overshare at parties?

A．Because they want to catch others' attention.

B．Because they just want to show off something.

C．Because they have a strong desire to pour out their emotions.

D．Because they may expect to make a connection with someone.

2. What does the underlined word in Para.3 mean?

A．explore

B．expose

C．display

D．discuss

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．We will become more socially attractive if we post more on a platform.

B．We tend to show sympathy when things go wrong.

C．We may be considered negative when seeking for sympathy by oversharing.

D．We can show off something positive especially about our love lives.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To inform.

B．To inspire.

C．To advertise.

D．To condemn.

6 . Michael Surrell was the last person who should have run into a burning building because he had lung disease． But that didn't stop him． He was reading in sofa when his daughter phoned to say， "The house next door is on fire!" He went to investigate， only to see two women unable to control their emotions on their porch．

"The baby girl's on the second floor!" one of the women cried． At the words， Surrell immediately ran inside． It was completely dark there． Yet， because the house had a similar layout to his， he found the stairs and made it to the second floor． He turned to the right and was met by intense heat． He was already out of breath．

His throat and lungs burned as if he'd breathed fire instead of the smoke in the air． All he could hear was the crackling and popping of burning wood． Then he heard a soft but clear moan （呻吟）． He knew it was from the direction of the bedroom． Still unable to see， Surrell fell to his knees on the hot wood floor． He crawled toward the sound， feeling around for any sign of the girl．

Finally，he found the girl and caught her into his arms． He felt the heat of the flames on his cheeks． Turning， he fought through the smoke and ran blindly out of the house． Surrell put Tiara down on the porch． "You have to breathe for her，" Someone said to him． He started CPR﹣it was the first time that he'd ever done so． The women stood behind him， praying silently． After he gave five breaths， she opened her eyes and took a breath on her own．

Their eyes met． Surrell hugged her tight and said， "Uncle's got you．" Soon after， his throat closed off．

1. How did the two women feel when facing the fire？　 　

A．Confident．

B．Curious．

C．Desperate．

D．Optimistic．

2. Why did Surrell know the moan came from the bedroom？　 　

A．This house had a similar design to his．

B．He often went to see his neighbors．

C．Mr． Surrell had a very sensitive hearing．

D．He could see clearly in the house．

3. What can we infer from the fourth paragraph？

A．The girl was dead when she was found．

B．Surrell lost his sight because of the fire．

C．The girl wasn't breathing when taken out．

D．The women didn't care about the girl．

4. What is the passage mainly about？

A．A girl trapped in a burning house was saved．

B．It is tough to save a girl from a burning building．

C．Two women survived with a girl left in the house．

D．A man risked his life and saved a girl from fire．

7 . The Federal Reserve System， also simply known as the Fed， is the central banking system of the USA． It is different from the usual central banks． The Fed performs the functions of the central bank but it isn't a slave to the federal government． This unique banking system was so designed just to prevent the risk that the federal government might take advantage of the central bank to stop the normal financial activities．

The Fed was established in 1913． It is composed of the Federal Reserve Banks located around the United States． It's governed by seven executive members whose term is as long as 1﹣years． They are appointed by the president， but the president doesn't have the right to dismiss them． To alleviate the president's influence upon the Fed， the president is only allowed to appoint two of the committee members in his four﹣year term．

Federal Reserve Banks are non﹣profit private hanks． They're organizations to carry out money policies． Their responsibilities are to issue money， manage the state treasury， adjust the currency circulation， see the operation of commercial banks and settle bills． Commercial hanks must hold stock in Federal Reserve Banks and keep some amount of money as reserve in one of the Federal Reserve Banks just to prevent the sponsors run away with all the bank savings．

The Federal Open Market Committee is its core managing organization． It's made up of twelve members， including seven executive members of the Fed． Chairman of New York Federal Bank and other four chairman of the Ⅱ Federal Reserve Banks in turn． Their voting result determines the policy trend．

The Federal Open Market Committee holds 8 meetings every year． If the economy is heated the Federal Open Market Committee decides to sell national debt and get in the dollars． In this way the loan interest rate will go up． Otherwise， it chooses to buy in national debt and release more dollars onto the market．

1. Why was the Fed designed to be independent of the federal government？

A．Just to give support to the government．

B．Just to cooperate with the government．

C．Just to limit the government's power．

D．Just to stop financial crisis in advance．

2. What does the underlined word "alleviate" in the second paragraph mean？

A．Promote．

B．Reduce．

C．Present．

D．Emphasize．

3. Which presents the basic function of Federal Reserve Banks？

A．Conducting monetary policies．

B．Keeping money for depositors．

C．Lending money to target users．

D．Monitoring the Fed's operation．

4. What will the Fed do if the economy turns down according to the passage？

A．To increase interest rates．

B．To buy in the national debt．

C．To raise the rate of reserve．

D．To sell more national debt．

8 . Inside a library in a seaside town is a room changed into a cafe. There might be a homeless man _______ coffee for a sad mother, an elderly woman _______ a young man advice and strangers sharing stories. This community open space _______ to solve the central problems that commonly lead to homelessness: _______ and a lack of purpose.

It’s the _______ of Maff Potts. While working with charities for the homeless, he felt _______ because they weren’t reducing homelessness. All the shelters only helped people once they’d already lost everything, _______ trying to solve the problems that led to their homelessness in the first place. A main _______, he discovered, is that many people who ended up at the shelters were alone. Their relationships had broken down, they didn’t have a(n) _______ system, or they had no one to show them __________.

Potts understands how altruism (利他主义) can help. Over the years during his work on homelessness, when he met people in their __________ moments, Potts began asking them to do him a favour. One man __________ he’d been a painter, so Potts started __________ how the reception area could use redecorating and asked the man for his __________.The man ended up offering to __________ it himself. The task gave him a __________, a reason to keep living.

“The thing that led to a lasting transformation was when they __________ somebody else,” Potts said. “That was __________ time.”

So Potts started thinking there must be a way to __________ the lives of people who are __________ not by making them feel like they’re always receiving help, but by giving them a space to help others — and in the end, help themselves.

1.

A．drinking

B．making

C．growing

D．hiding

2.

A．saving

B．paying

C．awarding

D．offering

3.

A．seeks

B．deserves

C．happens

D．pretends

4.

A．Sickness

B．Tiredness

C．Loneliness

D．Weakness

5.

A．idea

B．excuse

C．hobby

D．feeling

6.

A．shocked

B．interested

C．disappointed

D．frightened

7.

A．regardless of

B．instead of

C．as for

D．along with

8.

A．mistake

B．result

C．technique

D．cause

9.

A．support

B．power

C．health

D．alarm

10.

A．freedom

B．wisdom

C．kindness

D．patience

11.

A．latest

B．funniest

C．fittest

D．darkest

12.

A．preferred

B．mentioned

C．recommended

D．demanded

13.

A．insisting on

B．hearing of

C．depending on

D．talking about

14.

A．advice

B．duty

C．research

D．attention

15.

A．repair

B．repaint

C．reinvent

D．replace

16.

A．break

B．lesson

C．purpose

D．promise

17.

A．challenged

B．invited

C．helped

D．recognised

18.

A．familiar

B．strange

C．terrible

D．magic

19.

A．copy

B．improve

C．reflect

D．record

20.

A．struggling

B．changing

C．relaxing

D．escaping

9 . Life expectancy in the United States has been in decline for the first time in decades, and public health officials have identified a series of potential causes, including inaccessible health care, rising drug addiction and rates of mental health disorders, and socio-economic factors. Now, a study led by the Yale School of Medicine has attempted to find out the relative impact of two factors most often linked to life expectancy – race and education – by looking at data about 5,114 black and white participants in four U.S. cities.

The lives and deaths among this group of people – who took part in the study approximately 30 years ago when they were in their early 20s – show that the level of education, and not race, is the best predictor of who will live the longest.

Among the 5,114 people followed in the study, 395 had died. These deaths were occurring in working-age people, often with children, before the age of 60. The rates of death among participants in this group did clearly show racial differences, with approximately 9% of blacks dying at an early age compared to 6% of whites. There were also differences in causes of death by race. For instance, black men were significantly more likely to die of murder and white men from AIDS. The most common causes of death across all groups over time were cardiovascular disease and cancer.

But there were also obvious differences in rates of death by education level. Approximately 13% of participants with a high school degree or less education died compared with only approximately 5% of college graduates.

Strikingly, when looking at race and education at the same time, the researchers found that differences related to race almost disappeared: 13.5% of black subjects and 13.2% of white subjects with a high school degree or less died during the course of the study. By contrast, 5.9% of black subjects and 4.3% of whites with college degrees had died.

Therefore, improving overall quality of education is something tangible that can help reverse (扭转)this troubling trend in reduction of life expectancy among middle-aged adults.

1. What can we learn about the participants in the study?

A．The whites are more aggressive.

B．The whites got higher education.

C．More blacks than whites died young.

D．More whites than blacks died of cancer.

2. Compared with education, the influence of race on death rates is          .

A．significant	B．unnoticeable
C．growing	D．long-lasting

3. What does the underlined word “tangible” probably mean?

A．Realistic.	B．Creative.
C．Challenging.	D．Temporary.

4. What can be inferred from the research findings？

A．People can get smart through learning.

B．One should not discriminate other races.

C．People don’t enjoy equal rights for education.

D．One can live longer by getting more education.

10 . Workers are returning to their careers, or starting new ones after age 65.

More than ever, work is where many of us get our sense of purpose. That doesn’t end at age 65. After being retired for only three months, Sue Ellen King returned to work at the University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Florida, where she had been a care nurse and nursing educator for 38 years. She is now working part-time in a position created just for her. “It’s perfect,” she told The New York Times. “I get the satisfaction of having people appreciate what I do.” With the average life span for those who reach age 64 now getting all the way to 84 years old, those who reach retirement age still have many potential years of work to go.

Job sites connected toward part-timers, temporary positions, and some can also turn up opportunities that may lead to longer-term work. Fred Dodd tried a part-time job after his unemployment as a clerk for large banks at age 63. He’d thought about retiring then. “But part of me just wanted to keep working partly for the money, but more just because I felt I wanted to do more in my career,” he said.

The retired have the advantage of not needing to focus on the earnings potential of whatever jobs they take on, so these older workers are attracted to more meaningful work. And since they are voluntarily putting their skills and experience to good use, they may well have more flexibility than mid-career people. Two-thirds of retirees who’d come back to the work world were doing meaningful work they enjoyed. Legal work and community service were popular choices, as was teaching—all areas in which older workers might have an opportunity to make their own schedules.

Earning more money rarely seems like a bad idea, but it can cause issues for retirees, including effects when they claim Social Security (申请社会保障) benefits early.

1. How does Sue Ellen King like her work?

A．Interesting.	B．Satisfying.
C．Boring.	D．Encouraging.

2. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Giving an example of successful returning to work after retirement.

B．Why Sue Ellen King found a nursing job.

C．What is Sue Ellen King’s work.

D．Giving an example of working full-time in a university.

3. What was the main reason for Fred to have a part-time job?

A．He was out of work.	B．He could help large banks.
C．He had personal crisis.	D．He liked continuing working.

4. Why do the retired like meaningful jobs?

A．These jobs have more flexibility.

B．These jobs have lots of potential.

C．They don’t care much for salary.

D．They can’t do very hard jobs.