1 . 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。
Online voting has become so
In my opinion, online voting is
To be honest, voters sometimes feel annoyed,
2 . Stop Spam!
When I first got an e-mail account over ten years ago, I received communications only from family, friends, and colleagues. Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail, I have an endless series of advertisements and other correspondence that do not interest me at all.
This problem is troubling for individuals and companies as well.
For these reasons,
| A．We want e-mail to continue to be useful |
| B．If people have to deal with an annoying spam |
| C．I believe that lawmakers need to legislate against spam |
| D．If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam |
| E．More and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products |
| F．Many spam e-mails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company |
| G．These computer problems raise production costs of companies, which are passed on to the consumer |
3 . There’s a song in your head. You keep hearing it repeatedly. You can’t make it stop, and it’s driving you crazy! Has this happened to you? Maybe you have suffered from an earworm, which is a memory of a song.
Earworms are common. A study showed that 90 percent of people experience them. Why do we get earworms? According to neurologist Oliver Sacks, music affects us whether we pay attention to it or not. We’re surrounded by music all the time in our everyday lives. Sacks wonders if there is a higher incidence of earworms today because of all this music in our environment.
Research on the primary auditory cortex supports Sack’s ideas. The auditory cortex is the part of the brain that processes sound. It’s a short-term storage system for small amounts of auditory information. Some of this auditory information is forgotten, and some of it goes into long-term memory. However, songs appear to stay in the auditory cortex for a long time.
James Kellaris, a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, thinks that only certain types of songs become earworms. These songs are repetitive, simple, and incongruous — something unexpected such as uneven rhythm. Your brain pays a lot of attention to a song like this, Kellaris says. Because it is repetitive and unusual, it stays longer in the auditory cortex. At that point, Kellaris believes, it becomes an annoying earworm.
Advertisers often use jingles — short songs that are easy to remember to promote sales. Advertisers want jingles to stick in people’s minds to keep them thinking about their products. It seems that advertisers have learned what Kellaris has found out in his research.
Is there any way to get rid of an earworm? Here are some tips Kellaris collected: replace the earworm song with another song, try to distract yourself by doing an intense activity such as exercising, or tell someone about your earworm. What if none of these strategies work? Then perhaps you should just sit back and try to enjoy the music in your head!
1. How does the author lead to the topic?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By describing a phenomenon. |
| C．By drawing a conclusion. | D．By clarifying a question. |
| A．The mechanism of earworms. | B．The lasting effect of memory. |
| C．The necessity of the research. | D．The significance of music. |
| A．Paragraph 2. | B．Paragraph 3. | C．Paragraph 4. | D．Paragraph 5. |
| A．Earworms — the Songs in Your Head | B．Jingles — the Typical Earworms |
| C．How Do Earworms Change Our Life? | D．How Do We Live with Earworms? |
4 . Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely stroll through the streets — this is what many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they visit a new city.
To them, Citywalk means “roaming around the city” on foot. Participants can follow a distinctive urban route, soaking up the atmosphere, exploring old buildings, browsing boutique shops, sipping a cup of coffee, or indulging in authentic local snacks.
Citywalk can be a special guided trip for a small group of people, or simply a leisurely stroll for one or two to explore new areas, sticking to the key point: avoiding famous scenic spots and big crowds to gain a more inclusive experience of the places you visit. Besides interacting with a city, Citywalk provides young people with a new social scene, where they who share the same interests and ideas can easily make friends.
In China, the Citywalk trend is spreading from first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai to second and third-tier cities, encouraging more participants and event organizers to get involved. Some organizers invite folk culture researchers and enthusiasts to act as tour guides. Xiao Yiyi, a young entrepreneur in Changsha, recently launched six Citywalk routes in different cities on her social media account, with the aim of providing experiences for visitors to “walk in open-air museums”. Her Changsha route features more offbeat sights like historical architecture from the 19th century, artsy old alleys, and even a stop-off to sample the local spicy crayfish specialty.
Even though Citywalk is a relatively new phenomenon, it is offering a positive change to urban travelers as they can better choose the experiences based on their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk represents an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more tailored, professional service to meet with ever-changing market demands.
1. Why do young people choose Citywalk?| A．To enjoy a guided tour. |
| B．To cut down expenses. |
| C．To dig deeper into a city. |
| D．To make new friends. |
| A．Doing sightseeing on foot. | B．Avoiding hot scenic spots. |
| C．Taking a local tour guide. | D．Keeping a fixed urban route. |
| A．A tour guide | B．A culture researcher. |
| C．A Citywalk enthusiast. | D．An event organizer. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Dismissive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
5 . “The new normal” is one of those phrases that can accurately apply to a wide variety of life situations, including a medical diagnosis, death or change in life and work. The phrase implies both the newness of each of those circumstances, as well as the necessity that they will need to be normalized, integrated into the reality of our daily lives. Once we’ve settled into new routines and emotional patterns, our “normal” won’t be quite so new anymore, will it? The question is a subject of debate.
There is a large middle ground between the event that increases the need for “the new normal” and its final acceptance. Some people think it can’t handle tragedies. But the phrase keeps coming up in conversation, and it has made me realize that“normal”is the last word I would use to describe the fragile place I currently occupy. I find myself there as I mourn the loss of my grandfather, who died in September. For example, the new normal is to have Thanksgiving without Grandfather, then to remember him on what would have been his 75th birthday just a few days later. In other words, during this year of firsts, the new normal is a time of transition, not of arrival.
It strikes me that this is something to be celebrated, not worried over. Part of living positively is meeting ourselves wherever we are. And as I continue to navigate this in-between time, this period of slowly accepting my father’s absence from the Earth, I recognize that each step along the way is a worthwhile part of a healthy grieving process.
The same idea would apply to more positive changes, like a new home or job, as well as the challenges of the end of a relationship or a difficult medical reality. The new normal isn’t something any of us step into all at once. It’s something we become, move toward, and, eventually, accept. Let’s not be in a rush to reach that destination. The journey has much to teach us.
1. Which occasion should “the new normal” be applied to?| A．A person’s illness outbreak. | B．A person’s routine working. |
| C．A person’s constantly normal life. | D．A person’s annual birthday celebration. |
| A．The fear of it. | B．The attitude to it. |
| C．The reason for accepting it. | D．The difficulty in describing it. |
| A．Forget the dead. | B．Live optimistically. |
| C．Treasure the process over the result. | D．Mourn over a family member’s absence. |
| A．To tell us to value our past challenges. | B．To tell us some meaningful life stories. |
| C．To teach us how to handle our tragedies. | D．To teach us how to cope with life changes. |
A spoonful of pickles (榨菜) can sometimes make a meal taste better. Recently, a new type of pickle is being discussed: “digital pickled vegetables”. It refers to the videos
The topic received more than 16 million clicks on Sina Weibo and about 100,000 people participated in the
Can this habit affect your diet? According to a research paper
This study suggests that if you’re eating while your attention is distracted by
7 . It was a long weekend and my partner, Gabe and I were taking a road trip. We are both
At around 5:30 pm, we were
The mudslide sent our car falling nearly 300 metres down a rocky cliff. It
We had no phone signal, so all we could think to do was
When the emergency medical technicians
Before this all happened, we were happy-go-lucky people. We’re even more
| A．adventurous | B．cautious | C．anxious | D．ambitious |
| A．climbing | B．sliding | C．walking | D．driving |
| A．passing | B．explaining | C．offering | D．texting |
| A．broke away | B．looked up | C．got off | D．rose up |
| A．sand | B．smoke | C．mud | D．flame |
| A．begged | B．tried | C．agreed | D．chose |
| A．landed | B．moved | C．climbed | D．left |
| A．unconscious | B．asleep | C．concerned | D．sick |
| A．hand | B．arm | C．ankle | D．ear |
| A．exciting | B．boring | C．amazing | D．puzzling |
| A．run | B．ring | C．wait | D．shout |
| A．escaped | B．avoided | C．started | D．minded |
| A．minutes | B．hours | C．days | D．weeks |
| A．naturally | B．accidentally | C．secretly | D．finally |
| A．investigation | B．treatment | C．registration | D．examination |
| A．vision | B．hope | C．light | D．color |
| A．negative | B．positive | C．secure | D．capable |
| A．shortage | B．injuries | C．shame | D．conflicts |
| A．green | B．simple | C．good | D．wealthy |
| A．promised | B．proved | C．guided | D．bonded |
8 . The Mandela Effect refers to the situation in which many people thought that an event occurred when it did not. We all have experienced the Mandela Effect one way or another.
The term “Mandela Effect” was coined in 2009. It all started when Fiona Broome went to a conference and began talking to other conference-goers about the tragedy of previous South African president Nelson Mandela and his death in the South African prison in the 1980s. However, with further research, you know that he passed away in his own home in 2013. Broome talked to other people about her faulty memories, but she also learned that she was not alone. The people she spoke to also remembered seeing news coverage of Mandela’s death, as well as a speech made by his widow. There was quite a shock to Broome when she realized that a large group of people could remember an identical event in such detail, but it never really happened. Fiona then began her website to discuss what she called the “Mandela Effect” and other incidents similar to this occurrence.
The popular belief to explain the effect is that the timeline has been changed as we shift between these different realities. The idea itself remains unproven and highly controversial, however, the excitement of a bit of mystery in everyday life probably comes into play for many people.
Psychologically, the concept of false memories provides a potential explanation for the Mandela Effect. False memories are defined as untrue or odd recollections of an event.
Studies have revealed a variety of factors that cause false remembering. The phenomenon of suggestibility(暗示感受性) can affect a person’s memory. Emotional and personal prejudice can also both influence memories. Telling stories by word-of-mouth is often misleading. The role of the internet in impacting the memories of the masses should not be ignored, either. It is probably no coincidence that consideration of the Mandela Effect has grown in this digital age.
1. According to the text, the term “Mandela Effect” was created________.| A．in the 1980s | B．during a conference |
| C．after Nelson Mandela passed away | D．when Fiona Broome began her website |
| A．The changed timeline. | B．Different realities. |
| C．False memories. | D．The excitement of everyday life. |
| A．The misunderstandings of memory. |
| B．The factors that cause false memories. |
| C．Different opinions about “Mandela Effect”. |
| D．The effect of the internet on people’s memory. |
| A．Future development. | B．Possible causes. |
| C．Definition. | D．Origin. |
9 . According to a study done by University of Michigan researchers, shopping to relieve stress was up to 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and shoppers were three times less sad compared to those who only browsed for items.
More than half of the 1,000 consumers participating in the survey said they have impulsively (冲动地) shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they’ve maxed out a credit card in the past year. Millennials, 68 percent, responded by saying they have stress spent in the past, compared with 53 percent of Gen Xers and only 26 percent of Baby Boomers.
By gender, 48 percent of men and 31 percent of women who have stress spent said they had purchased alcohol when stressed. 82 percent of women stress spent on clothing compared to 52 percent of men. Women also lead stress spending for jewelry, 42 percent, compared to 22 percent for men, with men stress spending more for electronics, 44 percent versus 30 percent for women.
In fact, shopping to reduce stress can actually help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. Shopping to relieve stress is also known as retail therapy (疗法) as a form of regulating stress. The survey found that 82 percent had only positive feelings about their purchases and that the positive mood boost that followed those purchases was long-lasting.
However, the side effect of retail therapy, for many, can start out as a relatively harmless mood booster but could possibly grow into an impulse that uses up money and cause conflict, thereby adding a significant amount of stress to a person’s life.
1. What can we know about Millennials according to the survey?| A．They tend to max out their credit cards. |
| B．They bear more stress than Baby Boomers. |
| C．They are more likely to purchase to reduce anxiety. |
| D．They have an advantage over Gen Xers in managing stress. |
| A．Alcohol. | B．Clothing. |
| C．Jewelry. | D．Electronics. |
| A．It is harmless. | B．It is highly recommended. |
| C．It promotes personal relationship. | D．It can serve as a temporary solution. |
| A．Can Shopping Relieve Stress? | B．Where is Your Money Going? |
| C．Shopping Habits across Generations | D．A New Cure for Depression |
10 . On July 10, 1980, I was aboard an old destroyer (驱逐舰), sailing from Singapore to the Philippines. The day was grey with threatening clouds. There was a typhoon
Suddenly, the lookout
We got close to the boat and sent out the whaleboat with a small crew to
We
During those hours after the
| A．blocking | B．passing | C．heading | D．sweeping |
| A．spotted | B．recognized | C．got | D．confirmed |
| A．vast | B．narrow | C．remote | D．dangerous |
| A．comfort | B．guidance | C．convenience | D．assistance |
| A．turned around | B．came alive | C．broke down | D．pulled out |
| A．complaining | B．concerning | C．quarreling | D．setting |
| A．mercifully | B．angrily | C．casually | D．nervously |
| A．check | B．carry | C．knock | D．help |
| A．equipped | B．surrounded | C．crowded | D．occupied |
| A．secured | B．refreshed | C．disturbed | D．prepared |
| A．spare | B．sew | C．change | D．wear |
| A．accidentally | B．secretly | C．naturally | D．finally |
| A．covered | B．reflected | C．predicted | D．produced |
| A．recovered | B．motivated | C．settled | D．appreciated |
| A．support | B．permission | C．treatment | D．favor |
| A．typhoon | B．rescue | C．search | D．adventure |
| A．patience | B．attitude | C．speech | D．attention |
| A．engineer | B．captain | C．crew | D．lookout |
| A．tiring | B．cold | C．warm | D．clear |
| A．apart from | B．in spite of | C．by means of | D．instead of |
