3 . Over the years, digital communication has brought about more changes than the printing press did. And the standout early adopters are teenagers, whose brains appear to have an extraordinary ________ to adapt to the world.

As a species, our brains are still flexible and ________ during adolescence, which means some ________ of it, such as impulse control and the ability to make long-term decisions, haven’t developed yet, and this may also explain why we spend a(n) ________ period living under the protection of our parents rather than leaving home at 12 or 13. This also means the adolescent brain can adapt to new technology, allowing teenagers to ________ the accelerating pace of digital technology and manage different tasks at the same time. In the US, teenagers are spending 8. 5 hours using computers, mobiles and other devices to learn, interact and play. This jumps to 11.5 if you take into account all of the ________, such as talking on the phone while watching TV.

There are ________ as to how social media is affecting the way the brain learns to ________ since one of the most important skills that we learn as children is how to make friends and interact with people. These interactions are now being ________ by technology — you could have hundreds of friends, all of whom are real people that you interact with-and scientists aren’t sure whether we’ll be able to develop the same ________ using social media.

There is a possible ________ of the digital trend: it is indicated that teenagers all over the world are watching the same clips and laughing at the same jokes, meaning they are more ________ than their predecessors (前辈). They may be ________ to texting their friends and posting updates on social media, but teenagers today are probably going to have access to technology and ________ social and educational opportunities that anyone with a less flexible brain might have trouble imagining. ________, there is a cut-off and by the age of 30, our brains become more set in their ways, making it harder for us to adapt and cope with new technologies.

1.

A．activity

B．capability

C．responsibility

D．opportunity

2.

A．operating

B．promoting

C．adjusting

D．establishing

3.

A．functions

B．options

C．restrictions

D．positions

4.

A．opposed

B．imposed

C．limited

D．extended

5.

A．keep up with

B．come up with

C．put up with

D．end up with

6.

A．entertaining

B．multitasking

C．interacting

D．gossiping

7.

A．curiosities

B．criticisms

C．concerns

D．shortcomings

8.

A．memorize

B．internalize

C．realize

D．socialize

9.

A．changed

B．controlled

C．troubled

D．interrupted

10.

A．attitudes

B．prospects

C．trends

D．skills

11.

A．advantage

B．distraction

C．indication

D．tuition

12.

A．narrow-minded

B．global-minded

C．absent-minded

D．quick-minded

13.

A．reluctant

B．addicted

C．exposed

D．enthusiastic

14.

A．however

B．hence

C．moreover

D．instead

15.

A．Consequently

B．Additionally

C．Nevertheless

D．Thus

4 . Could buying paintings make you rich?

Is investing in paintings a good way to get rich fast? And how should you invest in art?

“With extreme________” is the advice of a well-known financial adviser. “We don’t recommend our customers to invest in art because the disadvantages are greater than the advantages. It doesn’t produce income or________. What you get back is entirely based on supply and________, and there are big movements upwards or downwards if there are changes in the economic environment, ” he said.

To invest in art as a true investment, you need a starting________. But it’s not just about having enough money to buy the painting in the first place. Expensive works of art are often stored in protective boxes complete with________ to monitor humidity and temperature levels, and to protect them from sun damage or other________ such as a spilled cup of coffee. And if you do put it on your wall, then your insurance costs are likely to be high. If word gets out that you have expensive art hanging on your wall, then you’re likely to be a________ for thieves.

Art is also not a regulated investment so when things go wrong-for example, an artwork________ to be a fraud(赝品)-then investors cannot count on regulation for any compensation.

Of course given the current environment of low interest rates, investing in art may still give you a(n)________ return than many savings accounts will. As art has no association with the stock market, it means paintings can________ in value even when the market crashes, making it a good investment________. It is reported that despite a decrease in the global art market throughout 2016, auction(拍卖)sales________ in the first six months of 2017.

Yet you don’t necessarily have to be super-wealthy to invest in art. There are a growing number of art fairs and online marketplaces aimed at buyers with a more________ budget. Most art industry experts suggest that you buy a piece of art because you like it, not because you want to get rich. The most________ approach is probably to buy something you like and can________, and be prepared to keep it just for your own pleasure. If it goes up in value that should be just an added benefit.

1.

A．accuracy

B．carefulness

C．enthusiasm

D．generosity

2.

A．finances

B．earnings

C．economy

D．allowances

3.

A．installation

B．concern

C．power

D．demand

4.

A．fund

B．energy

C．desire

D．time

5.

A．guards

B．batteries

C．devices

D．police

6.

A．accidents

B．appliances

C．measures

D．drinks

7.

A．partner

B．spectator

C．target

D．therapy

8.

A．turns up

B．turns out

C．turns in

D．turns away

9.

A．better

B．earlier

C．healthier

D．lower

10.

A．fall apart

B．fall down

C．go ahead

D．go up

11.

A．right

B．level

C．option

D．rate

12.

A．ceased

B．proceeded

C．recovered

D．shrank

13.

A．fixed

B．extensive

C．massive

D．modest

14.

A．sensitive

B．direct

C．flexible

D．sensible

15.

A．afford

B．rescue

C．replace

D．understand

5 . As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal setting generally produces the best results. That is partially _________ people who set realistic goals actually appear to work more efficiently, and make more effort, to achieve those goals.

What is far less understood by scientists, _________, are the potentially harmful effects of goal setting.

Newspapers relay (转发) reports of goal setting prevalent in industries and businesses up and down both Wall Street and Main Street, yet there has been surprisingly little research on how the practice of setting goals may have_________ to the current economic crisis, and unethical (不道德) behaviour in general.

“Goals are widely used and promoted as they have really_________ effects. And yet, the same motivation that can push people to make more effort in a constructive way could also motivate people to be more likely to_________ unethical activities,” says Maurice Schweitzer, professor at Penn’s Wharton School.

“It turns out there’s_________ economic benefit to just having a goal — you just get a psychological benefit,” Schweitzer says. “But in many cases, goals have economic_________ that make them more powerful.’

A typical example Schweitzer and his colleagues mention is the 2002_________ of energy-trading giant Enron, where managers used financial incentives (鼓励) to motivate salesmen to meet specific revenue goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is the actual trades were not_________ .

Other studies have shown that__________ employees with unrealistic goals can force them to lie, cheat or steal. Such was the case in the early 1990s when Sears__________ specific sales quota (额度) for its auto repair staff. It__________ employees to complete repairs that were actually unnecessary just to meet the requirement.

Schweitzer admits his research runs counter to (违背) a very large body of literature that__________ the many benefits of goal setting. However, __________ of goal setting have argued with Schweitzer’s use of such evidence to support his conclusion that goal setting is widely__________ .

1.

A．how

B．why

C．when

D．because

2.

A．moreover

B．therefore

C．however

D．otherwise

3.

A．objected

B．contributed

C．opposed

D．adapted

4.

A．doubtful

B．subtle

C．beneficial

D．competitive

5.

A．get involved in

B．add to

C．show off

D．enroll in

6.

A．considerable

B．huge

C．declined

D．little

7.

A．risks

B．problems

C．expenses

D．rewards

8.

A．success

B．collapse

C．rise

D．release

9.

A．ignorant

B．affordable

C．tolerant

D．profitable

10.

A．equipping

B．burdening

C．inspiring

D．capturing

11.

A．forced

B．made

C．set

D．gave

12.

A．expected

B．persuaded

C．drove

D．commanded

13.

A．praises

B．denies

C．neglects

D．ruins

14.

A．supporters

B．volunteers

C．participants

D．experts

15.

A．undervalued

B．spread

C．rejected

D．over-recommended

6 . The teenage years of an individual is marked by evaluating one’s values, experiencing a shift in outlooks, and a tendency to act rebellious. It can also be a time when someone becomes extremely ______to negative influences, and is drawn towards dangerous situations. On the other hand, for parents, the period of their children’s adolescence means regularly worrying about their safety and formation as a citizen. Thus, a method of   ______teenagers’ security is needed, and curfews(宵禁)are often seen as such a measure, since they have proved their ______. At the same time, certain peculiarities exist about establishing curfews for children.

The issue of teenage curfews is widely debated in the United States, where this method is still rather ______, and in European democracies, where this measure is yet not so widely used. The first and foremost reason for establishing curfews is children’s security. ______curfews require teenagers under 17 years to stay out of streets starting from 11 p. m. or midnight. This is believed to protect them from crimes committed after nightfall, as well as from breaking the law, and there exists serious evidence ______this belief. For example, when New Orleans enabled a dusk-till-dawn curfew in 1994, the rates of juvenile crime were reported to fall more than 20 percent. Even more impressive ______were recorded in Dallas, which reported a 30-percent decrease in violent juvenile crime, and a 21-percent decrease in the overall rates of crimes committed by young people(The New York Times).

On the other hand, curfews can be seen as a preventive measure that rob young people of their rights, ______their freedom. This opinion is particularly supported by the fact that curfew violations and the respective charges are among the most often committed juvenile crimes in the United States. ______, there were reports claiming that police arrested more non-white teenagers for curfew violations.

All this can cause a teenager to believe they have crossed a psychological line dividing them as ______; thus, such teenagers may start to see themselves as outlaws, which can ______ committing more serious crimes than a curfew offense.

What is important for a parent to remember when establishing a curfew for their children is that a teenager’s misjudged view of certain ______may cause them to misbehave in some other way; this is proved by research conducted by the University of Minnesota, according to which teens tend to protest against what they see as ______. Considering this, parents should ______the authoritarian style of establishing curfews; instead, they should have a conversation with their teenager that would be aimed at finding ideal conditions for a curfew that would ______both sides.

1.

A．opposed

B．subjected

C．related

D．restricted

2.

A．improving

B．restoring

C．ensuring

D．expanding

3.

A．principle

B．reference

C．approach

D．efficiency

4.

A．popular

B．absent

C．practical

D．accessible

5.

A．Typical

B．Evident

C．Critical

D．Specific

6.

A．in place of

B．in honor of

C．in case of

D．in favor of

7.

A．results

B．events

C．patterns

D．links

8.

A．protecting

B．acknowledging

C．limiting

D．liberating

9.

A．By contrast

B．In addition

C．In conclusion

D．In general

10.

A．winners

B．criminals

C．victims

D．protectors

11.

A．take charge of

B．contribute to

C．result from

D．deal with

12.

A．rules

B．charges

C．crimes

D．relations

13.

A．impolite

B．unrealistic

C．inadequate

D．unfair

14.

A．adopt

B．allow

C．avoid

D．address

15.

A．satisfy

B．spare

C．surround

D．settle

8 . TikTok, a social media app dedicated to short-form videos, has emerged as a major firer of food trends—from mushroom coffee and pancake cereal to cloud bread and feta pasta. But another trend, the “what I eat in a day” trend, is dominating TikTok, which is nearing 9 billion _________.

Even though “what I eat in a day” posts may be _________ to serve as healthy inspiration for others, there’s a growing feeling that these video diaries of daily eats will likely do more harm than good—especially among young girls or people with a history of disordered eating.

The _________ message these posts send is that if you eat like them, then you can eventually look like them. Yet what someone else eats in a day doesn’t mean it’s right for you, _________ these “staged” videos are not a completely accurate representation of what someone typically eats. Often the overly stylized(程式化)meals do not _________ a nutritionally adequate diet. The posts are _________ the illusion(幻想)of an ideal day of eating, along with an ideal body size.

Younger audiences, especially girls and young women, internalize the message that they must eat like these creators to achieve and maintain not only health, but also social _________. The biggest harm with this trend is that it normalizes disordered or _________ eating behaviors. This could prevent someone struggling with an eating disorder from _________ support or treatment.

Even if the “what I eat in a day” posts are displaying a balanced day of eating, the subtext message of “eat like me, and you will look like me” is __________ because people will not necessarily achieve the same body size as the __________ even if they copied their day of eating bite for bite.

__________, what might be a healthy, adequate day of satisfying meals for one person may be inadequate and unsatisfying to another. Even worse, someone looking at these posts may conclude that they need to be eating half as much to __________.

People making these videos are overwhelmingly thin, young, able-bodied and white. There is a complete lack of body __________. And this encourages harmful comparisons to unrealistic body standards that are __________ to the vast majority of people. Therefore, those of us from marginalized communities are once again unable to see positive representations of our varying bodies, foods and cultural representation in these harmful posts.

1.

A．views

B．statements

C．analyses

D．identities

2.

A．emphasized

B．simplified

C．requested

D．intended

3.

A．moral

B．scientific

C．potential

D．instant

4.

A．so

B．since

C．but

D．otherwise

5.

A．prioritize

B．commercialize

C．recognize

D．exchange

6.

A．promoting

B．representing

C．spoiling

D．perfecting

7.

A．welfare

B．equality

C．desirability

D．justice

8.

A．individual

B．instinctive

C．restrictive

D．changeable

9.

A．attracting

B．seeking

C．losing

D．offering

10.

A．beneficial

B．harmful

C．relaxing

D．demanding

11.

A．reader

B．advertiser

C．browser

D．poster

12.

A．Therefore

B．Finally

C．Additionally

D．Meanwhile

13.

A．lose weight

B．share interests

C．assume burden

D．make contributions

14.

A．language

B．diversity

C．warmth

D．response

15.

A．available

B．predictable

C．inadequate

D．unachievable

9 . Family meals are an important part of living with a family. A recent survey shows that most American children and their family _____ a meal at least four times a week. This is a(n) _____ sign, in my view. It is _____ dining together is able to benefit family members.

Firstly, having a meal together can help a family stick together, which helps strengthen each family member’s sense of _____. Family meals can teach younger people about their _____ by eating traditional foods. Family members can also relax together during this time, temporarily leaving the worries behind, and enjoy each other’s _____. Routine socializing helps family members show each other’s _____ which cannot only be expressed on Thanksgiving Day.

Secondly, family meals also play an important part in a child’s growth. For example, parents are able to _____ their children’s psychology(心理) at this time based on their deeds and expressions. If parents _____ to lead kids to tell something about it, they can eventually figure out what their psychology looks like. If there is something wrong with it, parents and kids can discuss about it and find the ______. Studies show eating together means that kids were not likely to have ______ to smoke, get into fights, or commit suicide. Children who eat with their families are more likely to ______ high grades in the end than those who do not eat family meals. And such kids are probably to be more ______, and make more friends.

Through family meals, parents can also ensure that their children are eating ______ foods to have strong bodies. It’s because children who eat together with their families can be taught to be not particular about meals.

These families ______ to eat more fruit and vegetables, instead of often eating at fast food restaurants like the others.

1.

A．prepare

B．gather

C．share

D．make

2.

A．positive

B．obvious

C．surprising

D．warning

3.

A．when

B．because

C．as if

D．even if

4.

A．respect

B．achievement

C．belonging

D．responsibility

5.

A．skills

B．culture

C．experience

D．environment

6.

A．company

B．comfort

C．service

D．support

7.

A．generosity

B．forgiveness

C．admiration

D．appreciation

8.

A．observe

B．understand

C．affect

D．control

9.

A．want

B．manage

C．stop

D．prefer

10.

A．challenges

B．purpose

C．results

D．solutions

11.

A．awareness

B．influence

C．cause

D．tendency

12.

A．give

B．accept

C．gain

D．seek

13.

A．social

B．determined

C．careful

D．generous

14.

A．green

B．different

C．special

D．delicious

15.

A．prefer

B．agree

C．fail

D．forget

10 . One day I was driving to the marsh (湿地) for bird-watching. The weather forecast called for the possibility of fog. As I _______ the destination, the fog began to _______. At a turning point, I lost _______ of the car and ran into the wet land.

I tried to open the door, but it was locked as the water had _______ the electrical system. I remembered I had a fire extinguisher (灭火器). I _______ it and gave the window a _______ hit. Itmerely bounced off. I hit it again, with the _______ result.

The water level had risen and soon I was swinging (挥动) the extinguisher underwater. I had to _______for air and down to take as many _______ as my breath would allow. I was nearly ________. A part of me just wanted to give up. But then another thought came to mind, “You have ________ more time. What will you do with it?” “I’m going to try ________,” I responded.

I ________ swinging the fire extinguisher as hard as I could and suddenly the impact felt different. I ________ my left hand and felt a hole in the ________. I knew I was going to live.

1.

A．sought

B．approached

C．visited

D．chose

2.

A．rise

B．build

C．disappear

D．decrease

3.

A．sight

B．touch

C．track

D．control

4.

A．operated

B．settled

C．shorted

D．developed

5.

A．closed

B．grabbed

C．controlled

D．broke

6.

A．indirect

B．mild

C．sharp

D．slight

7.

A．same

B．joyful

C．positive

D．different

8.

A．go out

B．go away

C．go up

D．go over

9.

A．fists

B．swings

C．cuts

D．breaks

10.

A．delighted

B．embarrassed

C．determined

D．desperate

11.

A．far

B．much

C．plenty of

D．a little

12.

A．harder

B．worse

C．weaker

D．better

13.

A．paused

B．continued

C．considered

D．started

14.

A．shook

B．waved

C．extended

D．took

15.

A．car

B．door

C．extinguisher

D．window