1 . Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has long worked to make her city less dependent on cars. She wanted to see more people using bicycles to get around. Over a number of years, the city government set limits on cars and increased the amount of bike paths from 200 kilometers to over 1,000 kilometers.
This year, Parisians are not complaining about too much automobile traffic. Instead, they say there are too many bikes. “Now, it’s really like a bike traffic jam(阻塞),” Thibault Quere, a spokesperson for France’s Federation of Bicycle Users, said. ”It’s kind of a good difficulty to have, especially when we think about what Paris used to be.”
Some famous roads along the River Seine are completely closed to cars. Now you see people riding bikes, running and walking with their families along the river. In another part of Paris, a bike path on Sebastopol Boulevard is one of the busiest in Europe, after opening in 2019. In one week in early September, it reached a record high of 124,000 riders.
The city will host the Summer Olympics in 2024 and plans to add more bike paths by then. Paris wants to reduce its pollution by half during the games, even as visitors from around the world will be in the city for the event. Organizers say all of the competition sites will be reachable by bike through a 60-kilometer network of bike paths.
The change to Paris, however, has not been easy. With more people using bikes, more people are making mistakes. Some of them are new to cycling and disobey traffic rules. But the environment may be improving. Cycling is good exercise and helps reduce pollution, which is still a problem for the large city. The French government blames atmospheric pollution for 48,000 early deaths in the country each year.
Hidalgo was re-elected in 2020 and plans to keep making what she calls a “Paris that breathes”. Her newest five-year bike plan includes over $250 million for more bike paths and bike parking. The new budget is an increase of over $100 million from her first five-year plan.
1. What can be learned from the second paragraph?| A．Hidalgo’s effort has paid off. | B．Parisians prefer to travel by car. |
| C．Parisians find it difficult to ride bikes. | D．Quere disagrees with Hidalgo. |
| A．To compare the famous roads in France. |
| B．To praise people enjoying riding bicycles. |
| C．To stress the importance of France in Europe. |
| D．To show how busy a cycle path is in Paris. |
| A．Tour local bike shops. | B．Ride to competition sites. |
| C．Promote the sights in France. | D．Support the athletes around the world. |
| A．Friendly. | B．Helpful. | C．Determined. | D．Honest. |
2 . Staying in on a Friday might feel like a good idea—you could really use the “alone time” after a busy week—until you get on Instagram. You see your friends eating at that new restaurant you have been wanting to try, and then you start watching another friend’s story before they set out on an exciting road trip.
Suddenly, that alone time you chose doesn’t feel so good anymore. You feel like it’s boring to stay at home—you may even question the purpose of your very existence. Don’t worry, that anxiety is common—and not that new. You are experiencing FOMO, or the fear of missing out.
We are always comparing ourselves to people around us, but sometimes that self-comparison can lead to some pretty bad feelings. “FOMO” is about having thoughts on missing out on opportunities which might increase our happiness,” says Dr. Aarti Gupta. “Humans are social beings and depend on each other to survive, and being left out or not being in the know could have, once upon a time, been a matter of life or death.”
If you find yourself comparing yourself to others in a way that doesn’t feel productive, Gupta recommends practicing an abundance mindset: “This means remembering that there are plenty of opportunities to go around for everyone, and just because someone else found success doesn’t mean that you won’t.” So next time you see someone else win, try congratulating them instead of feeling unhappy.
So the next Friday night you decide to stay in, keep in mind that we are always missing out on something. Choosing one activity or path simply means you’ll miss out on others.
“I think the irony of all of it is that it’s called FOMO, the fear of missing out. But actually, what it is doing is that it’s making you miss out on today and that comfortable bed that you are in right now, or the job that you’re in right now or the relationship that you are in right now because you are so worried about what else is out there,” says Gupta. You can fight FOMO simply by being more fully present and invested in the life you have today.
1. What would make you experience FOMO when staying at home?| A．Having dinner alone. | B．Having nothing to do. |
| C．Hearing friends’ bad news. | D．Seeing friends’ colorful life. |
| A．The effect of FOMO. | B．How to avoid FOMO. |
| C．The reason for FOMO. | D．How to deal with FOMO. |
| A．Being more creative. | B．Being less competitive. |
| C．Being less self-doubting. | D．Being more self-dependent. |
| A．Making more new friends. | B．Living in the here and now. |
| C．Following your own feelings. | D．Taking part in more activities. |
3 . Most of us look forward to the weekend as a time to relax, connect with friends and family, and handle items from a to-do list that gets unnoticed during the work week. But as the weekday does come to an end, many of us are missing out on enjoying the weekend and instead experiencing a sense of anxiety and even fear for the upcoming week. Experts call this phenomenon Sunday scaries.
Sunday scaries, also known as the Sunday blues, arise when individuals expect the upcoming work week with a combination of various factors such as work-related concerns, unfinished tasks, the end of weekend relaxation, and the pressure to start the new week. As a result, individuals may find it challenging to unwind and relax before the new week begins.
A clinical psychologist, Renée Goff, said, “Sunday scaries are more than a physical heaviness for them, but they could even jump out of their skins due to the upcoming week. The negative emotions associated with Sunday scaries can have a significant impact on one’s mental well-being and overall productivity.”
“As a matter of fact, such anticipatory anxiety is a natural response that happens in preparation for anything that can cause pain or discomfort,” explains psychotherapist Angela Ficken. “Sunday scaries might even start bubbling up as early as Saturday, but tend to become less intense by the time Monday morning rolls around when you start your work week. This doesn’t mean we leave them unchecked.”
To battle anticipatory anxiety for the upcoming week, individuals can adopt self-care practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction. This may include engaging in hobbies, spending time in nature, exercising, practicing mindfulness or simply dedicating time to disconnect from work-related thoughts. Additionally, we can organize tasks for the upcoming week in advance to create a sense of control, reduce the Sunday scaries and promote a healthier work-life balance.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic of the text. | B．To tell background for the text. |
| C．To offer suggestions to readers. | D．To stimulate readers to imagine. |
| A．Avoidable. | B．Imaginary. | C．Normal. | D．Harmful. |
| A．They strengthen on Monday morning. |
| B．They tend to die down before Saturday. |
| C．They should be brought to our attention. |
| D．They will in no case disappear naturally. |
| A．Theoretical basis for Sunday scaries. |
| B．Approaches to fighting Sunday scaries. |
| C．Positive aspects of anticipatory anxiety. |
| D．Extreme suffering from Sunday scaries. |
4 . Growing old is something that happens to all of us. But often, older people seem “invisible” in society. Many people see them as physically weak, helpless or unable to contribute anything.
Starting in 1990, the United Nations has made Oct 1 of every year the International Day of Older Persons. It is a day to fight this stereotype (刻板印象) and raise awareness of issues faced by older people in society.
How do you feel about getting old? I chatted with my grandma to find out her opinions. Born in 1927, my grandma Solveig King grew up in Sweden during the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War Ⅱ. Everything was rationed (定量配给). There were no outdoor lights and no running water. “But it was a very happy childhood: snow every winter and always sunshine in summer, enough food, but no luxuries,” she said. This explains where she got her habit of keeping old boxes and containers and never wasting any food. It’s a habit many people of her generation seem to have.
In 2015, I went to live with my grandma for a few months. We would sit together and read books, go to the swimming pool, watch some travel programs or documentaries on TV, do some gardening, try some crossword puzzles, and then do it all again the next day. It was quite fun!
Now 96 years old and in a wheelchair, Solveig can’t go swimming any more, but she still keeps up with her other hobbies. “I don’t feel ‘old’, just a little disabled! But I never wish I could do something I know I can’t do. I remember one of my favorite teachers saying: ‘That is just wasted mental energy!’ Nor do I ever wish to relive any part of my life. I am very happy with the road I have taken.”
As for getting older and wiser, Solveig thinks wisdom comes with experience and reasoning, but not everyone is willing to take notice of it. And she keeps a curious and adventurous mindset. “Soon, I’ll need to go live at a nursing home for two weeks while my family is away. I’m excited because I’ll get to learn all about old people!” she said.
1. What does Solveig think of her childhood?| A．It was filled with fear due to the war. | B．It was marked by food shortages. |
| C．It was joyful despite hardships. | D．It was poor and hopeless. |
| A．She longs to relive it. | B．She regrets wasting her mental energy. |
| C．She feels upset about aging. | D．She is satisfied with her decisions. |
| A．Curiosity and open-mindedness. | B．Experience and reasoning. |
| C．Extensive reading. | D．Formal education. |
| A．Funny and generous. | B．Curious and positive. |
| C．Creative and sociable. | D．Friendly and patient. |
5 . As an English, I can speak three languages - English, German and French, so do you think the British people are very good language learners? The fact is that they aren’t.
Some statistics (数据) from the survey done by the European Commission (欧盟委员会) showed that 62% of the British people only speak English, 38% speak at least one foreign language and 18% speak two or more. Compared with the British people, 56% of the people in other European countries speak at least one foreign language and 28% speak two or more. From this you can see that the British people are famous for not speaking foreign languages and that they are not good language learners in Europe.
And the survey also showed that English is the most widely-spoken foreign language. Many European people can have a conversation in English. That’s why y people don’t think it is necessary to lean a foreign language.
In Britain, students are not required to learn a foreign language. That means learning a foreign language is only an option at school. In UK schools it is common for children to start learning a foreign language at 11 and many of them give it up at 14. So why don’t students continue learning foreign languages at school? Because they think it is more difficult to get good marks in languages than in other subjects such as science or history.
To solve this situation, the British government is looking for different ways to improve language learning at school. One way is to start learning it at a much younger age. Another one is to give school children more choices.
Changing the British attitude (态度) to learning foreign languages may be a hard task but the government decides to try!
1. Which country does the writer come from?| A．America. | B．China. | C．Britain. | D．Egypt. |
| A．They are good language learners |
| B．62% of them speak two or more languages. |
| C．They are famous for speaking foreign languages. |
| D．More than half of them only speak English. |
| A．science or German | B．history or German | C．science or history | D．German or French |
| A．a choice | B．a game | C．a mistake | D．a conversation |
| A．Speaking English | B．Foreign Language Learning in UK |
| C．Schools in UK | D．Young English Learners |
6 . Almost every day I’ve been having an alarming number of “what planet am I on?” moments. This is particularly true when it comes to the topic of artificial intelligence.
Witness this headline from the New York Times: “The Godfather of A.I. Warns of Danger Ahead.” Here’s another one, from the New York Post: “Ex-Google Exec Mo Gawdat Warns AI Could Create ‘Killing Machines.’” But don’t worry! Here’s more, from CNBC: “An Annual Meeting Attended by the World’s Elite (精英) Has A.I. Top of the Agenda.” These unaccountable, largely unelected rich people are apparently ready to solve the problems of this mad world. The assumption, it appears, is that this “honored” group has it all under control, which is funny given that the crazed AI cat is already miles out of its torn bag. I’ll say it again: What planet am I on?
But my friends, who decided all this, anyway? Who made AI king? The answer is nobody, and also everybody, I guess. No one’s really in charge, and if we’re honest with each other, there is not a thing anyone can do. As to me, I do try. I don’t upload my photos to the cloud. I don’t engage with ChatGPT, and I never use facial recognition on my phone—but my husband does both. “You’re feeding the beast!” I tell him. “Who cares?” he usually replies, “It’s happening with or without us.”
Maybe AI will make it a lot easier to re-book airline tickets with flight credits that you unwillingly earned when the airline canceled your flight home from your ski vacation. Just kidding—of course it won’t. But in all seriousness, I’m sure AI will make the government completely efficient. Ha! Got you again! Sometimes I like to think back to the 90’s, when sizeable numbers of smart people were all complaining about the “end of history” and the general assumption was that things in the future would get ever more sensible. It all seems kind of funny now, doesn’t it?
Here’s the good news: I just made my husband read this column, and he finally agreed to disable facial recognition on his phone. The bad news: I think it requires facial recognition to get it done.
1. The underlined sentence in paragraph 2 implies that __________.| A．we should dismiss AI warnings from experts |
| B．AI technology has made significant advancements |
| C．negative impacts of AI have become uncontrollable |
| D．the world is amazed by the rapid development of AI |
| A．criticize him for misusing AI |
| B．urge readers to resist the use of AI |
| C．demonstrate the possibility of being slave to AI |
| D．present a common perspective people have on AI |
| A．AI makes the world more sensible. |
| B．AI doesn’t live up to our expectations. |
| C．AI makes the government less efficient. |
| D．AI can solve the complex problems humans are facing. |
| A．Confident. | B．Ironic. | C．Proud. | D．Dismissive. |
7 . People enjoy giving to others. Generosity is a form of giving freely without the expectation of receiving anything in return. Not only does it make one feel happy and fulfilled, a recent study shows that generosity can actually lengthen one’s life.
A study from the University of California researched giving from one generation to another. Previous studies have measured giving on an individual level, but these researchers aimed to compare cultural differences around the world. They took data from 34 countries on six continents and measured the total transfers of private gifts from relatives, as well as health care and retirement benefits.
They concluded that both giving and receiving are beneficial. The researchers quoted a study on “warm-glow giving,” which shows how altruistic givers may not receive anything in return, yet their happiness and health improves 120.
People who volunteer, share and offer support benefit from their actions. They have improved mental health, physical health, sense of happiness and enjoy longevity (长寿) across all societies studied and in all ages. Another benefit of giving is the release of oxytocin, a hormone that produces feelings of love and generosity.
As for myself, in an interview for New York Times on March 20, I stated that due to our high levels of trust in Finland, people are willing to follow instructions and trust that everyone will do their part… and feeling that we are in this together.
The report suggests that since living in a trusting society benefits individuals’ health, it results in lower health care costs. A trusting social environment also promotes wellbeing, leading to an improvement in the length of life for all. Those who are generous become less isolated, less self-critical and less self-centered. They develop confidence, become more familiar and gain a sense of purpose. According to the generosity study, they tend to live longer and happier lives.
1. What was the aim of the recent study?| A．To encourage giving to next generation. |
| B．To measure giving on an individual level. |
| C．To compare cultural differences in giving worldwide. |
| D．To gather happiness of giving to others. |
| A．Selfless. | B．Selfish. | C．Passive. | D．Serious. |
| A．Effects of longevity. | B．Sense of happiness. |
| C．Strengths of volunteering. | D．Advantages of giving. |
| A．He is easy to cheat. | B．He must work in New York Times. |
| C．He loves being interviewed. | D．He might be from Finland. |
8 . China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom said the decision to remove the Chinese technology company Huawei from Britain’s 5G infrastructure (基础设施) was a “dark day for the United Kingdom”, and could be a missed opportunity for the UK to lead in the sector.
The British government last week announced it would ban UK mobile providers from buying new Huawei 5G equipment after the end of 2020 and asked telecom operators to remove all the Chinese company’s 5G kit (装备) from their networks by 2027.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said the UK decision on Huawei is a mistake and that the British government would struggle to achieve its ambitious plan to have a full coverage 5G network by 2025.
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Liu said: “This is a very bad decision. This is a dark day for Huawei. It’s a dark day for China-UK relations. It’s an even darker day for the United Kingdom, because you will miss the opportunity to be a leading country.”
While some fear a so-called national security risk posed by the Chinese technology giant with its 5G network, Liu said there is no hard, solid evidence to suggest Huawei technology would be a threat to the UK.
“They’ve been here for 20 years. They have made a huge contribution not only to the telecom industry of this country. They have fulfilled their corporate (法人的) responsibility. They have helped the UK to develop.” Liu said.
The British government has pledged to make the UK completely 5G and ful-fibre connected by 2025, and Liu said Huawei can help to deliver that “but now it seems to me the UK just kicks them out and, to use the media words, to get rid of them under the pressure from the United States.”
During the interview, the ambassador echoed a point made by leading British scholar and sinologist Martin Jacques, author of the book When China Rules the World, and who wrote in a recent tweet “history turns full circle”.
“In 1793 Chinese Emperor Qianlong told the British King: ‘We don’t have the slightest need of your country’s manufactures (产品) .’ So marked the start of China’s 150 year decline. In 2020 UK tells China that it has no need of China’s latest technology,” Jacques tweeted.
1. Why did Liu Xiaoming say the UK decision on Huawei is a mistake?| A．Because Britain is not likely to have a full coverage 5G network in future. |
| B．Because it will be hard for Britain to complete the 5G network as planned. |
| C．Because Huawei has made a huge contribution to the telecom industry of the UK. |
| D．Because British telecom operators are unwilling to remove Huawei’s 5G kit. |
| A．A person that runs a particular business. |
| B．A person whose job is concerned with politics. |
| C．A person who studies, teaches, or writes about economics. |
| D．A person who researches Chinese history and language and culture. |
| A．How Huawei technology has been applied in the UK. |
| B．How the 5G network will be set up in Britain. |
| C．How Huawei has grown to be a Chinese technology giant. |
| D．How China will make response to the decision of the British government. |
| A．UK’s Huawei decision could be lost chance, warns ambassador |
| B．Huawei technology would be a threat to the UK, says ambassador |
| C．Britain needs to buy new Huawei 5G equipment, suggests ambassador |
| D．Huawei has fulfilled their corporate responsibility, explains ambassador |
9 . With the rise of technology, we’re experiencing an important change in our lives. But what exactly are the differences between a modern lifestyle and a traditional lifestyle?
A traditional lifestyle is often defined by cultural and social standards passed down through generations(几代人). However, the modern lifestyle is characterized by a more personal approach, where personal freedom is often more important than traditional standards.
But the differences between the two go much deeper than just cultural standards. The way we live our daily lives has also changed greatly. Modern lifestyles are often characterized by technology-driven convenience. On the other hand, traditional lifestyles favor(青睐)a more simple approach to daily living.
So what does it mean to live a modern lifestyle, and how does it differ from a traditional one? The development of communication methods is a heated topic that gives us insights into the rich history of mankind. Letters were once the primary means of communicating across great distances, and they held a special place in people’s hearts, sharing news of loved ones. Writing a letter was so amazing as it required thoughtful consideration.
As time passed and technology advanced, communication methods changed, and today we live in an age controlled by instant(即时的)messaging and social media. While these tools offer speed and convenience, they have damaged the depth of our relationships.
In our modern lifestyle, we’re connected in a real-time way, but sometimes we feel more disconnected than ever before. The instant messages can leave us feeling anxious, while the art of face-to-face conversation is in danger of being lost.
But it’s not all bad news. Technology has brought us closer in many ways, providing new forms of communication. Video calls, for example, have made it possible to meet with loved ones from anywhere in the world, creating a sense of community that was once impossible.
1. What does the underlined word “defined” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Doubted. | B．Inspired. | C．Shaped. | D．Contacted. |
| A．They have been out of date. | B．They meant a lot to loved ones. |
| C．They make us disconnected. | D．They changed the way we read. |
| A．It is a must to build a sense of community. |
| B．Advances in technology make the old suffer. |
| C．We should live up to parents’ expectations. |
| D．People are becoming cold and indifferent. |
| A．How a Modern Life Differs from a Traditional One |
| B．How We Can Get into a Conversation with Others |
| C．What Makes Our Lives Change Greatly |
| D．What the Traditional Lifestyle Was Like |
10 . We are in the midst of a battle for our attention. Our devices have affected our brains and destroyed our collective ability to concentrate. Journalist Johann Hair’s new book, Stolen Focus, has just joined the voice s complaining about the great influence of the digital age. His and other recent books reflect a public perception that our focus is under attack.
Indeed, in out new research, we found some clear concerns. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,093 UK adults in 2021. Half of those surveyed felt their attention ans were shorter than they used to be, compared with a quarter who didn’t. And three quarters of participants agreed we’re living through a time when there’s non-stop competition for our attention between a variety of media channels and information outlets (渠道).
There has long been a worry about the threat to attention brought by new cultural forms, whether that’s social media or the cheap paperback sensation novels of the 19th century. Even as far back as ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates complained that the written words created “forgetfulness in our souls”. There has always been a tendency to fear the effects that new media and technologies will have on our minds.
The reality is that we simply don’t have long-term studies that tell us whether our attention spans have actually shrunk. What we do know from our study is that people overestimate some of the problems. There’s no such thing as an average attention span. Our ability to focus varies hugely depending on the individual and the task at hand.
It’s also important not to ignore the many benefits that technology brings to our life. Much of the public surveyed recognized these, so while half thought big tech and social media were ruining young people’s attention spans, roughly another half felt that being easily distracted was more to do with people’s personalities than any negative influence that tech ho logy may or may not have. Also, half of the public believed multitasking at work and switching frequently between emails, phone calls, and other tasks can create a more efficient and satisfactory work experience.
1. What might be the theme of the books mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．The main focus of social media. |
| B．The great influence of public opinion. |
| C．The attention crisis in the digital age. |
| D．The fierce competition in the digital age. |
| A．They were frequently disturbed by digital devices. |
| B．They felt it hard to acquire useful information online. |
| C．They had shorter attention spans than average people. |
| D．They felt challenged by fierce competition from others. |
| A．To stress new cultural forms have limitations. |
| B．To show worry about attention is an age-old problem. |
| C．To prove the important role he played in literary history |
| D．To explain cultural differences between the past and the present. |
| A．People tend to overestimate their ability es. |
| B．Digital distractions might have potential benefits. |
| C．Technology’s benefits have been largely ignored. |
| D．Switching between different tasks frequently is difficult. |
| A．Digital devices can benefit our work. |
| B．We should say “No” to digital devices. |
| C．We should think highly of new cultural forms. |
| D．Digital distractions really affect us so much. |
