1 . I’m always cautious of the tired saying, “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.” I mean, what about polio (小儿麻痹症)? Or loads of other horrible things that if you survive, you’re left scarred in one way or another.
For many years I worked in a specialist NHS clinic for people with eating disorders, which are greatly misunderstood and connected with vanity (虚荣) when instead it’s usually about control or even profound trauma (精神创伤). Eating disorders have the highest mortality of any mental illness, with one in five of those with an eating disorder dying from it. Treatment for it is long, tough and tiring. So, it’s fair to say it’s not something to be taken lightly.
Yet I was often surprised by how many patients-patients with all sorts of other conditions too, from depression to cancer -would tell me how the experience had changed them for the better after receiving treatment. It’s not so much that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; more, it might make you more understanding of yourself and more sensitive to the battles and struggles of others. It can also give people a sense of determination and perseverance they never had before.
I had one patient who was an addict and alcoholic besides suffering eating disorder. She was frequently rushed into hospital and was sometimes at a real risk of dying. However, after years of hard work, she stopped drinking, stopped using drugs and her eating disorder improved. She got back into work and started doing several courses to get promoted. Actually, she had gone through numerous intense and exhausting interviews before landing a job, but she said whenever she felt she couldn’t handle it or doubted her capabilities, she reminded herself that nothing would ever be worse or harder than what she had already gone through. She managed to make the most of her life and turn her life around.
1. What does the author think of the old mantra?| A．Always applicable. | B．Totally absurd. |
| C．Partially right. | D．Quite misleading. |
| A．The number of deaths. |
| B．The possibility of being cured. |
| C．The rate of getting mentally hurt. |
| D．The chance of having mental illness. |
| A．It leads to a changeable attitude. |
| B．It makes no noticeable difference. |
| C．It builds up their physical strength. |
| D．It fosters self-awareness and sympathy. |
| A．She continued harmful habits. | B．She relied only on medication. |
| C．She always believed in herself. | D．She became stronger and tougher. |
2 . The needs of plus size consumers have long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted the slogan (口号) that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This size-inclusive (尺码包容) trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to extend their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.
Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie Southard Ospina, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”
Researchers also criticize that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Tom Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real commitment to the community.”
The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body -diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion options,” says Ludovica Cesareo, professor of marketing at the College of Business in the US.
1. What do the underlined words “the elephant in the room” mean in the first paragraph?| A．The hot issue that is valued. |
| B．The obvious truth that is ignored. |
| C．The important principle that is recognized. |
| D．The common phenomenon that is criticized. |
| A．They pick sizes randomly. | B．They offer limited plus sizes. |
| C．They treat designers disrespectfully. | D．They haven’t broadened standard sizes. |
| A．Their designs. | B．Their quality. |
| C．Their motivations. | D．Their advertisements. |
| A．Buyers may deserve fashion that fits their figure. |
| B．Consumers prefer brands with personalized values. |
| C．Brands should catch up with the size-inclusive trend. |
| D．A good brand image is critical in the fashion industry. |
3 . Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries, people have relied on their gut instincts (直觉) to figure out the answers to these life-changing questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming—and often surprising—evidence that algorithms (算法) can be much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out. They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in prison or be released; better than doctors at deciding whether a patient should undergo surgery; and better than school principals at deciding which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (星探) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can completely count on algorithms to make our lifestyle choices, though we might get to that point in the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to ours. And we can do that now.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．Big data is a double-edged sword. |
| B．Data revolution will change people’s life. |
| C．Big data is helpful in making important decisions. |
| D．Algorithms behaves better than people in many fields. |
| A．court rulings | B．job promotions |
| C．operative estimation | D．teaching practices |
| A．To provide further evidence. | B．To show potential applications. |
| C．To encourage the use of big data. | D．To explain how to use algorithms. |
| A．Algorithms offer perfect advice now. |
| B．Big data will certainly cause a revolution. |
| C．Big data can make up for our lack of experience. |
| D．Algorithms are bound to be fully trusted in the future. |
4 . According to a new study from Oxford Economics, a rise in artificial intelligence will result in an increase in “income inequality” as they estimate that 20 million manufacturing jobs will be lost in the next 11 years. In China alone, there could be 14 million robots taking work currently done by humans by 2030. While in the United States, more than 1.5 million workers would have lost their employment to technology by 2030.
The report predicts the use of robots worldwide has increased to 2.25 million over the past two decades. The researchers said, “As a result of robotisation, tens of millions of jobs will be lost, especially in poorer economies that rely on lower-skilled workers, which will therefore translate into an increase in income inequality.”
However, the researchers noted how “robotisation” has the potential to boost productivity and economic growth. They predicted a 5.3 percent rise in global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2030.The report said, “This means adding an extra $4.9 trillion per year to the global economy by 2030(in today’s prices).”
The report remained positive about the use of automation and urged lawmakers not to sand in the way of robots in the workplace, despite the threat of job losses.
The researchers said, “These findings should not lead policy-makers to seek to prevent the adoption of robot technology. Instead, the challenge should be to distribute the robot profits more evenly by helping workers prepare for and adapt to the big changes it will bring about. Explore all policy options from training, initiatives (新方案) and new welfare programs such as universal basic income.”
1. What is the number of potential job loss in Oxford Economics report based on?| A．Accurate figures. | B．Official statistics. |
| C．Artificial intelligence. | D．Approximate calculation. |
| A．It may enlarge the gap between rich and poor. |
| B．It has helped increase the global income. |
| C．It may increase international competition in lawmaking. |
| D．It has been universally recognized. |
| A．Boosting national economic development. |
| B．Providing citizens with lifelong education. |
| C．Slowing down the spread of robot technology. |
| D．Protecting workers’ interests by making new plans. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Favorable. | C．Conservative. | D．Tolerant. |
5 . Are you the kind of person who hated school? Or are you more like Michael Nicholson, who can’t stop learning? He currently has 30 degrees including 22 master’s and a doctorate!
Humans are all philomaths to an extent – our brain is born to be curious. We want to learn and understand, partly to make sense of the world but also because of something called neoteny. This is a term that refers to the teenage characteristics of some animals, including humans, being preserved into adulthood. One of these traits is neuroplasticity, which helps our brains stay flexible.
But for every person who loves learning, there are plenty who can’t stand it.
| A．Lots of people remember their school days as being boring or even pointless. |
| B．Because of this trait, our brains are able to recognize different shapes. |
| C．If that’s the case, we lose motivation and absorb less information. |
| D．If you’re also passionate about studying, you might be a philomath. |
| E．Many students think it is inspiring to learn something about “philomath”. |
| F．So, don’t let a bad educational experience prevent you learning something new as an adult. |
| G．This gives us the ability to learn throughout our lives. |
6 . People are looking to make meaning after the global pandemic. And one way that some of us do this is to credit coincidences the unexpected concurrence (同时发生) of events — with helping to find jobs, friends and spouses, make significant career decisions and relieve pains. Scholars disagree on the cause of coincidences. Some say they are random and due to probability. Others see God or spiritual forces at work. Still others say it’s our subconscious making connections. No matter the cause, people who study coincidences say that paying attention to these moments may help us, especially in times of stress.
Studies show that noticing coincidences may help boost both the effectiveness of psychotherapy and mental well-being. Michael Schauch, 42, an investment-portfolio manager in Squamish, British Columbia, who is an avid mountaineer, lost his best friend Brent last year. A few months later, Mr. Schauch climbed a mountain he and Brent often scaled together. At the summit, Mr. Schauch found hundreds of ladybugs. When he climbed a different mountain on the anniversary of Brent’s death, he saw a ladybug a she started up each new section of the rock face. “I knew at once that it was Brent, and that he was still there with me, as if to say: “You’ve got this, Mike. Keep going!” he says.
Coincidences can make the world feel like it makes good sense, says David B. Yaden, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School. Varieties of spiritual experiences show a correlation (关联) between coincidences and an increase in positive emotions, better personal relationships and a greater sense of meaning in life. Coincidences are more likely to happen to certain people. “People who are troubled by distress and searching for signs: are more likely to experience coincidences,” says Bemard Beitman, a psychiatrist and a coincidence researcher. If you’d like to enhance your ability to notice coincidences, there are several strategies, says Lisa Miller, a clinical psychologist: Be open to them. Write them down. Talk about them with others. “We really need this deep inner wisdom.” she says.
1. What can we learn about coincidences from paragraph 1?| A．They happen as expected. | B．They provide guidance or relief. |
| C．They activate subconscious mind. | D．They contribute to invisible forces. |
| A．To clarify the cause of coincidences. |
| B．To offer a method of coping with grief. |
| C．To show the comforting effect of coincidences. |
| D．To present a solid friendship between two climbers. |
| A．Lucky people tend to be surprised by coincidences. |
| B．The less we cultivate coincidences, the more likely they happen. |
| C．Coincidences mean more to our daily lives than the surface. |
| D．Coincidences can help us relieve sadness and tighten connections. |
| A．The meaningful moments in life. | B．The hidden power of coincidences. |
| C．The various opinions on coincidences. | D．The strategies for noticing coincidences. |
7 . Deep in the British Library lie the priceless treasures for pop music lovers. Housed across the main building in St Pancras and the Library’s Boston Spa site are more than 350,000 CDs and 250,000LPs (密文唱片) ,as well as around a quarter of a million 78 RPM discs and countless cassette tapes.
Andy Linehan, the Library’s Curator (馆长) of Popular Music Collections, feels he and his team are not only preserving pop, but they’re also honoring history.“One of the British’s Library’s functions is to be the cultural memory of the nation. We do that with books, journals and newspapers and it’s absolutely right that we should also do it with music,“ he said.
The treasures in the British Library rely on donations from record labels, artists and members of the public. As Andy noted,“If you publish a book, newspaper or magazine in the UK, you’re legally obliged to send a copy to the British Library, but that law does not apply to sound recordings.”
Among the treasures are an early voice recording of Florence Nightingale and a cassette tape that was sold at gigs (现场演唱会) in the early1980s by a sixth-form band called On A Friday. There are also old blues, rare LPs from the 1950s and promotional copies of Beatles singles that only had a couple of hundred pressings.
When it comes to preservation, the team is tirelessly transferring music from media that’s vulnerable and digitising (数字化) it for generations to come.“If anyone can save anything from an old tape which is not in very good condition, it’s our engineers. Because they have equipment and know how to play back everything,“ Andy explained.
Private companies and specialists record labels are also trying their best to ensure music is safeguarded for generations to come. Iron Mountain Entertainment Service offers digital transfer and preservation services for music as well as other media. Cherry Red Records Chairman, Iain McNay, said,“It’s about looking after all that material and letting it see the light of day. We’re music fans who are also protectors.”
1. What can we learn about the treasures from paragraph 1?| A．The number is incredibly large. |
| B．They are all donations from people. |
| C．They represent different times. |
| D．They are not open to the public yet. |
| A．It is technically demanding. |
| B．It is significant in the long term. |
| C．It is commercially beneficial. |
| D．It can boost music composition. |
| A．To emphasize the popularity of the band. |
| B．To reflect the varieties of the collections. |
| C．To indicate the great value of the treasures. |
| D．To convey the urgency of music protection. |
| A．It can arouse people’s interest in pop music. |
| B．It can encourage more people to contribute. |
| C．It will develop the music industry in Britain. |
| D．It will be the cultural memory of generations. |
8 . The secret to happiness is keeping busy, research has found.Keeping the mind occupied with tasks—no matter how meaningless—keeps off negative emotions, the study found.
However, the bad news is that humans are seemingly born to be lazy in order to save energy, according to Professor Christoper Hsee, a behavioral scientist at Chicago University.
In a study, 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first, they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one. They were given a choice of either banding in the first survey nearby or at a more distant location they had to walk to. No matter which choice they made, they received a chocolate bar. It turned out that about two-thirds (68 students) chose the lazy option. Those who had taken the walk reported feeling happier than those who had stayed put (呆在原处).
Prof. Hsee concluded that keeping busy helped keep people happy. He said the findings, reported in the journal Psychological Science, might have an effect on policies.
“Governments may increase the happiness of idle citizens by having them build bridges that are actually useless,” he suggested.
As for ordinary people, he advised, “Get up and do something. Anything. Even if there really is no point to what you are doing, you will feel better for it.” He added, “Thinking deeply or engaging in self-reflection can be regarded as keeping busy, too.”
“You do not need to be running around, You just need to be engaged, either physically or mentally.”
1. Keeping busy can make people happy because ________.| A．it can help people get rid of laziness |
| B．it can make people sleep better |
| C．it can help get rid of negative emotions |
| D．it can give people a sense of achievement |
| A．Policies may be influenced by the findings. |
| B．The officials have taken Prof. Hsee’s advice. |
| C．In the study half students handed in the first survey nearby. |
| D．Governments can increase citizens’ happiness by building bridges. |
| A．Everybody is born to be happy. |
| B．Only by keeping working all the time can you gain happiness. |
| C．Prof. Hsee’s finding was published in Psychological Science. |
| D．Keeping busy goes against human nature. |
| A．What is Happiness |
| B．The Secret of Happiness: Keeping Busy |
| C．The Finding of Research: Do What You Like |
| D．Take Life correctly |
9 . Millions of A$50 banknotes in Australia have an embarrassing typographical error that was overlooked by the country’s central bank before they were printed and circulated.
The goof first became known on Thursday when a listener on radio outlet Triple M sent the station a magnified photo of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) new A$50 note highlighting the word “responsibility“ misspelt as ”responsibilty” three times.
The A$50 currency is the most widely circulated in Australia and accounts for nearly half the total value of other banknotes in use, according to the RBA. But for now, around 46 million of the new notes are in use across the country.
The note came into circulation on Oct. 18, 2018 with new security features designed to deter counterfeiting and with tactile (触觉的) elements for the visually impaired .
But it has no intention of withdrawing or recalling the notes from circulation. The error will be corrected in the next print run, the RBA said.
An RBA spokeswoman said in an emailed statement to Reuters the Bank “is aware of it and the spelling will be corrected at the next print run.”
“This does not affect the legal tender status of the banknotes. We have reviewed our processes to remove the likelihood of such an error occurring in the future,” an RBA spokeswoman said.
It sports a head-shot of Edith Cowan, who served as the first woman elected to an Australian legislature from 1921 to 1924.
“ It is a great responsibility to be the only woman here, and I want to emphasize the necessity which exists for other women being here,” it says.
The Bank said in its latest annual report its note printing subsidiary delivered 227 million Australian banknotes in 2017/18, including around 184 million new series A$50 banknotes.
1. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?| A．To introduce Australian Central Bank’s annual report on A$50. |
| B．To recall the newly-printed A$50 banknotes due to printing error. |
| C．To report a printing mistake of A$50 banknotes in Australia. |
| D．To warn Australian people of the typographical error in A$50 banknotes. |
| A．fault | B．circulation | C．damage | D．reproduction |
| A．A listener on radio Triple M called the station to tell the error of new A$50 |
| B．The new A$50 notes account for most of the total value of other banknotes in use in Australia. |
| C．The RBA will withdraw new A$50 notes and they will not be in circulation. |
| D．The RBA is aware of the typographical error and it will correct the printing error in the next print run. |
| A．The correct spelling in the new A$50 note is “responsibility”. |
| B．The typographical error affects the legal status of the banknotes. |
| C．The new A$50 note with typographical error came into circulation on August,2018. |
| D．The new A$50 note has a head-shot of Mr. Cowan who was once an Australian legislature. |
10 . British chip maker Walkers is being flooded with mail deliveries of its own packaging. An online petition (请愿) with more than 312,000 signatures so far urges signers to mail their empty chip plastic bags to Walkers as an act of protest against the bags’ non-recyclable design.
As petition organizer Geraint Ashcroft explained, the majority of chip packets, made from metallized plastic, are not recyclable and have been found fully undamaged up to 33 years after consumption. The UK alone consumes 6 billion bags of chips a year, and Walkers turns out 11 million bags daily. Ashcroft wrote, “At today’s consumption rate in 33 years’ time, there will be 200 billion packets either sent to landfill or polluting our oceans. Many will be eaten by animals fish or birds leading to a slow death.”
Mailing the bags to Walkers is a way to hold the company accountable for its packaging and to pressure it to come up with a better design. Because Walkers has what’s known as a’Freepost’ address,the Royal Mail postal service is obligated (有义务的) to deliver anything that is addressed correctly — even if it’s an empty chip bag. But it is controversial. Royal Mail isn’t happy about it,asking people to put their chip bags in an envelope to help with ease of delivery. Critics on Twitter question the logic of buying a product in order to protest against its producer and suggest that giving up chips altogether would improve one’s health as well as the environment.
Walkers issued a statement on Wednesday, saying it will make its packaging plastic-free by 2025.“We have received some returned packets and recognized the efforts being made to bring the issue of packaging waste to our attention. The returned packets will be used in our research as we work towards our commitment of improving the recyclability of our packaging.”
1. Why do people mail their empty chip bags to Walkers?| A．To make Walkers use them once more. | B．To exchange them for some new chips. |
| C．To object to Walkers’ plastic packaging. | D．To appeal to people for not using the bags. |
| A．The harm of chip bags. | B．The organization of the petition. |
| C．The production of plastic bags. | D．The opinion of Geraint Ashcroft. |
| A．Explainable. | B．Responsible. | C．Essential. | D．Anxious. |
| A．Doubtfully. | B．Oppositely. | C．Cautiously. | D．Positively. |
