1 . Thailand has somtam, India has bhel puri and South Africa has a snack of bunny chow. They are some of the most famous street foods in these countries. Around 2.5 billion people eat street food around the world. The significance of street food culture is obvious in the following areas.
●Cultural identity
Street food identifies community and tradition, keeping alive one of the most important aspects of local culture — the eating habits of the people.
●Employment and business opportunities
●Food accessibility
The significance of street food culture also includes improved access to food across countries, including their poor communities. Since the cooks have low operation costs, street foods are low in price.
In a word, support for street food businesses could help to preserve culturally significant recipes, provide employment opportunities and supply low-cost food options.
| A．However, the industry has developed without outside assistance. |
| B．The street food industry has offered new positions for low-income people. |
| C．And the owners can also aid small farms by buying ingredients from them. |
| D．Street food culture is able to create a connection within specific communities. |
| E．Making laws to ensure the safety of street foods is important for public health. |
| F．Thus, people with little income can depend on street foods every day to support themselves. |
| G．Additionally, the street food industry protects traditional recipes that are passed down through generations. |
2 . If you had to use one word to define yourself, what would it be? Imagine trying to summarize your entire being in just one word or two — a challenging task indeed. Labels, like “confident” or “creative”, may suggest certain aspects, but they can never fully capture the richness and depth of a person’s character.
Labels take on an “all-or-nothing” meaning. Someone either is something, or they’re not. The biggest problem with labeling people is that it oversimplifies their complex nature. Using labels infers people’s current behavior is fixed, but people change. As they learn, they grow, and someone we think of in a certain way today might not remain the same in a few months or years. When we label people, we deny their complexity, their right to change, and their richness as human beings.
Furthermore, labels can become self-fulfilling prophecies (预言). When people are constantly told they are a certain way, they may start to remember these labels and act accordingly. This hinders their potential for growth and development, as they may feel trapped by social expectations. For example, if parents label a child as “annoying” or “a complainer”, the child may feel their needs aren’t important. Over time, being ignored for complaining too much can lead the child to believe that expressing their needs is not acceptable. Consequently, their self-perception (自我认知) may suffer, and they may even start to devalue themselves as a result.
Linguist Benjamin Whorf once argued that the words we use to describe what we see are rarely objective, as they carry personally prejudice. Labels can be harmful because they can reduce individuals to a single characteristic or stereotype (刻板印象). Therefore, we should be mindful of the language we use and the labels we attach to people. By adopting a more open view of life, people, and events, we can appreciate the richness and diversity of human experience, and cope with the complexities of our interconnected world.
1. What is the biggest problem with labeling people?| A．It expresses a subjective opinion. | B．It denies the complexity of humans. |
| C．It overstates people’s shortcomings. | D．It ignores goodness in human nature. |
| A．Exposes. | B．Cultivates. | C．Restricts. | D．Determines. |
| A．To present the bad effects of labeling on people. |
| B．To show the importance of using language skillfully. |
| C．To prove people’s natural tendency for being prejudiced. |
| D．To encourage people to take an open-minded perspective. |
| A．Stop Labeling People |
| B．Define Yourself Objectively |
| C．Children Suffer a Lot from Labels |
| D．Different Individuals Diversify the World |
3 . Many economists predict 2024 will be the time shoppers tighten their belts. That doesn’t mean people will stop spending, say retail (零售) analysts. But it will change what they choose to buy. With a slowing job market, global consumers are likely to move away from more high-priced purchases and focus instead on smaller, less expensive treats.
The economic uncertainty means that consumers are becoming more discriminating about their purchases, says Ethan Chermofsky, senior vice president of marketing at intelligence platform Placer. ai. “There are the things we decide are necessary, and then there’s another category of things that aren’t necessary but that we consider affordable luxuries, he says. This desire for these “affordable luxuries” is common in difficult economic times. Some economists refer to the phenomenon as the “lipstick index”: a small economic increase led by budget-minded consumers seeking out relatively affordable splurges (挥霍), like small cosmetics (化妆品).
Analysts at Deloitte say consumers will spend on little luxuries like specialty coffees and snacks as well. Additionally, stressed-out shoppers are prioritizing small splurge purchases for wellness and personal care.
As retailers see shoppers turning to little luxuries, they’re offering more and more of them. Target, for example, has staked a flag in what they refer to as “affordable joy”, which includes a selection of self-care and cosmetic products, along with wellness-centric beauty products. Beyond diversifying their offerings, stores are also bringing in luxury-feeling products at lower price points to appeal to more consumers.
Ethan says not every shopper will shift their spending to little luxuries-but even those who are still longing for the “must-haves” of social media will also look to get a deal. They want the feeling of purchasing lower-priced affordable treats. To get these goods, shoppers are likely to tap into the re-sale market for designer items at a more reasonable price. They want things that make them feel good about themselves-they just want to do it without breaking the bank.
1. What can affordable luxuries be?| A．Inexpensive daily necessities. | B．High-end products. |
| C．Reasonably-priced designer items. | D．High-priced purchases. |
| A．The strategies retailers use. | B．The joy businesses offer. |
| C．The competition stores face. | D．The products consumers buy. |
| A．Social-media deals. | B．World-famous brands. |
| C．Second-hand bargains. | D．Budget-friendly pleasures. |
| A．Lipstick Index: Where Does It Lead Us? | B．Must-have Treats: A Future Spending Trend |
| C．Affordable Joy: Will We Fall Into The Trap? | D．Little Luxuries: A Driving Force Behind Consumption |
4 . We live in the age of the short attention span. And yet: Finding a recipe in a post requires first scrolling past a “novel” detailing the chef’s personal experience with the dish. Even platforms once known for short-form media are stretching the limits: YouTube videos once were within 10 minutes; now they can and do reach 12 hours. Even TikTok is going long, reportedly testing a new limit of up to 15 minutes for some creators.
Surely some of this is born of genuine audience interest. Length, after all, is sometimes associated with quality. Sometimes, storytelling deserves a surprising length. Other times, it does not. Online media are frequently lengthened not because the subject demands it but because creators are attempting to game algorithms (算法) to make more money. Algorithms, on the most basic level, are supposed to recommend whatever else people post online. Yet in the process, they end up encouraging people to generate a lot of junk.
Some of these apps seem to realize what they’ve done. TikTok and YouTube give users the ability to speed things up. But the solution only underscores the problem. Because it gives rise to all those ads that run before videos or between paragraphs. Any extra real estate for these ads, be it space on a page or time on a podcast, is a chance for platforms to make more money.
Some algorithms may in fact prioritize length as an indicator of quality. But it’s hard to say for sure, because tech companies tend not to give many details about their inner workings. In some ways, whether an algorithm prefers longer videos matters less than whether creators think an algorithm does. If people start believing that longer videos do “better”, they’ll make more of them.
People are afraid that generative AI will pollute the Internet. But social-media and search algorithms have been doing that for years. It’s even cheaper and easier for generative AI to produce long content. All of this is just a taste of what’s to come.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By telling stories. | B．By referring to studies. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By offering personal experience. |
| A．To enhance their storytelling abilities. | B．To take advantage of algorithms for profit. |
| C．To gather data concerning popular subjects. | D．To provide the audience with interesting ideas. |
| A．Highlights. | B．Upgrades. | C．Overlooks. | D．Forecasts. |
| A．Algorithms are sure to pick out longer videos. |
| B．The development of AI will facilitate longer content. |
| C．The best content is lengthened by video producers. |
| D．Search algorithms are easily polluted and destroyed. |
5 . The development of technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), is changing the job market, resulting in both new opportunities and challenges. It is a chief concern for students thinking about their employment.
Employers are paying more attention to human-centered skills such as problem-solving, and creativity. The ability to master these skills is becoming significant in the job market today. However, most education systems still attach more importance to knowledge transfer, memorization and tests, and fail to foster human-centered skills. Therefore, it is of importance for young people to actively seek out opportunities to build them.
By developing a connection to the world around them, and a deeper understanding of the systemic issues that exist within it, students can strengthen skills such as cooperation and problem-solving. For example, Esther, an 18-year-old student, worked with her friends to develop a digital skills programme for young people, after discovering that only three in every 20 students in her community in Lagos were confident in using technology. Through the activity, Esther learned about her community’s needs, found a sense of purpose and practised skills. Her intention was not to improve employability, but the skills she developed are exactly those that will set her up in a changing workplace.
These are uncertain times, to be sure. Young people may worry about their job opportunities. But with the human-centered skills developed, the possibilities for careers are at the fingertips and the future is far more attractive.
1. What is a chief concern for students who think about their employment?| A．Automation in almost all industries. |
| B．The development of advanced technology. |
| C．The impact of technology on the job market. |
| D．Employers’ increasing focus on human-centered skills. |
| A．Develop. | B．Affect. | C．Protest. | D．Conduct. |
| A．To improve her employability. |
| B．To select her future field of work. |
| C．To learn about advanced technology with friends. |
| D．To promote technology use among young people. |
| A．How to plan your future career? |
| B．Future job market will be challenging |
| C．How to build your human-centered skills? |
| D．Human-centered skills will be important for future jobs |
6 . Scarcity is a common condition of human existence. Everyday circumstances of limited resources can make individuals experience a sense of scarcity. Scarcity functions like an obstacle to goal pursuit, which intensify the value of goal.
Scarcity prioritizes our choices and it can make us more effective. The time pressure of a deadline focuses our attention on using what we have most effectively. When we have little time left, we try to get more out of every moment. For example, we are more frugal with the toothpaste as the tube starts to run empty, and college seniors tend to get the most out of their time before graduation.
Many stores strategically create perception of scarcity to motivate consumer behavior. For example, the pricing practice of limiting number of items per person can lead to increased sales. The sign implies that the items are in short supply and the fear of missing out can have a powerful effect on shoppers.
For an item that is attractive to begin with, its attractiveness will intensify when it is scarce. For instance, warning labels on violent television programs, designed to decrease interest, often backfire and increase in watching the programs.
The scarcity effect explains why shyness often is considered an attractive attribute? Experts say that “playing hard to get” is a most effective strategy for attracting a partner, especially in the context of long-term love. A “hard to get” player likes to appear busy, create interest and keep the suitors guessing. However, playing hard to get is less effective in men, as they are the ones who are socially expected to initiate the relationship.
Scarcity also contributes to an interesting and a meaningful life. Scarcity shows that reminding individuals of the reality of death increases the value of life. Midlife often heightens the feeling that there is not enough time left in life to waste. We overcome the illusion (幻觉) that we can be anything, do anything, and experience everything. We restructure our lives around the needs that are essential.
1. What does the underlined word “frugal” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Economical. | B．Flexible. | C．Anxious. | D．Sensible. |
| A．Because the programs have appealing openings. |
| B．Because there are few violent programs available. |
| C．Because the message on warning labels isn’t clear. |
| D．Because people want things that they cannot get. |
| A．A car company constantly launches new model cars. |
| B．A restaurant puts up a “two cans per person” poster. |
| C．A man pretends to be busy in front of his girlfriend. |
| D．A 50-year-old tries things he has never done before. |
| A．To prove a theory. | B．To offer a solution. |
| C．To illustrate a phenomenon. | D．To challenge a concept. |
7 . Recently, after I gave a virtual presentation on my book Indistractable, a listener wrote something in the Zoom chat that drove me crazy, “This is great but wouldn’t work for me. I’m a Gemini (双子星座的人).”
Ironically, the Zoom listener is right. If she thinks she’s incapable, she’ll prove it correct — whether it has anything to do with the stars and moon or not. Her inflexible self-identification denies her the chance to improve her life. It’s incredibly self-limiting.
That’s why we should stop defining ourselves as fixed identities and nouns, and instead start describing ourselves using verbs.
Words are powerful. Linguistic research shows that language shapes people and culture; it can also give us insight into ourselves and our behavior. In a well-known study, researchers Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobsen had all students in the same elementary school take a standard IQ test. Then they randomly selected a group of students, regardless of their test results, and told teachers the group would show “dramatic intellectual growth”. Eight months later, those students scored significantly higher on an IQ test. The study concluded that teachers’ positive perception of students correlated to those students’ high performance on intellectual and academic tests. The labels the children received became a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy (预言).
That’s because language shapes expectations, which shape our reality. If we have experiences that lead us to label ourselves with specific nouns during our life, then we are likely to stick with those labels and the behaviors that go with them.
Using verbs to identify ourselves is an effective method for releasing “trapped priors”—a term in psychology for a perception of reality that’s affected or trapped by past experiences. Verbs are action words well suited to describing short-lived behaviors that can and do change. They don’t lay claim to our entire identity, but they acknowledge that we are people first and foremost, not whatever a singular noun may say we are. So, instead of saying, “I am a procrastinator (拖拉者)”, you should say, “I am a person who often procrastinates.”
By focusing on our behaviors, not fixed characteristics, we can release harmful perceptions of ourselves that hold us back from trying methods that might improve our lives — like those that can help us achieve the critical skill of being indistractable.
1. What does the author want to show through the example of the Zoom listener?| A．The concept of flexible self-identification. |
| B．His confusion about the way to self-identify. |
| C．His understanding of proper self-identification. |
| D．The negative effects of using nouns to define oneself. |
| A．Self-fulfilling prophecies change over time. |
| B．Encouragement promotes students’ improvement. |
| C．Language usage will have an impact on teaching. |
| D．IQ has little to do with students’ academic performance. |
| A．By highlighting their behaviors. |
| B．By focusing on their advantages. |
| C．By analyzing their typical characteristics. |
| D．By assessing their academic performance. |
| A．Nouns are more powerful than verbs |
| B．Your words can determine your future |
| C．How we define ourselves really counts |
| D．Our option of words reflects our identity |
8 . Whenever he can, 15-year-old Elliot Morgan practices basketball in his backyard. He says it’s a good stress-reliever. But it wasn’t that long ago that he didn’t have time for this new hobby. “There were times in the summer when I would spend four or five hours a day on my phone,” he says. When school started in the fall, Morgan found himself scrolling (划屏) as soon as he woke up. “I realize I start to avoid workouts because I’m on my phone,” he says. “It’s affecting my focus.”
It has become clear that social media is a key player in many drivers of unhealthy habits. Social media apps are designed to encourage overuse, and teenagers are more likely to be influenced because their brains are at an important period of development that makes it harder to be free from temptation (诱惑). All of this makes limiting use more challenging — even for families who set rules.
“It’s a really big problem,” says Elliot’s mom, Alyssa. She was shocked when she discovered Elliot had bypassed parental controls and was spending five hours a day on social media. “I asked him, ‘Can you just take a look and see? Just tell me what you think. Does this feel good to you?’” she says.
Elliot hadn’t realized how many hours he was on social media. And he was at a loss. With his mother’s help, he tried to start cutting back. After several months, he decided to delete (删除) social media apps altogether. “After that, I actually sleep enough and feel better,” he says. He’s now closer with his friends because they spend more time talking instead of scrolling. And joining school clubs has also helped him reduce time on his phone.
1. What can we learn about Elliot from the first paragraph?| A．He is always late for class. | B．He used to work out early. |
| C．He likes football at school. | D．He lost himself in his phone. |
| A．They tend to develop bad habits. | B．They will take up more challenges. |
| C．They can improve reading skills. | D．They find it hard to make friends. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Lonely. | B．Simple. | C．Enjoyable. | D．Difficult. |
9 . Childhood can bring a lot of awe (敬畏). Research also suggests that awe is important in promoting well-being beyond our individual lives — it can encourage our children to care for others.
A recent study by researchers Eftychia Stamkou, Keltner, and their colleagues invited children aged 8-13 to take part in an experiment. In the awe group, children were offered a short part of a movie that features a child transformed into a seal (海豹) and exploring the sea while in the joy group, children were offered a short part of another movie where friends were celebrating.
Researchers measured children’s kindness toward poor families by inviting children to support their food drive by spending as much time as they wanted in counting donated things, to make sure the poor got access to the donated food as quickly as possible. They also invited children to donate the reward they earned from taking part in the research (e.g., a snack or a museum ticket) to a poor family.
The results? Children who watched the awe-inspiring video spent more time counting food donations and donated their rewards to poor families more often compared to the children who watched the joy-inspiring video. These findings highlight that awe-inspiring art can motivate children to be sympathetic toward people who have been forcibly displaced (离开家园) from their countries of origin.
As parents, we can also seek out everyday experiences of awe in our communities to share with our children, like wall paintings of the city scenery and folk art. Awe can be inspired by music, like the harmonious sounds of a wooden guitar and the beat of a drum. Awesome architecture, like symphony halls, museums, and even features like staircases, can be a way to experience awe with our children.
1. What does the research find?| A．Awe should be inspired early. | B．Awe helps kids be more generous. |
| C．Individual lives affect kids’ health. | D．Training awe gives kids excitement. |
| A．They watched different movies. | B．They commented on the videos. |
| C．They were asked some questions. | D．They donated money to poor families. |
| A．They learned this from a video. | B．They were motivated by the movie. |
| C．They liked to contribute to charity. | D．They were reminded by the homeless. |
| A．Give reasons for feeling awe. | B．List experiences of awe. |
| C．Show benefits of awe to kids. | D．Appeal for developing awe in kids. |
10 . Cordero is the farm manager at Ollin Farms, not far from Boulder, Colorado. The locally grown vegetables on the farm aren’t just pretty. “We play an important role in public health nutrition programs,” says Cordero’s dad, Mark Guttridge, who started this farm with his wife, Kena, 17 years ago.
At a meeting with about a dozen local farmers, two state representatives, and the Colorado officials of agriculture, Guttridge explains how Boulder county has made creative investments in his farm that could be spread to the state or even national level. Before the meeting, Guttridge shows them one of those investments.
A dozen sheep, which Guttridge raises for wool, feed on root vegetables like radishes that have been leftover for them. “So these guys are out fertilizing the vegetable field,” Guttridge laughs. “They’ll be out here a couple more weeks, and then we’ll get our next summer vegetables planted right there.” Around the field is a special moveable type of fencing that Ollin Farms bought using financial aid from the Boulder County Sustainability Office. It allows them to move the sheep from one field to another, fertilizing as they go. The goal of these investments is “really building up our soil health,” he explains. “That relates directly to the nutrient quality of the food-healthy soil grows healthy food.”
The county also makes an effort to get that healthy food out to different communities to boost public health. That’s where the Boulder County Public Health department comes in. It created a coupon program to give discounts to people buying fruits and vegetables from Ollin Farms. Nutrition incentive programs, like those public health fruit and vegetable coupons, are spreading all over the country, and most are funded through the federal farm bill. Amy Yaroch, executive director at the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, says “It’s a trip le win. It’s basically good for the consumers who live in that particular community because they’re getting the healthy food, it’s good for the farmer, and then it’s good for the economy.”
1. What does Ollin Farms do?| A．It makes public nutrition health plans. |
| B．It offers financial aid to other farms. |
| C．It provides cheap food to the local community. |
| D．It grows fruits and vegetables rich in nutrition. |
| A．By raising sheep on radishes. | B．By buying fences for farmhouses. |
| C．By funding the farm’s soil health. | D．By giving advice about fertilizing fields. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Dismissive. | C．Unclear. | D．Approving. |
| A．Couponing for Health: Stimulating Nutrition Choices |
| B．Growing Health: Innovations in Farm and Public Health Initiatives |
| C．Fertile Fields and Furry Friends: A Farming Fairy Tale |
| D．Local Produce, Global Impact: The Nutrition Choices of Ollin Farms |
