1 . Every festival has its own meaning. Labor Day, for example, celebrates the value of hard work. Thanksgiving is about showing thanks to people around you. And Valentines’ Day is a time when you express love to your loved ones. But somehow it now seems that all festivals we just care about one thing — shopping. And that can be a big problem.

“In a way, over-consumption (过度消费) is the mother of all our environmental problems,” Kalle Lasn once told CNN. Lasn is the organizer of Buy Nothing Day, a day set up in Canada in 1992 to fight against unhealthy spending habits, and has now become an international event. It’s held on the day, which is known as Black Friday — a famous shopping day in the US and Canada.

You can see the irony (讽刺) here.

Even though the idea of Buy Nothing Day was brought up 26 years ago, we seem to need it now more than ever. It’s just as Lasn said, all the different kinds of pollution in our lives today — bad air quality, the reduction of forest area, endangered animal species, and plastic bags found in the ocean — seem to be the same cause: over-consumption.

The latest example is the Singles’ Day shopping craze of Nov 11, which saw a new sales record. But as Nie Li, a campaigner at Greenpeace, told Reuters, “Record-setting over-consumption means record-setting waste.” And it was reported that last year the Singles’ Day packages left more than 160,000 tons of waste, including plastic and cardboard. The Collins Dictionary has also just named “single-use” its Word of the Year, pointing out the problem that there’re too many things we tow out after only using them once.

So, Buy Nothing Day might only be here for one day a year, but it’s not just to remind us to the a break from shopping on that day, but to change our lifestyle completely, focusing on fun “with people we care about” rather than wasting money on useless things.

1. What’s the authors purpose of writing the first paragraph?

A．To express the people’s love for all festivals.

B．To talk about the meaning of the festivals.

C．To appreciate the value of the festivals.

D．To bring out the topic of the passage.

2. Why did Kalle Lasn organize Buy Nothing Day?

A．To help people save money.	B．To cut the cost for daily life.
C．To prevent over-consumption.	D．To set up a new sales record.

3. What’s Nie Li’s attitude towards the shopping craze?

A．Opposed (反对的).	B．Supportive.
C．Unknown.	D．Neutral (中立的).

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Creating a New Lifestyle	B．Buy Nothing Day
C．Festivals Around the World	D．A Change in People’s Life

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

New research shows that the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 in China in 2021 was 485,000 yuan for a first child,     1     is far more than     2     in the United States and Japan. The high cost of child-raising is one more     3     (difficult) Chinese policymakers face while     4     (deal) with rapidly decreasing birth rates. Experts warn China’s aging population will put pressure     5     its health and social security systems. A decrease in workers could also     6     (severe) limit growth for the world’s second-largest economy in the coming years.

New policies permit     7     (family) to have as many as three children. But China`s birth rate dropped to 7.52 births per 1,000 people in 2021. That is the     8     (low) since the National Bureau of Statistics` began recording the information in 1949. The high costs of raising a child     9     (cause) officials in China to place restrictions on the private tutoring industry in the last few years. Some areas have been giving couples money for having     10     second or third child.

4 .    

Cheating can happen in a lot of different ways.When people cheat,it’s not fair to other people，like the kids who studied for the test or who the true winners of a game were.

Many people like the action of cheating.In their opinion,it makes difficult things seem easy,like getting all the right answers on the test.But it doesn't solve the problem of not knowing the material and it won't help on the next test—unless the person cheats again.

Some people lose respect for cheaters and think less of them.The cheaters themselves may feel bad because they know they shouldn't get that good grade.And,if they get caught cheating,they will be in trouble at school，and maybe at home,too.

Some kids cheat because they're busy or lazy and they want to get good grades without spending the time studying.Other kids might feel like they can’t pass the test without cheating.Even when there seems to be a “good reason” for cheating,cheating isn’t a good idea.

If you were sick or upset about something the night before the day and couldn’t study,it would be better to talk with the teacher about this.And if you don’t have enough time to study for a test because of swim practice,you need to talk with your parents about how to balance swimming and school.A kid who thinks cheating is the only way to pass a test needs to talk with the teacher and his or her parents so they can find some solutions together.Talking about these problems and working them out will feel better than cheating.

1. What does the author think when kids cheat in class?

A．It is unfair to other people.

B．It does harm to their health.

C．Teachers should punish them.

D．Teachers shouldn't stop them at once.

2. Why do many people like to cheat?

A．Because they think the material in the test is very difficult.

B．Because they want to do better than the others.

C．Because cheating can make hard things seem very easy.

D．Because they have little time to study their lessons.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Some kids can’t pass the test without cheating.

B．Why kids cheat in the test.

C．Cheating isn’t a good idea.

D．Some kids don't spend the time studying.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Cheaters are often thought highly of.

B．People show no respect for those who cheat.

C．Parents whose kids cheat are often in trouble.

D．Kids cheat in the test because of swim practice.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where are the speakers?

A．In the office.

B．At home.

C．At the airport.

2. Why did the man miss his flight?

A．He got up late.

B．The traffic was bad.

C．His car broke down.

3. How did the man go home?

A．By taxi.

B．By subway.

C．By bus.

6 . Big changes in agriculture are taking place in Singapore. The small, Southeast Asian nation is leading a farming revolution, according to the Reuters news agency.

Singapore covers around 720 square kilometers of land and only one percent of that land area is used for agriculture. Food production costs are higher there than the rest of Southeast Asia. As climate change and population growth threaten food supplies, the pressure on new farmers is to answer the government’s call to “grow more with less”.

“Whenever I talk about food security in Singapore, I tell people not to think about land-think about space，because you can go upwards and sideways,” said Paul Teng，an agriculture professor at Nanyang Technological University.

There are more than 30 vertical (垂直的) farms in Singapore-ones that grow up，not across，the land. Sustenir Agriculture is one of these businesses. Is hydroponic (无土栽培的) farm grows non-native foods like cherry tomatoes and strawberries inside buildings under artificial lighting. Then it sells the produce to local supermarkets and online stores. Sustenir raised $16 million from investors (投资者) last year. The money will be used to expand operations in Singapore.

However, not everyone thinks the new technology is best. Egg farmer William Ho says the government should not depend so much on agriculture technology businesses. “Many of them have failed. That’s why I’m always asking the government why it doesn’t invest in us old-timers. We are more practical,” he said. Professor Paul Teng said an issue for urban farmers is that the high cost of the technology makes their products too pricey for many people.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?

A．High food production costs.	B．Reasons for changes in agriculture.
C．Agricultural technology businesses.	D．Sale expansion of food markets.

2. Which is the way to achieve food security according to Paul Teng?

A．Exploring more space.	B．Buying more food.
C．Enlarging farmland.	D．Investing more money.

3. What do we know about the old-timers?

A．They work on high-tech farms.	B．They benefit from pricey products.
C．They reduce production costs.	D．They need the government’s support.

4. Where is this passage probably taken from?

A．A guidebook.

B．A brochure.

C．A newspaper.

D．A journal.

7 . The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and pleasure. We use it to learn a new language. We find advice on it. We use it to connect with family and friends. We use it to stay in touch with events we care about.The list goes on and on.

As far as the Internet being a part of our lives, well, that train has left the station. There is no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, say researchers. A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure in a young group: teenagers.

The study results show that teens who spend at least 14 hours a week only online may cause high blood pressure, which makes their hearts and blood vessels(血管) work too hard. Over time, this extra pressure increases the risk of a heart attack. High blood pressure can also cause heart and other diseases.

The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. 335 young people, from 14 to 17 years old, took part in it. 134 of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users”. And researchers found that out of these 134 teens, 26 had high blood pressure. The researchers said the study was the first to connect heavy Web use with high blood pressure.

The lead researcher is Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow. She says, “Using the Internet is part of our daily life, but it shouldn’t ruin(毁坏) us.” Ms. Cassidy-Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to stop to have a rest regular from their computers or smartphones and do some kind of physical activity. She also suggests that parents shouldn’t let their children use the Internet for more than two hours a day, five days a week.

1. What does the underlined part “that train has left the station”mean in Paragraph 2?

A．The train has changed its course.

B．Life without the Internet is nowhere to be found.

C．The Internet brings great changes to people’s life.

D．The Internet has improved people’s life.

2. What can we know about the study according to Paragraph 4?

A．There was no similar study like it before.

B．Most of the young people had high blood pressure.

C．Adult people aged above 17 took part in the study.

D．Over half of the teens in the study were heavy Internet users.

3. Which of the following would Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow probably agree with?

A．That teenagers shouldn’t use the Internet.

B．That the Internet will ruin human life in the future.

C．That smartphones are more harmful than computers.

D．That regular breaks are necessary when using the Internet.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Heavy Internet users are mostly teenagers.

B．Every coin has two sides—so does the Internet.

C．Too much Internet use may be bad for teenagers.

D．How to prevent teenagers from using the Internet.

8 . It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.

Road politeness is not only good manners, but a good sense. It takes the most cool-headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and becomes so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.

However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. A typical example is the driver who waves to a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.

An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship (公路驾车技能). Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.

1. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．Traffic Jams.	B．Good Manners.
C．Road Politeness.	D．Modem Drivers.

2. What often cause(s) troubles on the road?

A．Traffic jams.	B．The behaviour of the drivers.
C．The great speed of modern life.	D．Terrible road conditions.

3. According to the writer, what should a good driver do?

A．Encourage children to cross the road whenever they want to.

B．Beat back when forced to face rude driving.

C．Be able to recognise politeness when he sees it.

D．Join in a traffic stream quickly however other people feel.

4. It is not always right for drivers to _____.

A．master the roadmanship

B．neglect politeness when they see it

C．give a friendly nod in answer to an act of politeness

D．encourage old ladies to cross the road whenever and wherever they want to

9 . Henry Rollins wrote:“Loneliness adds beauty to life.” Indeed, in the eyes of artists, loneliness never goes out of style. There are paintings that draw loneliness, songs that are inspired by loneliness, and many works of literature that are about this theme.

In the eyes of UK economist Rachel Reeves, however, loneliness is far from romantic. Instead, it’s a serious problem in the country.

So how serious is it? On Jan. 17, UK Prime Minister Theresa May appointed(任命) Tracey Crouch as the country’s first “Minister for Loneliness”. Her job is to tackle the loneliness—a problem which is affecting more than 9 million people in the country, and is more harmful to one’s physical and mental health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

And the problem hasn’t just appeared recently. In 2014, the UK was given the title “loneliness capital of Europe” by The Telegraph. A survey found that British people were less likely to get to know their neighbors or build strong relationships with people than those from other European countries.

But this doesn’t mean that the problem only affects Britons. In fact, we’re suffering from loneliness now more than ever, despite most of the world now having access to the Internet, which has made us more connected than ever.

What we need, according to Kim Leadbetter, is to have “proper human connections”. “Our lives nowadays are so busy. We spend most of our time on our phones, laptops. We need to sit down and speak to human beings,” Leadbetter said.

But the first steps toward fighting this problem are to accept its existence. After all, without loneliness, many beautiful paintings, songs, and literary works wouldn’t even exist. And bad or not, being lonely is simply part of the experience of being human.

1. What can we learn about the UK’s loneliness problem?

A．The government is working to solve the problem.

B．More than half of British people suffer from loneliness.

C．The UK became the loneliest country in the world in 2014.

D．British people communicate less with their neighbors than ever.

2. What does the underlined word “tackle” in the third paragraph probably mean?

A．Suffer.

B．Fight.

C．Ignore.

D．Avoid.

3. What does Leadbetter suggest doing to deal with loneliness?

A．Accepting its existence calmly.

B．Making more phone calls to our friends.

C．Stopping the use of electronic products.

D．Communicating with the people around us face to face more often.

4. Which of the following would the author probably agree with?

A．Loneliness is bad to society.

B．It is hard to find a solution to social loneliness.

C．Loneliness is just a normal part of our life.

D．Only artists can appreciate the beauty of loneliness.

10 . “The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence（篱笆）.”That’s an old saying in English. It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live.“Let’s go to KFC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!”We all know it: more and more Chinese kids love American and Japanese food and movies. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.

Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. China has lots of cool things in its culture: calligraphy, Beijing Opera, quick meals on the streets, and even Jay Chou! And let's not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

It’s good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener.

Although some people become worried about that, I don’t think they should. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, it's fun to learn about different cultures. Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but they also need to learn more about their own culture. Be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese!

1. The author thinks young Chinese ________.

A．are ignoring our own culture	B．are foolish in learning our own culture
C．are interested in our own culture	D．are hating our own culture

2. In some young Chinese’s eyes, which of the following is not the “greener grass”?

A．Japanese cartoon books.	B．Korean soap operas.
C．The Mid-Autumn Festival.	D．Christmas.

3. In the author's opinion, what is the best feature of Chinese culture?

A．Hard-working.

B．Friendly.

C．Brave.

D．Honest.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese culture and western culture	B．Simple young Chinese
C．Interesting western culture	D．That grass is not always greener