1 . The idea of low material desire, low consumption and refusing to work, marry and have children, concluded as a “lying down” lifestyle, recently struck a chord with many young Chinese who are eager to take pause to breathe in this fast-paced and highly-competitive society.
Many millennials (千禧一代) and generation Zs complained to the Global Times that burdens, including work stress, family disputes and financial strains, have pushed them “against the wall”. They said they hate the “involution(内卷),” joking that they would rather give up some of what they have than get trapped in an endless competition against peers.
“Instead of always following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, endure and sacrifice to bear the stresses, they prefer a temporary lying down as catharsis (宣泄) and adjustment,” said a scholar. “It is no wonder that some young people, under the growing pressures from child-raising to paying the mortgage (按揭) today, would try to live in a simple way and leave the worries behind.”
Interestingly, the majority of millennials and Gen Zs reached by the Global Times, who claim to be big fans of the lying down philosophy, acknowledged that they only accept a temporary lying down as a short rest. It is true that with the great improvement of living conditions, some Chinese youth have partially lost the spirit of hardship and are not willing to bear too much hard work. But in fact, lying down is not entirely comfortable. Young people who lie down always feel guilty about their constant loss of morale (士气) far beyond their reach.
“Young people on campus have both aspirations and confusion about their future, but most of us have rejected setting ourselves up in chains to waste opportunities and challenges,” a postgraduate student told the Global Times. “It’s no use running away. I have to ‘stand up’ and face the reality sooner or later.”
1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Warned. | B．Punished. | C．Amused. | D．Touched. |
| A．Improvements in living conditions. |
| B．Growing pressure from family and social life. |
| C．Increasing material possessions from families. |
| D．Temporary adjustment to failure in competitions. |
| A．Understanding. | B．Intolerant. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．They never really drop their responsibilities. |
| B．They really enjoy the “lying down” lifestyle. |
| C．They find their dreams far beyond their reach. |
| D．They would rather escape than take challenges. |
How many times do you check your WeChat Moments or micro blog in a day to see whether your latest post has gotten another “like”? Although you might be embarrassed
According to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Brain Mapping Center,
Why is it that so many young people want the
The article “Why do people want attention?” explains several cases in which people
3 . I recently heard a wonderful new parenting phrase that I suspect is going to become a regular addition to my vocabulary. The phrase is “benign neglect”, and it refers to leaving one’s children free to make their own decisions, control their own time, and generally act like adults.
Jeni Marinucci, who first introduced me to this phrase, described how she treats her children almost as if they were hearty houseplants: “They should be watered abundantly and you should ensure they get plenty of sunshine. But otherwise, just let them be.” From a young age, her children have been making their own hair and other appointments (after she showed them how to do it). Similarly, their time is their own to use as they wish. On a lazy Saturday, it’s up to them to figure out a ride to the movies and how to make breakfast and lunch for themselves.
The “benign neglect approach” may sound extreme to some readers. Indeed, one commenter on Marinucci’s article accused her of neglecting to raise her children at all, which seems a bit uncomfortable. It’s true that her approach would not work for everyone, but at the very least she recognizes what so many parents these days fail to acknowledge — that our beloved children will spend a far greater percentage of their lives as adults than they will as children, so we parents neglect a fundamental requirement of our job if we fail to prepare them for that independence.
I like that “benign neglect” pays attention to the parental side of parenting, and does not focus entirely on the children. However, miracles will only happen if I hand over responsibilities to my growing children. It’s like the old proverb: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Making decisions. | B．Controlling one’s time. |
| C．The author’s vocabulary. | D．A new parenting phrase. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing the data. |
| C．By giving a statement. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Give them a good education. | B．Instruct them to be independent. |
| C．Meet their reasonable demands. | D．Love them unconditionally. |
| A．Focus Your Kids Entirely | B．Learn to Say No to Your Kids |
| C．“Benign Neglect” Isn’t a Bad Thing for Kids | D．“Benign Neglect” Doesn’t Work for Everyone |
1. How long was the baby elephant trapped in the well?
| A．For 8 hours. | B．For 9 hours. | C．For 11 hours. |
| A．They stood far away to watch. |
| B．They removed some of the soil. |
| C．They cut some bananas. |
| A．The mother elephant. | B．The villagers. | C．The baby elephant himself. |
| A．A writer. | B．A doctor. | C．An anchor. |
5 . Teens who have good, supportive relationships with their teachers enjoy better health as adults, according to research published by an American research center.
“This research suggests that improving students’ relationships with teachers could have positive and long-lasting effects beyond just academic success,” said Jinho Kim, a professor at Korea University and author of the study. “It could also bring about health implications in the long run.” Previous research has suggested that teens’ social relationships might be linked to health outcomes in adulthood. However, it is not clear whether the link between teen relationships and lifetime health is causal (因果的) — it could be that other factors, such as different family backgrounds, might contribute to both relationship problems in adolescence and to poor health in adulthood. Also, most research has focused on teens’ relationships with their peers (同龄人), rather than on their relationships with teachers.
To explore those questions further, Kim analyzed data on nearly 20, 000 participants from the Add Health study, a national study in the U. S. that followed participants from seventh grade into early adulthood. The participant pool included more than 3, 400 pairs of siblings (兄弟姐妹). As teens, participants answered questions, like “How often have you had trouble getting along with other students and your teachers?” As adults, participants were asked about their physical and mental health.
Kim found that participants who had reported better relationships with both their peers and teachers in middle and high school also reported better physical and mental health in their mid-20s. However, when he controlled for family background by looking at pairs of siblings together, only the link between good teacher relationships and adult health remained significant.
The results suggest teacher relationships are more important than previously realized and that schools should invest in training teachers on how to build warm and supportive relationships with their students. “This is not something that most teachers receive much training in,” Kim said, “but it should be.”
1. What does the underlined word “implications” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Recipes. | B．Habits. | C．Risks. | D．Benefits. |
| A．Poor health in adolescence. | B．Teens’ relationships with their peers. |
| C．Limitations of the previous research. | D．Factors affecting health in adulthood. |
| A．Positive student-teacher relationship helps students’ adult health. |
| B．Good family background promises long-term adult health. |
| C．Healthy peer relationships leads to students’ academic success. |
| D．Good adult health depends on teens’ good teachers. |
| A．A medical report. | B．A health magazine. | C．A term paper. | D．A family survey. |
6 . Two days after eight e-sports (电子竞技) games were officially announced to be included in the 19th Asian Games, China’s Edward Gaming (EDG) team earned its first League of Legends World Championship title with a 3-2 win over South Korea in a tough battle on November 7th, immediately drawing cheers from people around the country. The topic “EDG wins” had been viewed more than 2.63 billion times as of press on Sina Weibo, ranking the top trending topic for a long time.
With the popularity of digital technology, new forms of cultural exchanges have been appearing, of which e-sports are the most popular. Unlike texts and videos, e-sports go beyond the barriers of language and are understandable around the world. E-sports mostly appeal to those in their early 20s, as shown by the carnival (狂欢) of college students. That in turn makes them a good bridge of communication between young Chinese people and their counterparts (对应的人) around the world.
More importantly, the e-sports industry is sustainable in spreading Chinese culture, as the large audiences mean huge commercial potential. In 2020 alone, the sales revenue of the domestic e-sports industry exceeded 278.69 billion yuan, and involved 280,000 enterprises which in turn created over 10 million jobs. According to a media report, nearly 95 percent of graduates from e-sports majors at the Communication University of China in Nanjing, succeeded in finding a job after graduation this year, with 62 percent of them devoted to the e-sports industry, including video game clubs, game design companies and game competition operation companies.
The inclusion of e-sports in major sporting events has been a much-discussed topic in recent years. With more Chinese gaming clubs and teams emerging, the industry is expected to further prosper and continue spreading Chinese culture to the world.
1. What did people on Chinese social media cheer for?| A．Eight e-sports would be included in Asian Games. |
| B．China’s e-sports industry was recognized by the world. |
| C．EDG won the League of Legends World Championship. |
| D．The 19th Asian Games were announced to be held in China. |
| A．They appeal to people of all ages. |
| B．They become a symbol of Chinese culture. |
| C．They result in the development of digital technology. |
| D．They strengthen the bond between young people around the world. |
| A．The high demands on e-sports players. |
| B．The difficulties of developing e-sports. |
| C．The importance of game design companies. |
| D．The contributions of e-sports industry to the economy. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Conservative. |
7 . A competition making up Versailles literature was launched on Sina Weibo recently. So what is Versailles literature?
Actually, the term has nothing to do with the French palace nor with literature. It came from The Rose of Versailles, a Japanese manga series about aristocratic life at the palace of Versailles in France in the late 18th century, and was coined by a Chinese influencer earlier this year. Known as humblebragging, it is a boast disguised as a complaint. “I have too many houses. How can I decide which one to decorate?” and “I thought I lost weight this morning. So disappointed when I realized it was because I took off the huge diamond ring my boyfriend gave me last night” are some examples of Versailles literature. The intention is to show off — usually things of materialistic values, yet one ought to pretend that’s not the point.
As the 19th century English author Jane Austen famously wrote, “Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility.” The psychology behind humblebragging is to be recognized for one’s successes and be liked by others at the same time, according to scholars. In her article titled Why do people hate humblebragging? published in Psychology Today, psychologist Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne at the University of Massachusetts Amherst noted that humblebragging is a “strategy in pursuit of respect” because it draws attention to one’s accomplishments in a circuitous way.
However, studies on social media users show that humblebragging as a self-promotion strategy does not work. In the essay Humblebragging: A distinct and ineffective self-presentation strategy, the University of North Carolina researcher Ovul Sezer and Harvard University scholars Francesca Gino and Michael Norton concluded from their research that humblebraggers are perceived more negatively than straight braggers due to the former’s insincerity. “The critical factor differentiating the two groups of people is sincerity. People don’t like braggers, but they at least see them as more sincere than humblebraggers,” said Francesca Gino.
So, how can we annoy humblebraggers back? “Just pretend you don’t get whatever it is they try to show off,” a netizen advised. “And respond with genuine sympathy for their complaints.”
1. Which of the following statements is typical of “Versailles literature”?| A．You know who my father is? My father is Li Gang. |
| B．Got five offers to date. I’m at a loss which to choose. |
| C．It’s a headache how to make my son tidy up his room regularly. |
| D．I’m fed up with living in the countryside with no shopping malls around. |
| A．To win others’ sympathy. | B．To earn others’ admiration. |
| C．To show his/her sincerity. | D．To mask his / her complaint. |
| A．Indirect. | B．Straightforward. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Double-edged. |
| A．Braggers are relatively more sincere than humblebraggers. |
| B．Humblebragging is an artificial appearance of being humble. |
| C．To respond with real sympathy will discourage humblebraggers. |
| D．If you want to be perceived positively, try to use Versailles literature. |
8 . “It's possible to jump to happy endings a little too quickly,” says Laura King, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia. In her research with people who have experienced major life challenges, King has found that people whose stories gloss over（掩盖）conflict tend to become happier over the course of two years.
“The ability to take some time and experience grief（悲伤）or unhappiness improves your ability to appreciate the world in all its richness and complexity,” King says.
In one study, King asked parents to tell the story of discovering that their child had Down syndrome. Immediately after telling their stories and again two years later, the parents completed measures of subjective well-being. Researchers blind to the participants' test scores read their stories and recorded the presence of foreshadowing（预示）and whether the stories had happy or sad beginnings and endings. The researchers also scored how vividly the stories illustrated conflict, struggle and exploration.
Two years later, the parents who had grown happier were the ones who had written stories with happy endings. “I knew everything would be all right,” one woman wrote. Another parent wrote, “I know my daughter is quite special. She's the closest I've come to an angel on Earth.”
However, only the parents who first vividly described their mixed feelings upon learning of their child's diagnosis grew happier. “I cried a lot,” wrote a parent. “The pain was so deep. I felt cheated. I could hardly function.” These were also the parents who later seemed best able to fully appreciate their children's gifts and limitations.
1. What did the study find?| A．People with sick child tend to be happier. |
| B．People usually jump to happy endings too quickly. |
| C．People who go through challenges may become happier. |
| D．People need to suffer difficulty to be able to appreciate happiness. |
| A．Who the research focused on. |
| B．Why researchers did the study. |
| C．What benefit the finding will bring us. |
| D．How researchers carried out the study. |
| A．Preview what will happen to them. |
| B．Describe their mixed feelings clearly. |
| C．Write a story with a happy beginning. |
| D．Take good care of their sick children. |
| A．A news report. | B．A diary. |
| C．A travel guide. | D．A short story. |
9 . Griffin Kubik spent two years at Chicago Waldorf preschool before his parents pulled the plug on his formal education. The 6-year-old now spends his days with his parents travelling in their newly purchased touring car.“
Griffin is one of about 3.5 million homeschooled children in the nation. This number has been growing by 3 to 8 percent each year, since 2012, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
But homeschooling isn’t problem-free. As public school teachers, Genola Johnson and her husband are homeschooling their children.“
| A．Tasks can easily get out of control |
| B．Homeschooling is becoming more unacceptable |
| C．Homeschooling can also become very expensive |
| D．We suggest creating a schedule for homeschooling |
| E．That growing popularity can result from a number of things |
| F．Homeschooling can also be designed to fit a family’s lifestyle |
| G．For our family, learning while travelling is of more benefit than going to school |
10 . World’s richest woman Gina Rinehart is suffering a media firestorm over an article in which she blames the middle class for “drinking, or smoking and socializing” rather than working to earn their own fortune. What if she has a point?
Steve Siebold, author of “How Rich People Think”, spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else. It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality.
Average people think money is the root of all evil (罪恶). Rich people believe poverty is the root of all evil. “The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest,” Siebold writes. That’s why there’s a certain shame that comes along with getting rich in lower-income communities. “The rich knows that while having money doesn’t guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable.”
Average people believe you have to do something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to be something to get rich. “While the masses are attached to the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it’s a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results,” he writes.
Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained. The rich don’t think it a must to earn their wealth through formal education, and they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says. “Walk into a wealthy person’s home and you often see many books used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,” he writes. “The middle class reads novels, tabloids (小报) and entertainment magazines”.
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic of the text. |
| B．To describe the life of the middle class. |
| C．To introduce the richest woman in the world. |
| D．To show readers the supporting details of the article. |
| A．Probably because he succeeds by dishonest means. |
| B．Probably because people are misled by false ideas. |
| C．Probably because he becomes rich by pure chance. |
| D．Probably because people think of him as the root of evil. |
| A．Everyone can go to the library for further education. |
| B．Education should be received through formal ways. |
| C．Learning should last for one’s whole life. |
| D．Novels and tabloids bring people poverty. |
| A．Rich People Think Differently | B．Education or Entertainment? |
| C．Average People Long for Fortune | D．How to Earn Wealth? |
