1 . An idea that started in Seattle’s public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched the “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.
In Chicago, the mayor (市长) appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the “One Book, One Chicago” program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, it appeared that parents and children read to each other at night and strangers chatted away on the bus about the stories and character.
The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse (多样的) population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity can be achieved or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Finally, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not judged by how many people read a book, but by how many people are benefited by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not have shared a word.
1. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?| A．To invite authors to guide readers. | B．To encourage people to read and share. |
| C．To involve people in community service. | D．To promote the friendship between cities. |
| A．They had little interest in reading. |
| B．They were too busy to read a book. |
| C．They came from many different backgrounds. |
| D．They lacked support from the local government. |
| A．communicated with each other | B．discussed the meaning of a word |
| C．gained life experience | D．used the same language |
| A．the careful selection of a proper book |
| B．the growing popularity of the writers |
| C．the number of people who benefit from reading |
| D．the number of books that each person reads |
2 . 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. |
3 . Kyle Cassidy and three other members of the Annenberg Running Group were stretching on the grounds of the University of Pennsylvania, waiting for a few latecomers. The Penn colleagues and other community members meet three days a week for a nearly 30-minute jog and an occasional lecture. That’s right—during some runs, one of them delivers a talk. Topics range from the brain to Bitcoin.
But on this day last January, it would not be their normal run. The first clue that something was unusual was the man who sprinted past them. “What an amazing speed!” Cassidy told Runner’s World admiringly. Cassidy discovered why the sprinter was so fleet of foot when another man ran by, yelling, “Help! He took my phone and laptop!”
At that very point, the group did what running clubs do: They ran, trailing the suspect down the streets of Philadelphia until he ducked into a construction site. Cassidy ran around to the far side of the site to cut the thief off while the others wandered the neighborhood hoping he had thrown the loot in a backyard.
No luck. So they decided to ask residents whether they’d seen the guy. When they knocked on the door of one row house, they were in for a surprise. They didn’t know he had hidden behind a bush by that very house. As the owner opened the door, the suspect rushed out from behind the bush and right into the arms of campus police, who’d joined the chase shortly behind the runners.
The members of this running group are not hard-core athletes. But they do understand the benefit of a little exercise. “Running is typically a useless sport where you turn fat cells into heat,” Cassidy told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But occasionally it can be useful, and here was one of those opportunities.”
1. Why do the group members gather together?| A．To do some stretching. | B．To have a regular run. |
| C．To deliver a lecture. | D．To cover some topics. |
| A．pushed | B．rushed | C．jumped | D．escaped |
| A．the help of the runners | B．the owner of the row house |
| C．the joint efforts of the people | D．the campus police on guard |
| A．Athletic and generous. | B．Courageous and ambitious. |
| C．Thoughtful and strict. | D．Helpful and humorous. |
4 . Schools are not just a microcosm (缩影) of society; they mediate it too. The best
Trips that many adults would consider the
Probing the rock pools of a local beach or practicing French on a language exchange can fire children's passions, boost their skills and open their eyes to life's possibilities. The Sutton Trust, which focuses on improving social mobility, says educational outings help bright but
But £3,000 trips cannot be
The Department for Education's guidance says schools can charge only for board and lodging if the trip is part of the syllabus, and that students receiving government aid are exempt from these costs. However, many schools seem to ignore the advice；and it does not cover the kind of glamorous, exotic trips, which are becoming increasingly
| A．pretend | B．forget | C．seek | D．fail |
| A．examples | B．connections | C．extremes | D．ideals |
| A．encounter | B．adventure | C．invitation | D．advantage |
| A．profit | B．escape | C．suffer | D．choose |
| A．Furthermore | B．Therefore | C．Meanwhile | D．Thus |
| A．Introducing | B．Fulfilling | C．Relaxing | D．Rejecting |
| A．disabled | B．disciplined | C．distinguished | D．disadvantaged |
| A．case | B．prospect | C．performance | D．chance |
| A．claiming | B．ensuring | C．expecting | D．foreseeing |
| A．scolded | B．applauded | C．inspected | D．exposed |
| A．pooled | B．invested | C．sold | D．spent |
| A．booked | B．taken | C．enjoyed | D．justified |
| A．business | B．field | C．gift | D．conch |
| A．gratitude | B．satisfaction | C．guilt | D．relief |
| A．rare | B．unique | C．common | D．special |
5 . Why can’t we stop longing for the good old days
People in many countries are longing for the good old days. But when exactly were the good old days? Podcaster Jason Feifer devoted an episode of his program to this question. The most popular answer seemed to be the 1950s, so Mr. Feifer asked historians whether Americans in that decade thought it was particularly pleasant. Definitely not. In the 1950s, American sociologists worried that rampant individualism was tearing the family apart. There were serious racial and class tensions, and everyone lived under the nuclear threat.
In fact, many in the 1950s thought that the good old days were to be found a generation earlier, in the 1920s. But in the 1920s, child psychologist John Watson warned that because of increasing divorce races, the American family would soon cease to exist. Many people at the time idealized the Victor inn era, when families are strong and children respected their elders.
Why are human beings always so nostalgia for past eras that seemed difficult and dangerous to those who lived through them? One possibility is that we know we survived past dangers, so they seem smaller now. But we can never be certain we will solve the problems we are facing today. Radio didn't ruin the younger generation, but maybe the smart phone will.
Another reason is that historical nostalgia is often colored by personal nostalgia. When were the good old days? Was it, by chance, the incredibly short period when you happened to be young? A U.S. Poll found that people born in the 1930s and 1940s thought the 1950s was America’s best decade, while those born in the 1960s and 1970s preferred the 1980s.
This kind of nostalgia has neurological roots. Researchers have found that we encode more memories during adolescence and early adult hood than any other period of our lives, and when we think about the past, this is the period we most often return to. Moreover, as we grow more distant from past events, we tend to remember them more positively.
Obviously, some things readily were better in the past. But our instinctive nostalgia for the good old days can easily deceive us, with dangerous consequences. Longing for the past and fear of the future inhibit the experiments and innovations that drive progress.
Vaccination, steam engines, railroads and electricity all met with strong resistance when they were first introduced. The point isn’t to show how silly previous generations were. The same kinds of anxieties have been expressed in our own time about innovations like the internet, video games and stem-cell research.
And not all fears about the future are unbounded. New technologies do result in accidents, they disturb traditional cultures and habits, and they destroy old jobs while creating new ones. But the only way to learn how to make the best use of new technologies and reduce risks is by trial and error. The future won’t be perfect, but neither were the good old days.
1. The word “rampant” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________| A．limited | B．reasonable | C．uncontrolled | D．traditional |
| A．when American families still remained strong and children respected their elders |
| B．that was believed by Americans born in the 1930s and the 1940s to be the best decade |
| C．that saw a sharp increase in individualism and divorce rate in American society |
| D．when radical and class tensions became more serious but people no longer lived under the nuclear threat |
① people have a better memory of adolescence and early adulthood.
② More dangerous things happen during their youth and they learned how to survive them.
③ The dangers in youth were smaller and easier for people to deal with.
④ people remember events in their youth more positively as time goes by.
| A．①② | B．①③ | C．①④ | D．②④ |
| A．The current generation is not as silly As the previous generations. |
| B．It is unwise to be simply opposed to any new inventions and technologies. |
| C．People are constantly deceived by their instinctive nostalgia for the good old days. |
| D．The internet, video games and stem-cell research pose great threats to humanity. |
| A. suffering B. intensive C. demanding D. adopting E. inactive F. adapting G. available H. guarantee I. distinctive J. discouraging K. distinct |
Health and diet
In recent cars, many Asian countries have noticed a worrying new problem: obesity, which is also very serious in China. More than a third of Chinese adults are overweight. Even more worrying is the level of obesity among Chinese children. It is estimated that the number of children in China
There are many reasons for this situation. The simplest explanation is that food is now
Increasing obesity is worrying for many reasons. The condition can lead to serious health problems, including increased risk of heart disease and even diabetes. Dealing with their health problems seems really costly and
The government in China is taking action to deal with obesity, however. In many primary and middle schools, young students are receiving low calorie lunches with more vegetables and less meat and fat. Also, parents are
It is not
7 . The Internet, E-commerce and globalization are making a new economic era possible. In the future, capitalist markets will largely be replaced by a new kind of economic system based on networked relationships, contractual (契约的) arrangements and access rights.
Has the quality of our lives at work, at home and in our communities increased in direct proportion (比例) to all the new Internet and business-to-business Internet services being introduced into our lives? I have asked this question of hundreds of CEOs and corporate executives in Europe and the United States. Surprisingly, virtually everyone has said, “No, quite contrary.” The very people responsible for showing in what some have called a “technological renaissance” say they are working longer hours, feel more stressed, are more impatient, and are even less civil (礼貌的) in their dealings with colleagues and friends—not to mention strangers. And what’s more revealing, they place much of the blame on the very same technologies they are so aggressively championing (捍卫).
We are told that access would make life more convenient and give us more time. Instead, the very technological wonders that were supposed to liberate us have begun to enslave us in a web of connections from which there seems to be no easy escape.
If an earlier generation was concerned about the goal to enclose a vast geographic frontier, the generation to come, it seems, is more caught up in the colonization (殖民) of time. Every spare moment of our time is being filled with some form of commercial connection, making time itself the scarcest of all resources. Our e-mail, voice mail and cell phones, our 24-hour Interact news and entertainment all seize for our attention.
While we have created every kind of labor-and-time-saving device to serve our needs, we are beginning to feel like we have less time available to us than any other humans in history. That is because the wide spread of labor-and-time-saving services only increases the diversity, pace and flow of common day activity around us. For example, e-mail is a great convenience. However, we now find ourselves spending much of our day anxiously responding to each other’s electronic messages. The cell phone is a great time-saver, except now we are always likely to reach someone else who wants our attention.
Social conservatives talk about the decline in civility and blame it on the loss of a morality and religious values. Has anyone bothered to ask whether the fast speed culture is making all of us less patient and less willing to listen, consider and reflect?
Maybe we need to ask what kinds of connections really count and what types of access really matter in the e-economy era. If this new technology revolution is only about efficiency, then we risk losing something even more precious than time—our sense of what it means to be a caring human being.
1. According to the passage, a large number of CEOs think that________.| A．technology has a great impact on their lives |
| B．technology should be aggressively championed |
| C．technology renaissance should be pushed forward |
| D．technology actually results in a decline in their life quality |
| A．Time available. | B．Time saving devices. |
| C．Access to information. | D．Technological wonders. |
| A．Cell phones can save time as they help us reach those who want our attention. |
| B．Social conservatives blame the loss of morality on the decline in civility. |
| C．High efficiency is even more precious than being a caring human being. |
| D．It is difficult for us to avoid the influence of technology wonders. |
| A．The New Internet Life | B．The Declining Quality of Life |
| C．The Disadvantages of Too Much Access | D．The Failure of Technological Renaissance |
8 . There are times when murder is not committed because of cruelty. People may kill for other reasons such as anger, misunderstanding, and fear. Everyone has made mistakes because of such feeling. For society, it is a serious mistake to take the life of someone who has killed because it teaches everyone that forgiveness is unnecessary.
The government has the difficult job of deciding who is innocent and who is guilty, and this job can never be done perfectly. If capital punishment(死刑)is allowed, there always exists the possibility that an innocent person will be executed by mistake. When that happens, an even worse crime has been committed—the killing of an innocent person by the government. Then there is the fact that the poor and minorities get the death penalty more often than whites do. Furthermore, the idea that capital punishment stops criminals from committing murder is doubtful; studies have been unable to show that the fear of capital punishment stops someone from committing murder more than other punishments. And let us not forget that murdering the murderer is a violent act in itself; it is revenge(复仇).
The U.S. government once followed the example of Germany, Britain, France, and other nations that no longer execute their citizens-however, since 1977, our society has been allowing capital punishment again, at a high cost. We cannot imagine the pain of family members who have been waiting for years for the government’s decision to execute or not execute their loved ones. It also costs the taxpayer millions of dollars more to execute a criminal than to imprison that criminal for life. Prison is a better form of punishment because it protects society and punishes criminals by taking away their freedom.
People can change, even people who have made terrible mistakes. Life in prison gives people the chance to change. Caryl Chessman is an example of someone who became a better person in prison. He taught other prisoners how to read, and he wrote several books. Before his execution, he wrote that he had finally learned not to hate.
Chessman learned this important lesson in prison. But a dead man learns nothing, and an executed person will never change. When a government kills, it is murdering hope.
1. According to the passage, all the followings are the results of the capital punishment EXCEPT that________.| A．capital punishment doesn’t necessarily put an end to crimes |
| B．execution may cause an innocent person to die |
| C．the blacks get executed more often than the whites do |
| D．capital punishment may arouse a desire for revenge |
| A．Execution will cause the pain of the criminal’s family members. |
| B．Life imprisonment is more expensive than execution. |
| C．Some murders are mistakes, caused by anger or fear. |
| D．America used to be among the nations which abandoned execution. |
| A．everyone can become a better person in prison |
| B．everyone can make terrible mistakes |
| C．execution robs people of the chance to change |
| D．It is always a good thing to learn not to hate |
| A．Not all people who kill are cruel. | B．Capital punishment is revenge. |
| C．Prison can sometimes improve a person. | D．Execution is not a better form of punishment. |
9 . Beware of Phone/Online Scams(诈骗)
Have you been the victim of a phone/online seam? If you ever think that there’s really no reason to worry, just remember the following statistics.
—315,000 cases broken in 2015-2017 in China.
—More than billions of money involved.
—Victims of 19 years old top the list in terms of age.
—Victims of 18-25 years old account for 52.4% of the whole.
—……
And here in below we are sharing 4 typical types of Phone/Online scams and how to deal with them.
 | Hello, this is XX police station, you're involved in a case of money laundering(洗钱)(or some other financial crime). We need your cooperation with the investigation……Please transfer your money into the national security account. Tip 1: If you are really involved in financial crime, police will visit your home at the first opportunity and take you for investigation. Police are not so dumb as to inform you via telephone. And there is no such thing as national security account. | Hey: Wang(he may know your name). Drop by my office tomorrow morning. BTW, I will be treating some VIP clients soon. I need you to transfer some money into this account. It will refund your money tomorrow. Tip 2: Think about it. How could any boss in the world ask you for money? Meeting VIP clients without a cent in his pocket? And why doesn't he ask you to give the money to him in person? He is nobody but a scam! |  |
 | You've got a package which contains illegal drugs or goods. You are now requested to call this number to contact the Public Security Bureau. (Then it all follows scenario预设). Tip 3: Public Security Bureau WILL NOT deal with cases via phone calls. NEITHER WILL they send out notification via message. | (In some cases the number is disguised as authentic bank number through software). We are sorry to inform you that you have a bank overdraft. Please contact this customer service representative. His number is XXXXXXXXXX. Tip 4: DO NOT panic. REMEMBER to dial the official contact number of the back to double check. |  |
When receiving phone calls/emails from unidentified resources, please pay special attention if the conversation involves any of the following:
●bank cards
●lucky draw
●Transferred to government authorities, including but not limited to police, court/judge, etc.
●secured account
●refund related to online shopping
None of the above business will be carried out on phones or via emails/unofficial website links. So you may just treat them as spams.
Moreover, how to safeguard yourself?
●Never transfer money without face-to-face confirmation.
●Only do business online with those you know and trust or on the official website of the online retailer.
●Protect your personal information, including photo-ID numbers and copies, bank account and passwords.
●Don't trust website links in emails or text messages without verified sources.
●Never believe in Pie in the sky. If something is too good, it won't be true.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the survey of Phone/Online seams?| A．Statistics imply it's unnecessary to worry about the situation. |
| B．The number of those who are cheated is on the rise. |
| C．Nearly one third of a million cases remain to be solved. |
| D．Comparatively speaking, young adults are harder-hit age groups. |
| A．The police call to request your cooperation for a financial crime. |
| B．The boss asks you to transfer money to a VIP client via phone. |
| C．An unverified message informs you to collect a ¥500,000 prize. |
| D．The official website of an online retailer advertises for a business partner. |
| A．An email for college students. |
| B．A document for government authorities. |
| C．A law journal for E-business practitioners. |
| D．A security brochure for the public. |
10 . In 2002, an Australian man went to his friend’s 2lst birthday party. He got drunk, tripped on some steps and cut his lip. He took a picture of his injuries and shared it with his friends on an online forum. “And sorry about the focus,” he wrote, “it was a selfie.” That was the first recorded use of the world “selfie”. Word of the Year for 2013, in honour of the term that had taken over the world thanks to millions of smart phone self-portraits and the resulting shares on social media.
So what does the choice of the word say about our culture? Mary Elizabeth Williams, writing in Salon magazine, says the word reminds us that contemporary culture is defined by our narcissism (自恋). Megan Jackson from a local newspaper points out a selfie may only focus on appearance.
Selfies invite judgment based on appearance alone. What kind of cultural influence does this have on women? Erin Gloria Ryun on Jezebel says selfies teach young woman to obsess over their appearance and judge themselves on the basis of beauty rather than accomplishments. “They’re a reflection of the way we teach girls to see themselves as decorative,” said Ryun.
In Slate magazine, Rachel Simmons has the opposite view. She argues that selfies are an example of young women promoting themselves and taking control of their own self-presentation. Think of each one, she says, as “a tiny pulse of girl pride—a shout-out to the self”.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the first use of “selfie”?| A．An Australian man created it to celebrate his friend’s 21st birthday. |
| B．It was created by chance when a drunken man shared his photo online. |
| C．The Oxford Dictionary gave it credit for the creation of smart phone. |
| D．The social media were so advanced that they made the word transmitted. |
| A．Mary Elizabeth. | B．Megan Jackson. |
| C．Erin Gloria Ryun. | D．Rachel Simmons. |
| A．the introduction of the word “selfie” | B．the choice of the word “selfie” |
| C．the history of the word “selfie” | D．the characteristics of the word “selfie” |
