1 . For those who don’t decide their own working hours, a trial of four-day workweeks of 35-hour work weekly without a drop in pay among 2500 workers in Iceland has shown the old schedule may truly not be the most productive form of labor (劳动). The report, conducted by the research organization Autonomy and the Association for Sustainability and Democracy, found that negative markers like burnout (过度劳累), stress, necessary overtime, and disconnection with friends and family all went down, as would be expected, but that productivity remained at worst unchanged, and often improved in those working shorter hours.
The trials were such a success that following their conclusion in 2019,Mass renegotiation (重新协商)by labor unions means that 86% of Icelanders are now working non-traditional workweeks which could include 5-to-6-hour working days or four-day working weeks.
“This study shows that the world’s largest-ever trial of a shorter working week was a success,” said Will Stronge, director of Autonomy.
The main argument is that “burnout” depletes the ability of workers to be productive. A lack of production will sometimes result in a demand for overtime, especially by managers, further increasing burnout and decreasing productivity. In those who cannot afford to be less productive, like nurses for example, burnout simply results in negative health outcomes.
Hoping to see if they could replicate (复制)the productivity gains in other countries, the Reykjavid City Council started this trial, mostly at public offices, but also in private firms, to measure performance and worker well-being for four years.
Compared with non-participating firms or offices, productivity remained the same or increased in those participating, but it wasn’t free. Instead, as necessity is the mother of invention, a sort of mass re-imagining of operations was needed to achieve production or service goals with the reduced hours. This involved,as the report details, the shortening or early ending of meetings, and often a total reorganization of work processes to find where problems could be removed.
1. What does Autonomy’s report show?| A．Four-day workweeks are most productive. |
| B．Reducing regular work hours has many benefits. |
| C．Stress has no connection with working hours. |
| D．Workers should be flexible about their working hours. |
| A．They felt sad for most Icelanders. |
| B．They became worried about workers’ productivity. |
| C．They knew it was time for a change. |
| D．They decided to encourage hard work. |
| A．reduces | B．shows | C．loses | D．approves |
| A．it’s not really worth trying for many companies. |
| B．It is necessary to make some changes to ensure productivity. |
| C．It costs a lot to re-imagine operations. |
| D．It is very difficult for most companies to change their routine. |
2 . What do you think about when you wait at a crosswalk? What about checking out your friends’ new posts? Chances are, if you’re not visually impaired, you don’t think much about these everyday activities as you’re doing them. But for blind and low-vision(视力低下的）people, these kinds of things can be difficult if the people designing them don’t take steps to make them accessible.
One big problem blind people always face is the assumptions of sighted people about what they can and can’t do. Everette Bacon, President of the Utah chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, says more than once he’s had a stranger grab his arm, thinking he needs help.
“ It’s impressions about blindness that are far more threatening to blind people than the blindness itself,” says Daniel Kish, president of World Access for the Blind.
People’s assumptions about capability(能力）contribute to a low number of blind people working in or studying STEM( science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. People with low or no vision have a lot to offer in these fields. They are just as capable as anyone else at experimenting and making new discoveries.
One tool that provides accessible ways to help the blind interact (互动）with data and scientific equipment is the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2. It reads aloud data from over 70 sensors(传感器）commonly used in science experiments. Cary Supalo invented this device to help students experience hands-on science learning. He has been blind since the age of seven. “ For kids who are blind or vision impaired, before this technology existed, they had to be told what happened,”he says.
Making the world more accessible isn’t limited to inventing a cool new piece of technology, though. If you’re posting a picture on social media, adding a specific description of what’s happening in the picture, called alt text, can help blind people understand your post without having to rely on sight. If you’re building a website, or know someone who is, follow accessibility guidelines.
1. What does Bacon think of the stranger’s help?| A．It should be given more politely. |
| B．It showed people’s good hearts. |
| C．It was unnecessary. |
| D．It set a good example. |
| A．People’s prejudice |
| B．Their limited intelligence |
| C．A lack of blind-friendly labs |
| D．Their sensitive characteristics |
| A．Follow government guidelines. |
| B．Describe pictures in the alt text. |
| C．Add a voice document |
| D．Use a special website |
| A．more light, more happiness | B．your legal disability rights |
| C．what you assume matters | D．a world of accessibility |
3 . After receiving several complaints (投诉) from the customers, the owner of an Italian restaurant in Mooresville, North Carolina, has taken the decision to forbid(禁止) children under the age of five. Although facing criticism in social media, he says that business has grown greatly.
The owner describes his restaurant as a traditional and wonderful restaurant, but young children cry, scream or play on iPads at full volume (音量). It disturbs other customers and clearly doesn’t fit in too well in a wonderful meal. So the owner, Pasquale Caruso, set up a “no child under five” rule in January 2020.
“Some customers complain, get up and leave because children are bothering them, and the parents are doing nothing,” Caruso told the newspaper. “It starts to feel like it isn’t the Caruso’s anymore, that it’s a local pizzeria instead." Caruso added that he didn’t like taking this kind of decision, but in the end, he had to do what was best for his business. Since then, people have been voicing their opinions on the restaurant’ s unofficial Facebook page.
“You have forbidden small children. Then who are the next: blacks, Jews, native people? Shame on you!” one Facebook user called John commented. But for every critical comment, there are some that congratulate Caruso’s for taking such a brave decision. “Thank you for taking a stand,” some people wrote on its Facebook page.
“I’m the parent of 5. Don’t bring little ones to a nice restaurant or expect them to quietly sit still for an hour. They CAN NOT DO IT,” one person posted. Caruso said the online support for his controversial (有争议的) rule is reflected in the success of his business. The number of customers has risen from 50 a day to around 80.
1. The controversial rule of the Italian restaurant is that ________.| A．he doesn’t accept complaints from customers |
| B．children under 5 are forbidden in this restaurant |
| C．customers cannot come in with their iPads |
| D．a child area will be built in the restaurant |
| A．do their homework | B．eat pizzas from other shops |
| C．make a lot of noises | D．talk with their parents in a low voice |
| A．Most of people go against his behavior. |
| B．His restaurant gets into trouble. |
| C．He has to stop his rule at once. |
| D．There are more customers than before. |
| A．A strange restaurant in Italy |
| B．The trouble from young parents |
| C．Pasquale Caruso’s brave decision |
| D．The impolite behavior in restaurants |
4 . The Chinese fashion icon, qipao, was born a century ago in Shanghai. However, the dress made its way through history from the hands of old craftsmen and is deep-rooted in Chinese culture.
“Qipao used to be so popular,” Leung Long-kong, 89, a well-known qipao craftsman, says, adding that the dress was an everyday outfit among women, from the less well-off to women at the highest levels of society. “Now, nobody is wearing them except on grand and happy occasions.”
To carry on the tradition, fashion designer Mary Yu, 41, who has been attending classes teaching knot button-making techniques, is trying to renew the design of qipao by taking symbols from Chinese history and literature.
“I feel I should look into Chinese culture and learn more about the past. People should have an in-depth understanding of their culture in order to move on,” Yu says. “Fashion design requires a profound knowledge of one’s culture before visualizing it.” “After a period of wearing foreign brands all the time, there will be a day when one looks back to traditional Chinese culture. It is about finding the stuff that exists in your genes and suits you best.”
Yu set up her own qipao brand in 2016. Most of the clothes were made by tailors based in Shenzhen and Hangzhou, for their lower cost and more traditional work.
In the constantly evolving fashion industry, qipao is catching up with the times. Zippers, digital print patterns and new materials such as lace and denim have been introduced to a new generation. More daring ideas like 3D printed qipao have also become a reality. Yu believed that with the help of these new technologies, qipao will find its way back to the daily life of Chinese people in the near future.
1. Why does the author quote Leung Long-kong in Paragraph 2?| A．To call on Chinese women to wear qipao in everyday life. |
| B．To introduce the development of qipao in China. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of qipao in China nowadays. |
| D．To show that qipao is no longer as popular as it was. |
| A．Creative. | B．Conservative. | C．Cautious. | D．Considerate |
| A．passing | B．withdrawing | C．developing | D．following |
| A．Qipao is an iconic sign in the fashion industry. |
| B．Qipao is on its way back to the daily life of Chinese. |
| C．Qipao enjoys a good reputation in the world. |
| D．Qipao is seen as a symbol of wealth in modern China. |
1. 表明你的观点；
2. 阐述所持观点的理由。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Ambiguous. |
7 . The UK’s planned ban on sales of new petrol, diesel (柴油) or hybrid (混合动力) cars could start as early as 2032, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said. Last week, the government raised industry concern after bringing the date forward from 2040 to 2035 in order to hit zero-carbon emission targets. But Mr. Shapps told BBC Radio 5 live it would happen by 2035, “or even 2032,” adding there would be consultation.
The main car trade body had previously said the 2035 figure was “concerning”.
The government is setting out its proposals in a United Nations climate summit in November. A Department for Transport spokesperson said, “We are consulting on a range of possible dates to bring forward the end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars.”
“The proposal for this is 2035 — or earlier if a faster transition appears reasonable — as well as including hybrids for the first time.” The UK has set a target of emitting zero carbon by 2050. Experts warned that the original target date of 2040 would still leave old conventional cars on the roads 10 years later. Once the ban comes into effect, only electric cars will be available. Hybrid vehicles are now included in the proposals, which were originally announced in July 2017.
Despite this, Royal Automobile club spokesman Simon Williams said, “While the government appears to be constantly moving forward for ending the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles, drivers should not be worried about choosing a hybrid car now.” “They are potentially the perfect stepping stone for those who want to go electric but have concerns about range (续航), as they aren’t as expensive as a battery electric vehicle. At the moment, they give drivers the best of both worlds.”
How attached are British people to their petrol vehicles? How long until conventional cars go the way of steam engine cars and horse coaches?
1. What is the car industry's attitude towards the ban on the sale of conventional cars?| A．Ambiguous. | B．Indifferent. | C．Worried. | D．Approving. |
| A．To remove the concern of main car trade body. |
| B．To hold back the development of pure battery electric cars. |
| C．To hold a United Nations climate summit in November. |
| D．To meet the zero carbon emission target as planned. |
| A．It's still a wise choice to choose a hybrid car nowadays. |
| B．Battery electric cars should be widely used immediately. |
| C．Drivers should consider about range when choosing a car. |
| D．People should abandon petrol vehicles as soon as possible. |
| A．They will fall out of use some day. | B．They are as important as horse coaches. |
| C．They will remain as a family necessity. | D．They may increase your daily expenses. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I’m worried that you’ve been addicted to share pictures in WeChat circle recently. You even share all sort of photos in your daily life. Of course, WeChat makes better to understand each other and makes our life more colorful, which is very convenient for us to communicate with. However, there exist some potential trouble if we overshare. One serious problem is leaking privacy, that may cause a lot of trouble. Besides, oversharing can make others uncomfortably, for they think you are showing off.
Thus, neither should we post our personal information, or should we blindly add strangers to a list of friends. It’s much wise to set aside some time to accompany parents or do something more meaningful, such as reading books or taking exercise.
9 . Oceans hold a lot of mystery, even for people who study them. But it’s no mystery why they’re in trouble. We’ve been using them to hide our waste, such as pouring oil, plastic, and poisonous chemicals into them for decades. We’ve over exploited (剥削) many fish stocks to levels so low that they can no longer be harvested.
Oceans are also a primary source of protein for millions of people worldwide. If we want to continue to enjoy what oceans provide, we need to do everything we can to protect them and the life they support. We should ensure the seafood we eat is sustainable.
Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to catch their own fish, which means having sustainable options at the store is critical. As public and companies awareness about the risks caused by overfishing and uncontrolled sea farming expansion has grown, food tradesmen in Canada have developed sustainable seafood policies and commitments.
Seafood Progress, an online resource, is designed to help provide rewards to tradesmen and information to seafood lovers. It makes it easier for consumers in Canada to find out tradesmen’s policies on sourcing sustainable seafood, whether they’re sticking to those policies and how they’re performing compared to their peers.
But tradesmen must do more to ensure their seafood products are environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. This means expanding the scope of their commitments to cover all seafood products they sell, in all their stores. It also requires continuing to work with suppliers and producers to improve practices and make sure the sustainable seafood supply meets consumer demand.
It’s no mystery that if we want to continue to eat fish, we must do it responsibly. Seafood Progress has invited seafood tradesmen, suppliers and consumers to join in pushing to this goal.
1. What’s the cause of oceans’ being in trouble according to paragraph 1?| A．The ever-changing of the global climate. |
| B．The mystery that people haven’t studied. |
| C．The over exploitation and use of the oceans. |
| D．The continuous decrease of fish stocks. |
| A．Provide rewards to them. |
| B．Urge them to stick to policies. |
| C．Provide them with enough seafood. |
| D．Let them know about tradesmen’s policies. |
| A．Millions of people rely on oceans for protein. |
| B．People fail to note the consequence of overfishing. |
| C．Seafood Progress helps American customers to be informed about tradesmen’s policies. |
| D．Tradesmen can sell seafood products without limit. |
| A．Through expanding seafood production. |
| B．By protecting all the tradesmen’s profit. |
| C．By making policies to control seafood consumers. |
| D．By joint efforts of people involved in seafood. |
10 .
Researchers at Syracuse University in New York tried to answer that question. They came up with some surprising answers. People who post selfies and use editing software to make themselves look better show behavior connected to admiring themselves too much, the Syracuse researchers said.
Other findings from the study include: There are no major differences on how often men and women post selfies and how often they use editing software.
The Newhouse School's Associate Professor Makana Chock worked on the study. She said, posting selfies on social media is not all that different from what people have done for many years. On trips, our parents and grandparents used cameras to take photos. Before social media, people would bring back photos to show friends and family. You had no choice but to look at them. If you are a nice person, you commented about how nice everyone in the photos looked, especially children and the person showing the photos.
On social media, it is a different experience. People can decide not to look at photos of their friends and family even if they click "like" even "love" under the Facebook selfie.
| A．Why do people take "selfies?" |
| B．That was the old way of "clicking" like. |
| C．Different people have different opinions about it. |
| D．Such people think very highly of themselves, especially how they look. |
| E．Both cameras and phones are useful tools to record people's experiences. |
| F．But men desire to be seen as popular more than women when posting selfies. |
| G．There are other reasons, besides admiring themselves, why people post selfies. |
