1 . Things in my life have changed over the past two decades, but one thing has remained constant: books. In times of great distress (忧虑) or sadness, books are always my answer. When I walk into my local bookstore, Bookends & Beginnings, and see all the books smiling back at me, I am no longer alone.
Though I do whatever I can to shop locally when buying books, the same cannot be said for the rest of America. According to the United States Census Bureau, the number of US bookstores has been roughly cut in half, from 12,151 in 1998 to 6, 045 in 2019. That number continues to dwindle as companies like Amazon continue to grow.
Many individuals cite (引证) Amazon’s cheaper prices as the reason for not shopping with independent bookstores. In reality, though, the price on a book jacket represents the publisher’s calculation of the reasonable cost of producing that book — from the author who writes it, the agent who represents it, the editor who works on it, the designers who create the cover, and the book-store who needs to pay their staff.
Amazon charges less because it does not depend upon the sale of books to sustain its business. It makes money through mining your data, and for many years, Amazon had agreements with investors that allowed them to sell their books at a loss because they knew they would make money other ways.
This price difference often leads to confusion at independent bookstores: why should I pay $18 for a book here when I can get it for $10 on Amazon? The reality is that buying local and supporting independent bookstores supports a pillar of one’s community, a safe, warm, and inviting place filled with endless knowledge and opportunities. That’s why you should pay the $18.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．He usually lives on his own. | B．He is always in a bad mood. |
| C．He is greatly fond of reading books. | D．He loves buying books on Amazon. |
| A．Spread. | B．Decrease. | C．Disappear. | D．Improve. |
| A．It sees book sales as its key business. | B．It is permitted to sell books at a loss. |
| C．It makes its investors very disappointed. | D．It wants all independent bookstores to shut down. |
| A．To stop people from shopping on the Internet. |
| B．To explain why books at local stores cost more. |
| C．To explain why independent bookstores are struggling. |
| D．To encourage readers to support independent bookstores. |
1. What do we know about the man?
| A．He is staying in his friends’ house. |
| B．He is to blame for the stolen things. |
| C．He is busy with his own business. |
| A．About 7: 00 p. m. | B．About 10: 00 p. m. | C．About 11: 00 p. m. |
| A．The TV set. | B．The computer. | C．The paintings. |
| A．The man’s wife. | B．A policewoman. | C．The owner of the house. |
3 . Have you ever sat in hospital bed with the doctors around talking about you as though you didn’t exist? Research into patients’ view of healthcare has shown that this is common. This behaviour gets to the root of how patients evaluate the quality of care they receive.
While doctors like to focus on treatment outcomes, this isn’t how the public assess whether their doctor is good. Research has consistently shown that most patients evaluate their experiences on how polite the doctor was, not on the actual quality of medicine practised.
My mum, for example, recently started losing her sight. She went for an urgent appointment with an eye specialist at her local NHS hospital. When I telephoned her that evening to see how it went, she replied, “Oh, they were all so lovely and kind.” In fact, the clinic was running late and she’d had to wait an hour to see the nurse, and three hours to see the consultant. From a medical perspective, the consultation clearly hadn’t been a success. While they’d ruled out emergency causes for her sight loss, they hadn’t really got to the bottom of the problem. She was now back at home, still unable to see properly and with no idea if she was going to go permanently blind. But what mattered to her was that a nurse had met her at the door and took her to her seat. They’d asked about how the loss of sight had impacted on her life, so my mum felt she had received good care simply because the doctors and nurses had listened to her.
Patients don’t evaluate the actual medicine; it’s the communication skills of the doctor or the nurse that determine how they evaluate the care. If doctors or nurses listened to their patients, that means we can improve the NHS(英国国民健康保险制度)without spending money.
1. What do we know about the research?| A．Doctors tend to talk a lot. |
| B．Patients find the root of the problem. |
| C．Doctors undervalue patients’ subjective feeling. |
| D．Patients think highly of the quality of their medical treatment. |
| A．They stayed late to find the cause. | B．They cured her of her loss of sight. |
| C．They showed great concern for her. | D．They reacted slowly to her condition. |
| A．Doctors should be good communicators. |
| B．Patients ought to be more understanding. |
| C．Communication skills are the most critical for doctors. |
| D．The government should invest more money in health care system. |
| A．A guidbook. | B．A magazine. | C．A diary. | D．A novel. |
4 . While still in its early stages, welfare reform has already been judged a great success in many states —at least in getting people off welfare. It’s estimated that more than 2 million people have left the rolls(名单) since 1994.
In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens County have been cut in half. But 70 percent of the people who left in the past two years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. The result: The Athens County poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent - twice the national average. For advocates for the poor, that’s an indication that much more needs to be done.
“More people are getting jobs, but it’s not making their lives any better,” says Kathy Lairn, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.
A center analysis of US Census data nationwide found that last year, a greater percentage of single, female-headed households were earning money on their own, but that average income for these households actually went down.
But for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.
“Welfare was a poison. It was a toxin that was poisoning the family,” says Robert Rector, a welfare-reform policy analyst. “The reform is changing the moral climate in low-income communities. It’s beginning to rebuild the work ethic, which is much more important.”
Mr. Rector and others argued that once “the habit of dependency is cracked,” then the country can make other policy changes aimed at improving living standards.
1. Why don’t people enjoy their lives better when they get jobs?| A．Because they are used to relying on welfare to make livings. |
| B．Because the cost of living is higher than before. |
| C．Because many families are not satisfied with their income. |
| D．Because their wages are very low. |
| A．government aids | B．work ethic |
| C．welfare funds | D．moral awareness |
| A．To improve their living standards. | B．To help them be employed. |
| C．To get them off welfare. | D．To increase their wage. |
| A．He is completely certain about the success of welfare reform. |
| B．He thinks that welfare reform has done little good for the poor. |
| C．He considers welfare reform successful in general. |
| D．He insists welfare reform has increased the government’s burden. |
5 . Although social media can be enjoyable and beneficial, online relationships simply cannot replace real life connection. But simply being in the flesh with someone does not make a lasting, meaningful relationship, which got me thinking: what, exactly, does? My search to answer this question took me back more than 2,000 years to Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics. What I found couldn’t be more insightful, and it rings just as true today as it must have then.
Aristotle writes that there are three different kinds of friendship:
FRIENDSHIPS BASED ON UTILITY, in which one or both of the parties gain something as a result of the friendship (think: much of the modern “networking” enterprise, or becoming friends with someone because you think they can help you).
FRIENDSHIPS BASED ON PLEASURE, or those centered around pleasant experiences (think: people with whom you can have a good, carefree time).
FRIENDSHIPS BASED ON VIRTUE, in which both individuals share the same values (think: people whom you admire and respect, and with whom you share what you find most important in life).
It’s fascinating that, centuries ago, Aristotle offered that many individual often pursue friendships primarily for utility. And it’s easy to see that some things never change.
Likewise, he wrote, “Those who love because of what is good for themselves, and those who love because of pleasure do so because of what is pleasant to themselves. Yet what one finds useful or pleasurable, is not permanent but is always changing; thus, when the reason for the friendship is done away, the friendship is dissolved.”
It’s OK to have some friendships mainly for utility and pleasure, but it’s important to realize that these fill a different purpose and are likely to have a shorter lifespan than one built upon shared virtue. And it is the friendships based on virtue that are worth protecting and cherishing. But they require considerable energy to maintain -- as Aristotle wrote, “lack of conversation has broken many a friendship” -- but what you get out of these friendships easily outweighs what you put in.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards Aristotle’s grouping of friendship?| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By offering instructions. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By drawing conclusions. |
| A．Because there are always other friends around. |
| B．Because people only consider their own benefits. |
| C．Because people’s pursuit is not always the same. |
| D．Because different people make friends for different reasons. |
| A．Spend face-to-face time with your friends. |
| B．Keep talking to the ones with shared values. |
| C．Value the advantages you get out of a friend. |
| D．Create a pleasant atmosphere for a conversation. |
What would you do if your pet died? Many pet lovers would go out and buy another one. But one American woman was unable
Little Nicky
GSC said it had to try 80 times before it succeeded in producing the cloned cat.
7 . As many as 300 million full-time jobs around the world could be automated in some way by the newest wave of artificial intelligence that has made platforms like ChatGPT, according to Goldman Sachs economists.
They predicted in a report Sunday that 18% of work globally could be computerized, with the effects caused more deeply in advanced economies than emerging markets. That’s partly because white-collar workers are seen to be more at risk than manual laborers. Administrative workers and lawyers are expected to be most affected, the economists said, compared to the “little effect” seen on physically demanding or outdoor occupations, such as construction and repair work.
In the United States and Europe, about two-thirds of current jobs “are exposed to some degree of AI automation”, and up to a quarter of all work could be done by AI completely, the bank estimates.
Further use of such Al will likely lead to job losses, the Goldman Sachs economists wrote. But they noted that technological innovation that initially displaces workers has historically also created employment growth in the long run.
While workplaces may shift, widespread adoption of Al could ultimately increase labor productivity—and boost global GDP by 7% annually over a 10-year period, according to Goldman Sachs economists.
“Although the impact of AI on the labor market is likely to be significant, most jobs and industries are only partially exposed to automation and are thus more likely to be complemented rather than replaced by AI,” the economists added. “Most workers are employed in occupations that are partially exposed to AI automation and, following AI adoption, will likely apply at least some of their freed-up capacity toward productive activities that increase output.”
Of US workers expected to be affected, for instance, 25% to 50% of their workload “can be replaced,” the researchers added. “The combination of significant labor cost savings, new job creation, and a productivity boost for non-displaced workers raises the possibility of a labor productivity boom like those that followed the emergence of earlier general-purpose technologies like the electric motor and personal computer.”
1. Who are less likely to be affected by AI automation according to Paragraph 2?| A．Lawyers. | B．Repairmen. |
| C．White-collar workers. | D．Administrative workers. |
| A．AI has caused huge job losses. |
| B．AI may increase labor productivity. |
| C．AI has replaced most jobs and industries. |
| D．AI may cause little impact on the labor market. |
| A．To show the benefits of AI. |
| B．To show using AI wasted a lot of money. |
| C．To show AI had a bad effect on US workers. |
| D．To show some US workers didn’t want to work. |
| A．The Impacts of AI | B．The Concept of AI |
| C．The Development of AI | D．The Achievements of AI |
The first-ever online marketplace for allotments (菜地), AllotMe, has unveiled plans for rapid
Known as the “Airbnb for Gardens”, AllotMe has grown in popularity, with more than 100 hosts
“AllotMe
Conor adds that AllotMents 2.0 will focus
Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses
Festivals are an important part of society. They reflect people’s
10 . It is an ancient Chinese tradition to cherish grain. In ancient China, farming promoted the development of civilization so people regarded grain as a God. The ancient people firmly believed that “food is the most important thing for the people”. The earth God “She” and the grain God “Ji” were the earliest gods worshipped by our ancestors and the country was called “Sheji”.
Chinese believe in food conservation. Scholars have strongly advocated that “every single grain is fruit of hard work” and nothing should be wasted. Strong daily practices are associated with “respecting” the grain. Families that run out of rice never leave their container completely empty. There is always a little rice left in it. Parts of the poultry (家禽) and livestock that are unsuitable to be the main dishes are always deliciously cooked.
Food also helps bring people together. In Chinese culture, “Ju” (get together) is a very particular word. There are many ways to get together, but the word “Can” is usually added to it in case of festivals, birthday celebrations, moving to new houses, weddings and funeral. “Ju Can” (get together and have dinner) is an important way for Chinese families to bond.
But these ordinarily frugal (节俭的) people often end up wasting food during “Ju Can”. Some reports show that the annual waste of grain in China is close to 6% of the total grain output, of which, the waste rate of a large party is as high as 38%. The food waste is driven by people’s flamboyant nature—they think the plates must be full and taking away packed food from a party is “disgraceful”. The dishes at a dinner party have become a symbol of a person’s wealth and having too many dishes at the menu has become fashionable, thus promoting waste.
Small to a person, a family, big to a country, the whole human race, to survive, to develop, we have to be frugal. Being frugal does not mean being mean, it simply means one is wise enough not to waste food. If the culture of diligence and frugality is more widespread in all countries, it would provide for a stronger foundation for national security and family happiness.
1. Why does the author mention “Sheji” in Paragraph 1?| A．To prove China enjoys a long history. |
| B．To explain Chinese tradition of cherishing food. |
| C．To show farming promoted Chinese civilization. |
| D．To clarify who is the earliest god in China. |
| A．Chinese cuisine is diverse. |
| B．Chinese don’t waste food. |
| C．The ancient Chinese lived a difficult life. |
| D．Chinese are skillful at cooking delicious food. |
| A．The disgraceful behaviour in “Ju Can”. |
| B．The human nature revealed in food waste. |
| C．How much food Chinese people waste in “Ju Can”. |
| D．The food waste in “Ju Can” and the reason behind it. |
| A．Farming is crucial to China’s development. |
| B．Food plays a vital role in bringing people together. |
| C．We should cherish food and form the habit of frugality. |
| D．We mustn’t leave the container completely empty in case of running out of food. |
