1 . A new trend called “praise groups” or “in-need-of-praise” chat groups has become popular on Chinese social media. In Chinese culture, where modesty (谦逊) is valued, openly seeking and giving praise is uncommon. These chat groups provide a platform for people to receive compliments (赞扬) and encouragement, which are often lacking in their daily lives.
To join a praise group, users can pay a fee on e-commerce sites, starting at 50 yuan for five minutes of compliments. The group members will then show the person with praises and kind words. The compliments can be designed for a friend or loved one as well. Participants have found that being praised by strangers can help lift their spirits and improve their self-confidence.
For example, Meng Zha, a student at Shanghai’s Tongji University, tried the service and found it amusing and uplifting. She received compliments on her appearance and even quotes (引用) from popular songs. Ms Meng couldn’t help but laugh at the compliments and expressed her desire to post such high-quality praises in the future.
Praise groups have appeared as a way for people in China to seek and receive compliments and encouragement that may be lacking in their daily lives. It provides a positive and uplifting experience for participants, improving a sense of happiness and self-worth.
Those who support the groups, see them as an antidote to extremely bad moods (情绪) which are often associated with things happening on the Internet. “At first, the purpose of this group is to make us learn to praise others and accept others’ praises confidently. Here we can drop everything, and use our heart to praise and support others,” one member said. But the life journey is long and there are some unexpected situations that we can only count on ourselves to face when there is no one out there to offer help.
1. What is the purpose of praise groups?A.To make praise popular. | B.To have everyone supported. |
C.To share common interests. | D.To give people hope and happiness. |
A.She was not strong enough. | B.She was under working stress. |
C.She was satisfied with the service. | D.She was a gifted singer in her area. |
A.A way of making new friends. | B.A kind of medicine. |
C.A method of being confident. | D.The wisdom of solving problems. |
A.Objective. | B.Critical. | C.Supportive. | D.Unclear. |
2 . One third of adults over 65 in America have never used the Internet, and half don’t even have Internet access at home. In San Francisco, “the center of technology”, 40% of older adults do not have basic digital literacy skills.
This situation is becoming appalling as over 10,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. By 2050, 22% of Americans will be 65 or older. Meanwhile, technology is developing very fast. This means that a large number of people will be unable to proficiently use emergent technology.
Many people believe that seniors aren’t required to participate in our technological future because they’ll be retired and relaxed soon. But this is the farthest thing from the truth. Baby boomers are currently experiencing a different boom: With more people getting older than ever before, their life expectancies (寿命) are also increasing dramatically. With medical advancements, the number of American people projected to live into their 90’s has doubled since 1965.
However, they don’t have strong financial or educational support. It is not a problem, it’s a crisis. More than half of employees over 50 have been laid off in what’s being called “forced retirement”. And few organizations are actively helping older employees make the transition from full-time jobs to part-time ones. For those fortunate enough to be employed, 3 out of 5 older workers experience prejudice.
The easiest solution is to teach digital literacy. If they want to survive the forthcoming retirement crisis, they should get enough digital knowledge and skills to operate today’s tools and tomorrow’s platforms. With every crisis comes an opportunity. Tutoring, customer service, editing, research, book-keeping, and other virtual assistance-based work open the doors. But again, digital knowledge is first required to live in our high-tech society and growing economy. So try to get more online and navigate the growing number of sites and apps.
1. What does the underlined word “appalling” probably mean in paragraph 2?A.Confusing. | B.Terrible. | C.Controllable. | D.Inspiring. |
A.A possible crisis after they retire. | B.A possible decline in aging. |
C.Failing to receive good healthcare. | D.Tending to double their life span. |
A.The features of high-tech jobs. | B.The way out for baby boomers. |
C.Potential industries in the future. | D.The importance of developing technology. |
A.Have a good sense of crisis. | B.Avoid retiring at an early age. |
C.Look for many part-time jobs. | D.Improve digital literacy actively. |
3 . You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. “They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. “They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing (内化) your victimization (受害). The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred (神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish (沉溺) in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims, too. Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
1. In what way is a creator different from a victim?A.A creator is given more challenges. |
B.Failure seldom comes to a creator. |
C.Storms are beneficial in a creator’s eyes. |
D.A victim hardly blames others for their own faults. |
A.They seldom make careless mistakes. |
B.The world seems a cold and difficult place. |
C.Life is blessed with fewer opportunities than expected. |
D.They don’t care what happens to them but think positively. |
A.Tim failed his exam and thought he would never pass it. |
B.Sam lost his job and abandoned himself to drinking for months. |
C.J. K. Rowling was rejected by a publisher and yet went on writing. |
D.Jessica broke up with her husband and chose to give up her own life. |
A.Benefits Of Being A Creator | B.Creators: Act Now Or Never |
C.Creator Or Victim: Up To You | D.Ways To Transform A Victim Into A Creator |
4 . As a child, visiting the zoo was more a punishment than a treat. I didn’t find the chimps’ tea parties funny, nor the bird shows entertaining. Feeding time for seals was less painful, but their performances still seemed like they belonged more in a circus.
And I hated circuses, especially the animal acts — men teasing lions, girls balancing on elephants and monkeys playing football. I knew that every trick a circus animal did was unnatural, achieved through strict training and quite possibly cruelty.
Happily, during my lifetime public attitudes and the law have changed. Circuses using wild animals are now almost extinct, and zoos have definitely evolved.
When my children were young, I occasionally took them to our local zoo. The elephants were in tiny cages and the gorillas looked bored as they sat peeling bananas and staring at teasing visitors. Each cage had a sign which listed the animal’s name and where it came from. But, back then, there was little information included about the environmental challenges they faced.
As a result, environmentalists and animal lovers often oppose zoos. “Animals belong in the wild,” is a common — and understandable — complaint. But what do the animals themselves prefer?
Generally speaking, zoo animals have a longer life. But — you may protest — they are not free. What? Free to be hunted and killed, free to die of hunger or thirst? Maybe sitting in a cage eating bananas isn’t so bad.
Not that such conditions are acceptable in modern zoos, due to the work of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. These days every zoo requires BIAZA’s approval to operate, and the association sets the standards, observes conditions in zoos and develops animal-research programmes, both in the UK and abroad. BIAZA also organizes the animal exchanges between zoos all over the world.
Consequently, today, most zoo animals are born and raised in zoos, live in large, comfortable enclosures and are cared for by well-trained, knowledgeable and caring zoo employees. Of course it’s no substitute for living in the wild but unfortunately this isn’t always possible. Meanwhile, why not visit your local zoo and decide for yourself?
1. From Paragraph 2, we can guess that the writer believes circus animals__________.A.should have been placed in zoos |
B.were not treated well by their trainers |
C.were not as intelligent as those in zoos |
D.had much shorter lives than those in the wild |
A.Zoo animals should be freed into the wild. |
B.Zoos are more popular now than in the past. |
C.Zoo animals are more restricted than in the past |
D.Zoos now provide caring living conditions for animals. |
A.Zoos Are Improving | B.Zoos or Circuses? |
C.Closing Down Circuses | D.Life of Animals |
学生对分类垃圾箱进学校的不同看法及所占比例
1.同意60%:有利于资源回收,并有助于学生养成良好的垃圾分类习惯;
2.不同意30%:麻烦,习惯很难改;
3.无所谓10%:此事与我无关;
4.表达你自己的观点。
注意:1.词数不少于100;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
参考词汇:饼状图pie chart
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6 . Sometimes the stress of work can get to be so high, so it’s nice to get away for a while. However, even on vacation, it can be hard to leave all your worries at the office-especially when you think about the mountain of emails.
Iceland now offers a solution with a service called OutHorse Your Email. The service encourages visitors to disconnect and enjoy the country’s beauty while one of several highly trained Icelandic horses replies to any email. “When visitors travel to Iceland we want them to fully experience everything our nation has to offer,” one official said. “Our OutHorse Your Email service lets them do just that.”
To use the service, you should fill in a form on its website and your personalized out-of- office email will be written by one horse and sent automatically (自动地). The email explains the sender is away on vacation and that they’ve given their email jobs to one of Iceland’s four- legged animals. It then includes the message created by the animal. But how do horses type an email? They’ve got their own specially designed horse-sized keyboards in the fields and are able to walk across the keys. However, that still doesn’t mean coherency (条理性). They’re horses, after all. The result is just meaningless collections of letters.
This might seem like a joke, but is actually meant seriously. Nowadays the line between private life and work has become unclear. The service draws attention to the fact that people have the right to be away from work during their holiday. It also sends a message that Iceland is a unique destination by helping tourists go on a real holiday. It’ll surely put a smile on their face and make them want to vacation in Iceland.
1. What is a problem that people face when they are on vacation according to the text?A.They prefer work to holidays. |
B.They’re required to send emails. |
C.They always keep their work in mind. |
D.They feel uneasy without work at hand. |
A.They do not make any sense. |
B.They will be reviewed by the sender first. |
C.They’re expected to make the receiver laugh. |
D.They’re created in the style the sender requires. |
A.Advanced. | B.Competitive. | C.Educational. | D.Meaningful. |
A.To show a way to develop the tourist industry. |
B.To describe the new role of horses in travel. |
C.To encourage people to travel in Iceland. |
D.To introduce a new tourism service. |
采访内容:
1.你或你身边的人在日常生活中使用移动支付的情况;
2.移动支付带来的好处
3.你的看法。
参考词汇: 微信: Wechat 支付宝: Alipay 二维码: QR code
注意:1.词数120左右;
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯
Dear Jenny,
How is your survey on mobile payment going? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours faithfully
Li Hua
8 . Sales of electric vehicles(EVs)grew by 40 percent last year worldwide. In the US, nearly a third of drivers want their next car to be electric. Almost 100 pure-electric vehicles are set to be launched by the end of 2024. Many manufacturers, including GM, Jeep, and Volvo, have promised to offer fully electric lists before this decade is done.
Though some EVs are still eye-wateringly expensive, plenty of other EVs are even more affordable. When assessing the cost of an EV, keep in mind that many states offer additional buying payment if you're switching to an electric vehicle. Some models will even qualify you for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. Then there are the long-term savings. A typical EV owner spends less than a traditional car owner on vehicle services. One reason is that EVs don't have transmissions or clutches, two of the costliest parts to repair.
EVs go without the classic vroom(加速时发出的呜呜声)we expect to hear when we floor it. That quietness can catch pedestrians off guard and strikes some drivers as terrible. That's why several electric automakers have turned to sound designers to copy these desired engine noises.
You can run an electric car through a car wash without worry. The water will not damage any of the electrical components or the battery because these systems are specially sealed to prevent water entry. What you do need to watch out for, however, is extreme cold or heat. Both will affect the battery and reduce an EV's range.
While EVs produce far fewer emissions than conventional cars do, they aren't without environmental influence. Coal is still burned to create the electricity that charges them. And EV production is emission intensive(密集排放型). So power systems need to become carbon-free and EV batteries need to fully become recyclable before EVs can be truly emission-free.
1. What can we know about EVs from Paragraph 1?A.Their trend is uncertain. | B.Their future is promising. |
C.Their producers are declining. | D.Their purest ones are launched. |
A.Lack of expensive parts. | B.Long-term free repair fees |
C.The government's support. | D.The additional buying payment. |
A.Quiet passers-by. | B.The water damage. |
C.The extreme temperature | D.Batteries' short life. |
A.Recyclable Electrical Vehicles Win Markets |
B.Driving Electrical Vehicles Will Be Common |
C.Electrical Vehicles Are Within Reach in the US |
D.Keep Current with Facts About Electric Vehicles |
9 . When I teach yoga (瑜伽), I usually announce “Phones off and at the back of the room” at the beginning of class. Recently, I forgot and had to whisper to a student texting during class to turn off her phone. She looked displeased but did so. But two days later, in another class, I was met with resistance from a young woman who completely refused.
“But I’m on call. I might have to jump up and run out of class.”
“Then maybe this isn’t the best place for you to be tonight.”
That response got me an angry and unfriendly look. But when she came back the next week, there was no phone and she was much more present.
Present is what I’m asking my students to be. Present to themselves and their yoga experience. You cannot be present to yoga if you are texting or emailing or anxiously awaiting a call. And neither can anyone around you. Definitely, if one phone is out, many pairs of eyes are drawn to it. And then other phones start to appear. Forget the fact that you’re missing the class you paid for; you’re at risk of losing your balance and hurting yourself or someone else due to inattention, or disturbing someone else’s moment of peace and stillness with the clicking of your keys.
So please, do yourself and everyone around you, this teacher included, a favor and turn your phone off and put it away before you unroll your yoga mat. If you truly are on call, think hard before you come to class.
Be present for yourself, wherever you need to be.
1. How does the author introduce her topic?A.By giving examples. |
B.By making comparison. |
C.By presenting the process. |
D.By analyzing cause and effect. |
A.Because she thought she was reasonable. |
B.Because she was brave enough to say no. |
C.Because she didn’t like the yoga class at all. |
D.Because the author was rude to her. |
A.Hurting yourself. | B.Missing the class. |
C.Disturbing others. | D.Getting others’ admiration. |
A.To describe the situation of her yoga class. |
B.To explain her relationship with students. |
C.To show her opinion about using mobile phones. |
D.To stress the importance of being attentive in yoga class. |
10 . Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn't mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or another, you'll have to stand up and say—problems, I don't want you in my life.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.
Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help.
Write your problems.
Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don't lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family…you should still have faith.
Your problems aren't the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there are another one million people whose problems are huger than yours.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.
A.Of course, we've been fighting troubles ever since we were born. |
B.When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it? |
C.Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with. |
D.But the truth is that when you talk about it, you're setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you. |
E.We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack. |
F.Tell yourself:when they can deal with them, why can't I? |
G.With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose. |