1 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
2 . Those of us who shop online may scan customer reviews to get a better sense of products we can't judge for ourselves at a physical store. We may check out online testimonials before booking a haircut or visiting a new restaurant. But what happens if some of those reviews can't be trusted?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it was proposing new measures to crack down on fake reviews and other practices used to mislead consumers. The commission published a proposed rule that would prohibit companies from writing or selling fake reviews, buying positive reviews, suppressing negative reviews and more.
“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we're using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
Research shows people overwhelmingly consult online reviews, but humans are also bad at telling which consumer reviews hold water and which are nonsense.
That's potentially worrisome given that nearly one in every three reviews is fake, according to one estimate.
In arguing for the proposal, the FTC cited enforcement actions it had taken against companies that manipulated reviews of their products.In 2022, for example, the commission forced the online retailer Fashion Nova to pay $4.2 million to settle allegations (指控) that it blocked negative reviews from being posted on its website — the first FTC action involving a company's effort to hide negative reviews. For its part, Fashion Nova said in a statement to The New York Times that the FTC's allegations were “inaccurate” and that it only settled the charges to avoid “the distraction and legal fees”.
Comments on the proposed rule have to be received within 60 days of its publication in the Federal Register, after which the FTC will decide whether to issue a revised final version.
1. What is the main purpose of the FTC's proposed rule?| A．To improve the quality of products and services. |
| B．To protect the interests of physical stores. |
| C．To ban negative reviews from online platforms. |
| D．To ensure true reviews are presented to customers. |
| A．Be credible. | B．Be prejudiced. | C．Be official. | D．Be misleading. |
| A．To delete negative reviews of its products. |
| B．To post customer reviews on its website. |
| C．To resolve allegations of deceptive advertising. |
| D．To prevent it from facing further criticism and legal fees. |
| A．It is well-received. | B．It is still under review. |
| C．It has proven to be effective. | D．It has encountered opposition. |
3 . Most children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones.
Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can cause problems, such as bullying (恃强凌弱) or arguments.
| A．Going online is great fun. |
| B．Computer studies are part of schoolwork now. |
| C．The language of chat is strange to many parents, too. |
| D．There are some websites that are not suitable for the children. |
| E．To keep children safe, your management must cover the family computer. |
| F．They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. |
| G．Surfing the Internet takes up too much of the time that should be spent on lessons. |
4 . Children seem to care so much about their names. A study shows that most of young people wish their parents had given them a different name.
Some people choose to change their names when they grow up. Many people in show business don’t use the names their parents gave them. Have you ever listened to Joanne? No? The answer could be “yes” if we call her stage name instead! You may never heard of Margaret. But if we tell you her stage name, you might know her as a famous dancer.
In many cultures, there are special ideas about how to choose a name. For example, many people choose a name that has been in their family for many years. It tells the child where he or she comes from.
Choosing a good name isn’t easy. Many parents search books that tell them the meanings of names. They could choose a name that carries a message. For example, Edith means “valuable gift”. Amanda means “love”. And Fara means “joy”.
Names like these tell family and friends how happy they are with their new baby. Other names can say something about the events during the birth of the child. In Africa, a first born son may have the name Mosi and the name Ama means “born on Saturday”.
Is every boy called Curitis polite? And is every girl called Mahira quick and full of energy? No parents can tell what kind of person their child will grow up to be. Just because parents name a boy Fahim, it doesn’t mean he will be clever. All they can do is hope.
1. What can we know about the study?| A．Young kids don’t care about their future. |
| B．Most of young people care about their names. |
| C．Most girls want to change their names. |
| D．Most parents want to rename by themselves. |
| A．To prove some people hope to be renamed. |
| B．To introduce a famous dancer to readers. |
| C．To introduce her true name. |
| D．To tell the benefit of name. |
| A．Kids always want to rename. |
| B．It is hard to change kids’ names. |
| C．Parents aren’t sure if their kids will like the name. |
| D．Parents want to choose a meaningful name. |
| A．Names can never influence our lives | B．Your parents’ wish is behind names |
| C．Love your parents, love your name | D．Methods to choose a suitable name |
5 . I recently had a conversation with a friend who was feeling very upset about work. Why? He thought his manager didn’t like him. He rarely heard much from his manager, and when his manager said something, it was about correcting some aspects of his work or giving him some constructive advice.
Not surprisingly, given my friend’s understandably anxious view of these workplace dynamics (动态), he was afraid of his annual performance evaluation. He was worried that his boss might even tell him that he wasn’t needed anymore. Accordingly, he considered looking around for another job — not because he really wanted to, as he liked the kind of work he was doing, but because he suffered from the kind of management.
The evaluation day came, and to his great surprise, rather than being harshly critical, his manager told him that he was doing a fine job and gave him a promotion.
The sad truth is, this kind of phenomenon is by no means unusual in the workplace. One recent survey showed that nearly half of the employees have considered leaving a job “due to lack of recognition”. Another similar study found 46 percent of the employees left a job “because they felt unappreciated”.
The good news is that, in this case, the damage was repaired before it was too late — before my friend was out the door and his company began the expensive and time-consuming process of hiring a new employee. But as the research noted above shows, workplace problems related to recognition and appreciation are as common as the office air we breathe.
This conforms with my personal experience; during my decades of corporate management, I saw similar appreciation issues all the time. When a job isn’t done well, nobody deserves anything, of course. But when a job is done well, if you’re an employee, it’s entirely natural to expect at least a bit of appreciation. So if you’re a manager, it’s a good idea to show some. It’s that simple.
1. What phenomenon does the author want to describe through his friend’s case?| A．Unclear rewards and punishments. | B．Employee-management misunderstanding. |
| C．Unfair promotion in the workplace. | D．Fierce competition among new employees. |
| A．His company hired a new employee. |
| B．He continued to work for the company. |
| C．His company simplified the evaluation process. |
| D．He repaired the relationship with his colleagues. |
| A．Results from. | B．Separates from. |
| C．Agrees with. | D．Contrasts with. |
| A．Defend employees’ rights. | B．A friend’s unforgettable experience. |
| C．Acknowledge employees’ work. | D．Misunderstanding between employees. |
6 . Student newspapers across the US are facing a dark reality. As they are free to read, they are making less money than ever, meaning that such newspapers are finding it hard to survive.
Most college papers have reduced their print editions (版本). Last year, the Daily Tar Heel printed a paper four days a week. This year, it prints a paper every three days. And while it used to produce around 22,000 newspapers each time, it only makes around: 10,000 now, said Erica Perel, general manager.
Increasingly, student journalists have turned their focus to digital versions of their newspapers, and the new ways that social media allows them to tell stories. They’ve adapted their skills to mirror what’s going on in the professional journalism world.
“I think we’re adapting very well…in moving away from that print edition. But it’s challenging.” said Jonathan Carter, a student at North Carolina State University. So what should student newspapers do? LoMonte said the best solution would be for universities to financially (财经的) support student journalism. University leaders like to talk about producing responsible students, he said, and journalism is a part of that.
In the meantime, campus newspapers are figuring out their financial models as they go along. Bruce dePyssler, adviser to North Carolina Central University’s Campus Echo Newspaper, said his students post one story a day online. The best stories are put together for a once-a-semester print edition.
And even if student journalists don’t go into media jobs, Perel said, “They’ve still had a great education.” “The number one thing that we teach is critical thinking (批判思考) and how to be a lifelong learner, ” she said, “The ones who are living through this transition (过渡) are the ones that are going to be a lot stronger for it in the end.”
1. What do most college newspapers do to face the dark reality?| A．Improve printing quality. | B．Reduce print editions. |
| C．Lower advertising fees. | D．Increase paper price. |
| A．Ask colleges for money. | B．Continue with paper versions. |
| C．Publish more digital editions. | D．Create their own financial models. |
| A．Jonathan Carter. | B．LoMonte. |
| C．Bruce dePyssler. | D．Perel. |
| A．The proud history of the Daily Tar Heel. | B．Student newspapers are adapting well. |
| C．School newspapers are under pressure. | D．How to refresh traditional newspapers. |
7 . What is the place of art in a culture of inattention? Recent visitors to the Louvre report that tourists can now spend only a minute in front of the Mona Lisa before being asked to move on. Much of that time, for some of them, is spent taking photographs not even of the painting but of themselves with the painting in the background.
One view is that we have made tourism and gallery-going so easy that we have made it effectively impossible to appreciate what we’ve travelled to see. In this society, experience becomes goods like any other. There are queues to climb Everest as well as to see famous paintings. Thus, leisure is considered as hard labour rather than relaxation.
In the rapidly developing society, what gets lost is the quality of looking. Consider an extreme example, the late philosopher Richard Wollheim. When he visited the Louvre he could spend as much as four hours sitting before a painting. The first hour, he claimed, was necessary for incorrect impression to be removed. It was only then that the picture would begin to disclose itself. This seems unthinkable today, but it is still possible to organise. Even in the busiest museums there are many rooms and many pictures worth hours of contemplation (沉思) which the crowds largely ignore.
Marcel Proust, another lover of the Louvre, wrote: “It is only through art that we can escape from ourselves and know how another person sees a universe which is not the same as our own and whose landscapes would otherwise have remained as unknown as any there may be on the moon.” If any art remains worth seeing, it must lead us to such escapes. But a minute in front of a painting in a hurried, harried (烦扰) crowd won’t do that.
1. Why does the author mention the example in Louvre in Paragraph 1?| A．To express his concern about Louvre. | B．To report the popularity of Mona Lisa. |
| C．To introduce a good place to take photos. | D．To show a disappointing current situation. |
| A．People need to clear up their misunderstanding of paintings. |
| B．People have to stay at least 4 hours when appreciating paintings. |
| C．It is impossible for modern people to admire paintings attentively. |
| D．The longer one admires the paintings, the more unlikely he loves them. |
| A．Art is of help for us to accept ourselves better. |
| B．Art makes our life more colourful and meaningful. |
| C．Art allows us to know the world in the view of others. |
| D．Art pushes us away from ourselves and explores the moon. |
| A．Into art attentively. | B．Escape from ourselves. |
| C．Beyond art completely. | D．Go to the museums often. |
8 . Artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly good at fooling people. A series of photos showing former US president Donald Trump being aggressively arrested by police have caught people’s attention. They were fake but very convincing.
Created by the AI program Midjourney, the photos were highly realistic, from the characters’ movements to the surroundings. However, many details can give away the fact that they are made by AI. The Washington Post’s technology writer Shira Ovide shared her tips. The main idea is to spot the problems-anything that would look strange in a photo.
AI software has a history of generating human hands incorrectly. It sometimes can create hands with more than five fingers. This is because AI isn’t sure what a “hand” exactly is, according to Popular Science. The data AI uses to learn often show hands and fingers in various gestures, which can be very confusing for AI.
AI-generated images also usually contain details that are against reality. To spot this, focus on items like accessories. For example, people in an image may be missing earrings or one part of their sunglasses. If there’s text in an image, such as a newspaper or poster, it’s usually garbled (篡改), even though the text may look realistic from a distance.
Another thing AI is terrible at handling is the background. If there’s a crowd in the image, people’s faces in the background are usually blurry — or they don’t have faces at all!
The development of AI-generated art also raises alarm bells about how these fake images could be used to spread misinformation. “I think misinformation is going to hit an all-time high,” Jamie Cohen, a digital culture and AI expert in the US, told New York Post. Generating an AI artwork is to “create reality”, Cohen argued, adding that, being able to tell whether the work is real or not requires high media literacy (素养) skills. “The world may not be ready for how realistic the images have become,” Shane Kittelson, a US researcher, told The Washington Post.
1. Why are Donald Trump’s photos mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To draw more people’s attention. |
| B．To make people convinced of the news. |
| C．To show the AI-generated images were fake. |
| D．To prove that it’s easy for AI to cheat people. |
| A．It is unable to recognize human hands. |
| B．The data it uses to learn contain errors. |
| C．It doesn’t fully understand human hands. |
| D．It has insufficient data about human hands. |
| A．AI artworks may not be reflective of true creativity. |
| B．It’s high time to address the risks posed by AI works. |
| C．AI artworks will replace traditional art forms in the future. |
| D．Detecting real art demands strong media literacy competence. |
| A．AI is tricking people with highly realistic photos. |
| B．AI-generated art make people worried about fake images. |
| C．AI is terrible at handling the background. |
| D．The world may not be ready for AI. |
9 . Generally speaking, our society is becoming one of giant companies directed by a bureaucratic (官僚主义的) management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog dancing to the tune of automated machines. The oiling is done with higher wages and well-equipped factories; yet all this oiling does not change the fact that man has become powerless.
The workers and employees are in great anxiety, seemingly because they might find themselves out of a job or they would say that they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. In fact, they feel desperate as they live and die without ever having faced the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.
The ones higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as many other qualifications. From the moment on they are tested again and again by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.
Am I suggesting that we should return to the pre-industrial mode? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities are the aims of social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve as means to achieve happiness, and should be prevented from ruling man.
1. What does the underlined word “cog” in paragraph one mean?| A．the toothed wheel | B．the sensor |
| C．the oil tank | D．the motor |
| A．they are filled with well-founded fear of being unemployed |
| B．they don’t have any genuine satisfaction or interest in life |
| C．they have to face the fundamental realities of human existence |
| D．they are individuals lacking emotional and intellectual independence |
| A．hold well-paid and life-long jobs |
| B．enjoy high social status and reputation |
| C．outperform their fellow-competitors |
| D．stay away from over-competitiveness |
| A．refer to our ancestors’ production mode |
| B．offer higher wages to workers and employees |
| C．fully develop the potentialities of man |
| D．let production and consumption rule humans |
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