1 . “A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots(靴子)on.” said Mark Twain. In today’s Internet world of “fake(假的)news,” lies spread even faster and the truth is having trouble finding its boots.

To make matters worse, most young people get news from social media sites where facts are mixed with rumors(谣言), half-truths and complete lies. This has led to young people becoming confused. In the latest PISA, which tested 15-year-olds worldwide on academic subjects, fewer than one in ten of the examinees were reported to be able to recognize fact from opinion. A Stanford University study showed that students at all levels of education could not tell teal news from fake news. In one instance, 80 percent thought that a paid advertisement was a real news story.

Fake news is spread by people who have a prejudice(偏见). They want to influence public opinion either for or against something or someone. It is important, then, for young people to recognize when they are being used and to be doubtful about online information.

Traditional media, such as newspapers and television, are still the more believable sources of information. Reporters are professional trained to look for facts, and editors have the job of making sure those facts are correct. However, if you are getting most of your information online, you have to be your own editor. In that case, the first thing to do is to look at the writer of a post. Is this person known to be objective? Does the site where you read the post have a prejudice? Next, look for other sources from mainstream media to make sure the information. In other words, by putting on your truth boots you won’t be fooled into chasing lies.

1. Why is the quote mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic.	B．To give an explanation.
C．To offer background information.	D．To test readers.

2. What does the writer say about young people with news around?

A．They make fake news and spread it.	B．They are easily fooled by fake news.
C．They get worried about their education.	D．They can recognize facts from opinions.

3. According to the writer, what can help us avoid being fooled by fake news?

A．Only look for news through media.	B．Become a professional and trained reporter.
C．Compare the news from different sources.	D．Focus on the new instead of the writer.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．What Should a Reporter Do?

B．Who Makes and Spreads Fake New?

C．How Can We Become a Newspaper Editor?

D．How Can We Stay Objective in Reading News?

2 . Wearing high heels, lipstick and trendy dresses, a group of “chic grandmas” with an average age of 68, can still walk the runway as models. However, they are not trained models. They are, in fact, ordinary retirees. They all share a love for fashion, and they come together to add a bit of enjoyment to their lives. These “chic grandmas” share a common goal now but their backgrounds could hardly be more different.

Sang Xiuzhu, 77, is one of them. She used to be an automatic control engineer. She initially intended to journey around the globe with her husband after retirement, but during a literary event, Sang, 1.7 meters tall, was spotted by a modeling coach. In the beginning, she joined the senior model team and attended events organized by her local community. Later, she was invited to participate in Beijing International Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and her new career just grew.

Sang is learning to compose music, form lines and write scripts. She is so occupied that she really has no time to think about the aging issue. As for the future, Sang doesn’t know how to define (定义) it, as she really enjoys the present. She suggests that after retirement, people should cope with the transition period, and they should enjoy life.

As long as the heart is not old, life is always sweet. All “chic grandmas” are full of enthusiasm for new things and they live to learn. This kind of enthusiasm that is rooted deeply in their heart fills them with energy.

1. What does the underlined word “chic” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Retired.

B．Senior.

C．Fashionable.

D．Traditional.

2. What did Sang plan to do after retirement?

A．To become a senior model.	B．To attend literary events.
C．To learn to compose music.	D．To tour around the world.

3. What can be inferred about chic grandmas?

A．They have a born talent for modeling.	B．They come from similar backgrounds.
C．They willingly experience new things.	D．They care much about the aging issue.

4. Which might be a suitable title for the text?

A．Beauty Has No Age Limit	B．Changes in Fashion Week
C．Rich Life after Retirement	D．How to Be a Senior Model

3 . Meetings. Answering emails. Ever feel too busy at work to get any actual work done? According to a new report from Microsoft, our workplaces have a serious productivity (生产率) problem. 64% of 31,000 employees surveyed struggled with having the time and energy to do their job. Subjects said that countless meetings were their number one productivity killer. Other reports also supported Microsoft’s study. A report from EY-Parthenon found American worker productivity decreased by 2.7% in the first quarter this year compared with the same period last year, marking the fifth quarter in a row that worker productivity has dropped.

Unsurprisingly, Microsoft, with its enormous investment (投资) in Al tools, says Al is the solution. Never mind that it was Microsoft’s own technology — Teams, Office, Outlook — that promised productivity savings and delivered the opposite. Should we still put faith in Microsoft to solve the problem with new tools that will “rethink workdays” and “protect focus time for creative work”?

So what is the answer to the productivity puzzle? Big companies need to look no further than small businesses, which have been showing how to be productive. Visit a business with fewer than 100 employees and you will find people there at their desks, behind counters, or in front of machines. There are fewer formalized meetings. Employees can make their own choices. Decisions are made without committees. Investments are made with more of a gut (直觉的) feeling. Technology is used when it is clear that it can save time and make money.

Microsoft would have you believe that buying its Al technology will solve productivity issues. However, what is the problem is not too little technology but how to use it in a smart way.

1. Which leads most to the productivity problem?

A．Work atmosphere.

B．Co-worker relationship.

C．Office facilities.

D．Meeting overload.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards Microsoft’s technology?

A．Supportive.

B．Careful.

C．Negative.

D．Uncertain.

3. What makes small businesses productive?

A．Rules.

B．Committees.

C．Investment.

D．Flexibility.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Improving productivity calls for more than technology.

B．The development of Al will solve productivity issues.

C．Big companies have a promising future in the Al field.

D．Small businesses should make more use of technology.

4 . When couples have an argument about things like finances, jealousy, or other interpersonal issues, they tend to employ their current feelings as fuel for a heated argument. But thinking about the future helps overcome relationship conflicts, according to a University of Waterloo study just published online in Social Psychological and Personality Science. Alex Huynh, a doctoral candidate in psychology is the lead author of the study, which he published with Igor Grossmann from the University of Waterloo, and Daniel Yang from Yale University.

Previous research has shown that third-perspective reasoning can be a positive strategy for reconciliation (调解) of interpersonal struggles. Huynh and his collaborators investigated whether similar benefit can be induced by simply thinking about the future. Study participants were instructed to reflect on a recent conflict with a romantic partner or a close friend. One group of participants were then asked to describe how they would feel about the conflict one year in the future, while another group was asked to describe how they feel in the present.

The team examined participants’ written responses through a text-analysis program for their use of pronouns—such as I, me, she, he. These choices of pronouns were used to capture participants’ focus on the feelings and behaviourofthoseinvolvedintheconflict.Writtenresponseswerealsoexaminedforforgivenessandreinterpreting the conflict more positively, both of which implied the participants’ use of reasoning strategies.

The researchers found that envisioning future relationship affected both participants’ focus on their feelings, and their reasoning strategies. As a result, participants reported more positivity about their relationship altogether, especially when study participants extended their thinking about the relationship a year into the future.

“Our study demonstrates that adopting a future-oriented perspective in the context of a relationship conflict —reflecting on how one might feel a year from now may be a valuable coping tool for one’s psychological happiness and relationship well-being,” said Huynh.

1. What do romantic partners do in face of most disagreements?

A．They lose faith in their future.	B．They focus on their present feelings.
C．They look forward to a fierce conflict.	D．They care more about financial problems.

2. What does the underlined word “induced” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Caused.	B．Explained.
C．Reduced.	D．Influenced.

3. What were participants asked to do in the study?

A．Argue with their romantic partners.

B．Examine their use of pronouns.

C．Respond to a text-analysis program.

D．Write down their feelings about a conflict.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Reasoning properly is necessary for reconciliation.

B．Extending a year is a solution to your personal problems.

C．Thinking about future is helpful to relationship maintenance.

D．Focusing on current feelings is the real cause of your arguments.

5 . Something strange is happening to the millennial(千禧年的) workers of America. After a year spent with their computers, they are turning over the carefully arranged chess boards of their lives and deciding to risk it all. Some are giving stable jobs up to start a new business, while others giving up the career altogether.

If this movement has a battle cry, it’s “YOLO”—“you only live once”. The term is used when people are making irresponsible bets that sometimes pay off anyway. More broadly, it has come to characterize the attitude that has captured a certain type of bored of tice worker in recent months.

“It feels like we`ve been so locked into careers for the past decade, and this is our opportunity to switch it up.” said Nate Moseley, 29, a buy c rata major clothing retailer. Mr. Moseley recently decided to leave his US $130, 000-a-year job. He created an Excel spreadsheet called “Late 20s Crisis”, which he filled with potential options for his next move: Take a coding class, start mining Ethereum, join a 2022 political campaign and open a tourism business. “The idea of going right back to the pre-Covid set-up sounds so unappealing after this past year,” he noted. “If not now, when will lever do this?”

It’s possible that some of these YOLOers will end up back in stable jobs if they spend through their savings, or their new jobs fail. But an adventurous spirit seems to be infecting even the kinds of over achievers who dislike taking a risk and typically hold on to the career ladder.

One executive at a major tech company said she and her husband had both been discussing quitting their jobs. The pandemic, she said, had taught them that they’d been playing it too safe with their life choices, and missing out on valuable family time. The executive then sent me a quote from the Buddha about impermanence(短暂), and the value of realizing that nothing lasts forever. Or. to put it in slightly earthier terms:YOLO.

1. What strange things are US millennial workers doing?

A．They prefer doing work online.	B．They are taking more risks.
C．They enjoy playing chess more.	D．They are making extra money.

2. Why did Nate Moseley leave his previous job?

A．It didn’t pay well eough.	B．The business was in a crisis.
C．He missed the pre-Covid set-up.	D．He was eager for new changes.

3. What can we infer about YOLOers according to the passage?

A．They can influence some cautious people.

B．They’re sure to be rewarded for taking risks.

C．They won’t return to their original job.

D．They all hunt for another job.

4. Why is the executive mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To stress the importance of family.

B．To encourage people to take brave moves.

C．To demonstrate the significant influence of YOLO.

D．To show the future development of different careers.

8 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a job in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creative enough, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.

According to a research by Tesco Mobile, a UK company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger”. The research, carried out among 1, 002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.

This change is undoubtedly as a result of the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach audience around the world, without having to enter a career in show business in the traditional way.

In the past, the biggest stars were trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become a star. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.

However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they fail to notice the fact that only those who are successful earn fame and money. For every success there are hundreds of others who never get off the starting line. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that remain dreams forever.

Although being vloggers is popular, some young people choose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. His job allows him to express his fun and is always a learning experience. And that’s enough for him.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Most young Britons choose to be vloggers as their job.

B．The Internet is influencing young Britons’ career choice.

C．The Internet is taking the place of traditional studios.

D．Young Britons cannot find jobs without the Internet.

2. Why do more and more young Britons choose to be vloggers?

A．Vloggers can earn more fame and money on the Internet.

B．There is too much competition in the traditional show business.

C．The Internet makes it convenient to enter show business.

D．Anyone with a computer will surely become a star.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 5?

A．Only a few vloggers can be famous and wealthy.

B．A vlogger cannot earn fame and fortune.

C．All vloggers start at the same starting line.

D．Dreams will always remain dreams.

4. What do young people like David do on the Internet?

A．Learn from others.	B．Become an online hit.
C．Hold running races.	D．Combine jobs with hobbies.

9 . There is plenty of complaints about how social media — texting in particular — may be harming children’s social and intellectual development. But a new study suggests that constant instant messaging (IM’ing) and texting among teens may also provide benefits, particularly for those who are introverted (内向的).

British researchers studied instant messages exchanged by 231 teens, aged 14 to 18. All of the participants were “regular” or “extensive” IM’ers. In the US, two thirds of teens use instant messaging services regularly, with a full third messaging at least once every day.

The researchers analyzed 150 conversations in the study and reported the results in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. In 100 of these chats, the study participant began IM’ing while in a negative emotional state such as sadness, distress or anger. The rest were conversations begun when the participant was feeling good or neutral. After the chat, participants reported about a 20% reduction in their distress — not enough to completely eliminate it, but enough to leave them feeling better than they had before reaching out.

“Our findings suggest that IM’ing between distressed adolescents and their peers may provide emotional relief and consequently contribute to their well-being,” the authors write, noting that prior research has shown that people assigned to talk to a stranger either in real life or online improved their mood in both settings, but even more with IM. And people who talk with their real-life friends online also report feeling closer to them than those who just communicate face-to-face, implying a strengthening of their bond.

Why would digital communication trump human contact? The reasons are complex, but may have something to do with the fact that users can control expression of sadness and other emotions via IM without revealing emotional elements like tears that some may perceive as embarrassing or sources of discomfort. Studies also show that the anonymity (匿名) of writing on a device blankets the users in a sense of safety that may prompt people to feel more comfortable in sharing and discussing their deepest and most authentic feelings. Prior research has shown that expressive writing itself can “vent” emotions and provide a sense of relief — and doing so knowing that your words are reaching a sympathetic friend may provide even more comfort and potentially be therapeutic. Researchers also found that introverted participants reported more relief from IM conversations when they were distressed than extroverts (外向的人) did. As Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, wrote recently for TIME: Introverts are often brimming over with thoughts and care deeply for their friends, family and colleagues. But even the most socially skilled introverts sometimes long for a free pass from socializing or talking on the phone. This is what the Internet offers: the chance to connect — but in measured doses and from behind a screen.

1. What is the finding of the new study by British researchers?

A．Instant messaging will hinder children’s social and intellectual development.

B．Introverted teens may benefit from constant instant messaging.

C．Two thirds of American teens use instant messaging every day.

D．American teens aged 14 to 18 are extensive instant messaging users.

2. What can be inferred from the results of the study?

A．Teens are more likely to send instant messages when feeling distressed.

B．Instant messaging can help completely remove teens’ negative emotions.

C．Chat via instant messaging services makes participants feel good or calm.

D．Constant instant messaging can help teens control their negative emotions.

3. According to the authors of Computers in Human Behavior, ____________.

A．talking to strangers on the Internet can improve the mood

B．face-to-face talk can strengthen the bond between friends

C．people often feel closer to real-life friends than to net friends

D．teens feeling bad can benefit from talks via instant messaging

4. What does Susan Cain say about introverts?

A．They do not reveal their thoughts to friends, family and colleagues.

B．They tend to feel more distressed about IM conversations than extroverts.

C．They are more skillful at the art of socializing than extroverts.

D．They at times desire to socialize or talk via social media.