2 . Poverty has forced most Europeans to skip (跳过) meals during the past three years, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the charity French Secours Populaire, which supports people on low incomes. The survey of 10,000 Europeans in 10 nations asked whether money worries had worsened or improved during the past three years. More than half said their situation had worsened, with 29 percent saying they were so short of money that a single unexpected expense would put them into difficulty. The results, published on Monday in the charity’s European Barometer on Poverty and Precariousness, found 38 percent of Europeans were no longer able to eat three meals a day on a regular basis. And 21 percent of parents had skipped meals so they could feed their children.

The survey quizzed people living in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, and the United Kingdom. The pollsters found the main reason for the poor financial situation in many European families was the fast-rising cost of goods and services, with price inflation (通货膨胀) increasing by three times during 2022 and the cost of housing, water, and fuel rising by 18 percent during the course of a year. At the same time wages remained relatively unchanged.

The survey followed other recent worrying assessments of increasing levels of poverty throughout Europe, with Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency reporting 17 percent of the population of the 27-nation group was “at risk of poverty” and that only 15percent of Europeans had enough money not to have financial worries. Another survey, conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in June, found the UK had 5.7 million low-income households that were so lacking in money that they had no adequate access to food.

And another survey, by the Equality Trust, found the great difference between rich and poor in the UK was actually being worsened by the government, which, it concluded, was spending more money than any other European nation on subsidizing (补贴) the rich through structural inequality. Priya Sahni-Nicholas, the co-executive director of the Equality Trust, told The Guardian newspaper the growing chasm between rich and poor was “causing huge damage” to the economy. As a result, she said, “We have shorter healthy working lives, poorer education systems, more crime, and less happy societies.” The survey released this week for French Secours Populaire found money worries among Europe’s population now mean a significant number of people have turned off heaters, avoided treatment for medical problems, and borrowed money or other things as a result. The survey found one person in 12in Italy is in “absolute poverty” and relies on discounted food and food banks. And the situation was even worse in Greece and Moldova, which had more people at risk from poverty than any other European nation.

1. Why is there a poor financial situation in many European families?

A．On account of increasing taxes.	B．Because of their pay’s being cut.
C．Owing to many people’s losing jobs.	D．Due to rising prices of goods and services.

2. What is the percentage of Europeans who had no financial worries?

A．15%.

B．17%.

C．18%.

D．21%.

3. What is the possible meaning of the underlined word “chasm” in the last paragraph?

A．Misunderstanding.

B．Difference.

C．Conflict.

D．Concern.

4. What can be a suitable title for the news report?

A．Study shows rising poverty in Europe

B．Wages remain relatively unchanged in Europe

C．Poor people in Europe rely on discounted food

D．Survey quizzes people living in rich European countries

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In a refreshing shift from conventional methods, some post-90 teachers in China are using memes (表情包), cute comments, and personalized feedback in their grading practices,     1     (receive) praise from parents and students alike. This innovative approach in education is reshaping the way students receive feedback on     2     (they) exams and assignments, making the learning process more engaging and enjoyable.

Gone are the days of impersonal and serious     3     (comment). Teachers are now using more conversational language in their evaluations, addressing students as “you” or “dear” instead of the formal “the students”. This change in tone creates a more personal and direct connection, fostering a positive learning environment.

The use of memes and hand-drawn images in marking papers     4     (be) not just about adding a touch of fun; it serves as a motivational tool for students. This trend has caught the attention of the online community,     5     many expressing their wish to have such creative and supportive teachers

    6     adoption of memes and personalized comments in grading represents a significant shift in educational practices in China. It not only aids in reducing the stress and pressure     7     (associate) with academic performance but also builds a     8     (strong) relationship between teachers and students. This method reflects a broader movement toward more empathetic and student-centered teaching     9     the focus is on encouragement and individual growth rather than solely on grades.

As these innovative practices gain     10     (popular), they promise to transform the educational experience for students, making learning more enjoyable and less frightening.

4 . Your social circle may be the reason you are overweight, a study has suggested. Experts have warned that obesity can spread through communities like a “social contagion (接触传染)”

Researchers studied hundreds of military families—who can’t choose where they lived—across the US. Their results revealed if you move to an area with a high rate of obesity. it increases your risk of becoming obese, too. For every percentage-point increase in the local obesity rate, the chances a person would be overweight or obese increased by up to six percent.

The researchers said people adopt behaviors of others subconsciously. Dr Ashlesha Datar and colleagues recruited families of US Army personnel at 38 military bases across the country. Their rates of obesity were reflective of the national rates. The study showed when assigned to bases in countries with higher rates of obesity, residents were more likely to become overweight or obese. For every single percentage-point increase in obesity rate of local people, the chances that a teenager would be overweight or obese went up by four to six percent, while the odds that a parent would be obese went up by five percent. The longer the families lived there, the more likely they were to see the weight pile on.

Dr Datar said, “Social contagion in obesity means that if more people around you are obese, then that may increase your own chances of becoming obese. Subconsciously, you are affected by what people around you are doing. We accounted for things that researchers in this field typically measure and found that shared environments did not play a critical role in explaining our results.”

Co-author Dr Nancy Nicosia said, “Although we could not measure social contagion directly, our findings support a role for social contagion in obesity.”

Obesity can be caused by many variables, and the association has been challenging for scientists to explain. One possibility is that people with similar interests and backgrounds tend to locate in similar areas. Another explanation may be that people are all influenced by the shared environment, such as opportunities for exercising and healthy eating. A third explanation may be that obesity is transmitted through social influence.

1. Which of the following is false?

A．One is more likely to become overweight in areas with a higher rate of obesity.

B．Social environment has nothing to do with being obese.

C．The length of time you stay in an area may affect your physical condition.

D．The researchers have confirmed that there might be connection between environment and obesity.

2. What does the underlined word “odds” mean in the third paragraph?

A．Evidence.

B．Rate.

C．Possibility.

D．Difficulty

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A health magazine.	B．A police report.
C．An advertisement	D．A government information booklet.

4. What can we know from the passage?

A．People are easily affected by others.

B．The chance of being fat increases if you have a good friend

C．Humans like to live an imitation of somebody else’s life.

D．Shared interests can affect your health condition.

5 . During my first year in China, some friends who’d been around a little longer than me introduced me to the concept of “House Plant Syndrome”.

Imagine you are at a party at someone’s house. You’re hanging out when suddenly a house plant starts talking to you. Now, there are several ways you could respond to this. Perhaps you would ignore it. Perhaps you would ask the person next to you if they heard it as well. Perhaps you would try talking back to the house plant and engaging it in conversation.

I am that house plant.

The story of the talking house plant explains what can happen here when a white person unexpectedly speaks Chinese. It’s especially true with Chinese who haven’t met foreigners before.

Over time I learned to deal with House Plant Syndrome by talking without being looked at. I visited a restaurant at least once a week. Waitresses there would often stare blankly at me, not even hearing what I was saying when I tried to ask for things. So I leaned to speak clearly while looking in another direction. Without the “foreigners don’t speak Mandarin” filter, the waitresses heard and understood me easily and responded immediately.

A few years later, as my Mandarin became more fluent, and my foreign accent diminished (减少), people could hardly realize I was actually a house plant. This happened a lot with taxis. A lot of the time after I called a taxi, I would get a call from the driver, who would confirm my location. This meant I had a short conversation with the driver long before they saw me. Then I would get in the taxi, say where I wanted to go, and we would drive off in silence. Twenty seconds later, he would burst out “You speak such good Mandarin: I thought you were Chinese!”

I am rarely seen as a talking house plant anymore. The more I work on my accent and fluency, the less I am seen as a house plant. Definitely a good reason to keep working on my language!

1. What does “House Plant Syndrome” refer to?

A．A cultural practice in Chinese households.

B．A disease that house plants often suffer from.

C．Foreigners’ preference for Chinese house plants.

D．Chinese people’s reaction to a foreigner speaking Chinese.

2. What caused the author to avoid eye contact with the waitresses?

A．Lack of confidence in her Chinese.	B．Discomfort with looking at strangers.
C．Desire to hide her identity.	D．Ease of speaking Mandarin when looking away.

3. How might the taxi driver feel upon seeing the author?

A．Astonished

B．Embarrassed

C．Confused

D．Annoyed

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The silent conversations of a foreigner in China	B．The journey to reveal the secrets of language.
C．Tackling cultural challenges in China.	D．Chatting with house plants.

8 . With the rising cost of living, a growing number of adult children are moving back in with their parents. While lots of parents will enjoy the chance to spend more time with their grown-up children, having them move back in can also cause some problems.     1     ?

Sit down and talk

While the situation is clearly hard for the parents, Counselling Directory member Octavia Landy advises them to take a step back. “     2     ,” says Landy. “Talk with your kids. Parents need to find out: How are they? What would they like to happen in their life?”

    3    

When things get heated, it can be easy to just storm off and not really hear each other out. But every effort needs to be made, on both sides, to properly listen. “As parents, you need a cool head,” suggests Landy. “Bring the conversation back to the matter at hand, and listen to your kids.”

Set clear boundaries (界限)

“Boundaries and communication lie at the heart of this difficult situation,” says Landy. “At the moment, it feels as if no boundaries will lead to a sense of anger on your part. Consider what your boundaries look like.     4     . It’s important to check in with your kids on how things are going.”

Ask yourself what you need to feel happy in your home

Landy suggests parents ask themselves what they need to feel happy and safe in their home—and the answer might be a difficult one to come to terms with. “It might mean that you need to ask your kids to leave,” she says. “    5    .”

A．So, what can parents do

B．Put everything in good order

C．Be prepared to listen patiently

D．Are they cheered by the news from home

E．You’d better set a proper time for a family meeting

F．Work together to set basic rules and a timeline to be reviewed

G．If you fear your kids get homeless, then address these fears directly

9 . The study by University of Arizona researchers, published in the Creativity Research Journal, finds that creative people are more likely to fruitfully use idle (空闲的) time by letting one idea lead to another.

“In psychology and neuroscience, most studies on human thoughts either prompt (提示) participants to think in a certain way or ask them to report on thoughts they experienced, but less is known about how thoughts naturally arise and unfold over time in unprompted contexts,” said Jessica Andrews-Hanna, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and senior author of the paper. “This is where our study comes in.”

The researchers divided the study into two parts. For the first experiment, the researchers asked each participant to sit alone in a room for 10 minutes without any access to digital devices. In the absence of any particular prompt, the participants were asked to voice their thoughts aloud in real time. The recorded files from 81 participants were then transcribed (转录) and analyzed.

The first experiment found that creative people were more engaged in their thoughts when they were left alone without distractions, such as cell phones and the Internet. “Creative people rated themselves as being less bored, even over those 10 minutes. They also spoke more words overall, which indicated that their thoughts were more likely to move freely,” said Andrews-Hanna.

For the second experiment, over 2,600 adults answered questions through a smartphone app called Mind Window, developed by Andrews-Hanna and her graduate student Eric Andrews. Participants who self-identified as being creative reported being less bored during the idle time.

The researchers are continuing this line of work using their Mind Window app. They encourage people to download and use the app to help scientists understand how people across the world think in their everyday lives. “Understanding why different people think the way they do may lead to promising interventions to improve health and well-being,” said Andrews-Hanna.

1. What do Andrews-Hanna’s words in paragraph 2 focus on?

A．The necessity of the study.	B．The value of former studies.
C．The participants of the study.	D．The process of former studies.

2. What did the participants do in the first experiment of the study?

A．They spoke out what they thought.	B．They recorded their own voices.
C．They remembered some prompts.	D．They finished a number of reports.

3. What did the study find about creative people?

A．They made better use of digital devices.

B．They enjoyed idle time more than others.

C．They were more likely to understand others.

D．They were more willing to share their thoughts.

4. Which word best describes Mind Window app according to the researchers?

A．Educational.

B．Fashionable.

C．Expensive.

D．Beneficial.