1 . The prevalence (普遍) of sweatshop (血汗工厂) labor depends largely on the definition being used. At its most _______ definition, the term refers to work in a confined space (small, surrounded by walls) that is extremely difficult or dangerous. Sweatshops are considered to be fairly common. If the definition being used is closely related to the commonly-held _________ of a factory with overworked, under-paid workers, sweatshop labor becomes less common than expected. _________, they are still prevalent in third-world countries. According to the United States Government Accountability Office, a sweatshop is any workplace that breaks one or more state and federal _________ laws. Experts believe that roughly 50 percent of manufacturers—_________ in the clothing industry — employ sweatshop labor.

It can be _________ to figure out the exact number of sweatshops in a particular area. These workplaces usually, if not always, violate labor laws. Violations can include workers being paid less than minimum wage, child labor, and the severe lack of safety regulations. _________, many of these locations tend to hide their identities as sweatshops through a number of different means. For example, they might bribe government officials.

Another factor that _________ the prevalence of sweatshop labor is the economic situation in the country or region. Many individuals choose to work in sweatshops simply because there are no better alternatives _________ livelihood (生计), even if the income they’re being given still cannot support their basic standards of living. This has led to a sharper increase in sweatshops in third-world economies. In these countries, there is a __________ advantage to working in a sweatshop rather than not working at all. __________, the large number of people willing to work under such conditions causes employers to run more sweatshops.

Certain economists argue against the popular opinion that sweatshop labor should be considered __________. Sweatshop supporters argue that the workplaces are a necessity for poor countries. Sweatshop workers actually earn more than average in those countries. Following this train of thought, sweatshops are looked upon as an economic stimulus (刺激物). Employers following this belief are __________ to increase the number of sweatshops in poorer countries.

However, other experts think that __________ labor standards in third-world countries creates a downward spiral (螺旋线). That is to say, people will be forced to accept working in increasingly worsening circumstances. The demand for work is significantly larger than the number of jobs that are available. It’s quite __________ for wages and employee rights to continue going downwards in response to such desperation. As a result of the economic circumstances in a given region, employers who follow this philosophy are quick to point out that their businesses do not fall under the definition of a sweatshop.

1.

A．accurate

B．general

C．applicable

D．specific

2.

A．opinion

B．condition

C．image

D．representation

3.

A．However

B．Moreover

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

4.

A．tax

B．criminal

C．civil

D．labor

5.

A．exclusively

B．particularly

C．broadly

D．initially

6.

A．meaningless

B．significant

C．awkward

D．difficult

7.

A．After all

B．As a result

C．Above all

D．As usual

8.

A．adds to

B．results from

C．puts off

D．appeals to

9.

A．in spite of

B．in addition to

C．in terms of

D．in return for

10.

A．comparative

B．competitive

C．complicated

D．potential

11.

A．By contrast

B．In turn

C．All in all

D．Last but not least

12.

A．necessary

B．constructive

C．illegal

D．inhuman

13.

A．encouraged

B．forbidden

C．reminded

D．obliged

14.

A．establishing

B．enforcing

C．maintaining

D．dropping

15.

A．possible

B．incredible

C．avoidable

D．necessary

2 . Obesity is a problem often associated with North America. However, China is providing that East Asians are having issues battling the problem as well. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 40 million obese people in China. To address weight problems of its students, Nanjing Agricultural University is offering weight reduction classes in which the students who loses the most weight gets the highest mark.     1    

Given the many complications that come with it, it’s not hard to realize that obesity is a problem that needs to be acted upon. It was not long age that a plus size student in Nanjing University fainted during a 1,000-meter race and died tragically. He was 168 centimeters and 92 kilograms, which was not exactly an ideal shape for competitive racing.     2     In fact, depression and social anxiety often go hand in hand with obesity along with heart and breathing problems.

In terms of motivation, signing up for a course like the one offered in Nanjing Agricultural University is very likely to inspire individuals. It’s like signing a contract for a goal that promises rewards and recognition.     3     Meanwhile, students get college credits for completing course by submitting a paper related to weight loss at the end of the semester.

However, there’s also a dark side to offering a course that resembles the plot of a reality television show. While entertaining and possibly inspiring for students, this course could lead to an extreme lifestyle change. As a result, there is no guarantee that students will still keep their newfound good habits with respect to eating and exercising after the course is completed.

    4     The goal should be to find out the reason why people become overweight and change people’s habits in general instead of focusing on the effects.

A．Apart from influencing athletic ability, being overweight affects young people’s mental health.

B．There are currently a few initiatives in place that could help combat this problem.

C．While it sounds like a good idea, the course should only be a part of a larger movement to maintain a healthy body through changes in diet and lifestyle.

D．Aside from that, working out with like-minded people can provide moral support.

E．With this in mind, we can see that such classes should only be the first step of many when it comes to solving the obesity problem in China.

F．Due to the current cultural views on obesity there is a significant need for anti-obesity education.

3 . According to Nielsen, the average number of mobile phone calls we make is dropping every year, after hitting a peak in 2007. And our calls are getting shorter: In 2005 they averaged three minutes in length;   now they’re almost half that.

We are moving, in other words, toward a fascinating cultural transition: the death of the telephone call. This shift is particularly plain among the young. Some college students I know go days without talking into their smartphones at all.

This generation doesn’t make phone calls, because everyone is in constant, lightweight contact in so many other ways: texting, chatting, and social-network messaging. And we don’t just have more options than we used to. We have better ones: These new forms of communication have exposed the fact that the voice call is badly designed. It deserves to die. Consider: If I suddenly decide I want to dial you up, I have no way of knowing whether you’re busy, and you have no idea why I’m calling.

We have to open Schrodinger’s box every time, having a conversation to figure out whether it’s OK to have a conversation. Plus, voice calls are emotionally high-bandwidth, which is why it’s so weirdly exhausting to be interrupted by one. (We apparently find voicemail even more torturous: Studies show that more than a fifth of all voice messages are never listened to.)

The telephone, in other words, doesn’t provide any information about status, so we are constantly interrupting one another. The other tools at our disposal are more polite. Instant messaging lets us detect whether our friends are busy without our annoying them, and texting lets us ping one another but not at the same time. (Plus, we can spend more time thinking about what we want to say.) Despite the hue and cry about becoming an “always on” society, we’re actually moving away from the demand that everyone should be available immediately.

We’ll still make fewer phone calls, as most of our former phone time will migrate to other media. But the calls we do make will be longer, reserved for the sort of deep discussion that the medium does best.

As video chatting becomes more common, enabled by the new iPhone and other devices, we might see the growth of persistent telepresence, leaving video-chat open all day so we can speak to a spouse or colleague spontaneously. Or, to put it another way, we’ll call less but talk more.

1. The writer of the text thinks that what is happening with mobile phone calls is ________.

A．an unexpected occurrence	B．a strange but very predictable fact
C．an interesting social phenomenon	D．negative for social interaction

2. In paragraph 3, the writer’s attitude towards phone voice calls is ________.

A．doubtful	B．concerned
C．positive	D．negative

3. What does the writer think will happen to voice calls in the future?

A．They will only be used in emergencies.

B．They will continue to get more expensive.

C．They will only be used between family members.

D．They will be used mainly for intimate and detailed discussions.

4 . Write an article in no fewer than 80 words.
Title: My view on being a vegetarian
Suggested points:
Do you agree or disagree with the idea of ‘being a vegetarian’? Why? List two or three reasons to explain.
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