1 . The needs of plus size consumers have long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted the slogan (口号) that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This size-inclusive (尺码包容) trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to extend their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.
Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie Southard Ospina, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”
Researchers also criticize that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Tom Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real commitment to the community.”
The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body -diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion options,” says Ludovica Cesareo, professor of marketing at the College of Business in the US.
1. What do the underlined words “the elephant in the room” mean in the first paragraph?| A．The hot issue that is valued. |
| B．The obvious truth that is ignored. |
| C．The important principle that is recognized. |
| D．The common phenomenon that is criticized. |
| A．They pick sizes randomly. | B．They offer limited plus sizes. |
| C．They treat designers disrespectfully. | D．They haven’t broadened standard sizes. |
| A．Their designs. | B．Their quality. |
| C．Their motivations. | D．Their advertisements. |
| A．Buyers may deserve fashion that fits their figure. |
| B．Consumers prefer brands with personalized values. |
| C．Brands should catch up with the size-inclusive trend. |
| D．A good brand image is critical in the fashion industry. |
2 . Amazon sometimes makes us check a box to save money. Those orange “coupon” (优惠券) banners below the price on Amazon’s online store are confusing. Why does Amazon make through the extra step of clicking a box to “save $2 when you apply this coupon?” Why doesn’t the coupon just apply automatically?
The answer lies in the subtle but highly effective way Amazon and other stores use shopping psychology to influence our buying decisions. By making us click a box, Amazon hopes to avoid the “cart abandonment” problem—when shoppers add something to their virtual shopping cart but don’t end up buying it.
That’s a big challenge for online retailers. They miss out on billions of dollars of potential sales annually because of shoppers thinking twice about buying a product. Around 70% of online shopping carts containing at least one item are eventually abandoned, according to the Baymard Institute, an e-commerce consultancy based in Copenhagen.
The top reason customers walk away: They say they were just browsing and weren’t ready to make a purchase. So companies look for persuasion tactics (策略) to get shoppers to follow through and click the “buy” button. Amazon’s tactic to display a coupon option, instead of just automatically showing a discounted price, gives shoppers an extra incentive (动机) to make the purchase right away, say marketing experts.
Customers also want to be rewarded for the effort they put in to shop. It may not feel like much to click a box—but it does make a difference. Amazon’s coupon box puts customers in a more active and engaged role in landing a reward, making it more visceral (发自内心的) for them, said Tamara Masters, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, who studies shopping psychology.
“By consciously seeing and clicking on the coupon box, instead of just having the coupon applied automatically the reward can be felt more acutely,” Masters said. That’s a benefit to Amazon in the long run. “When a consumer feels rewarded after making an effort to purchase something, they are more willing to buy and more willing to pay,” she added.
The coupon box is just one of the ways Amazon targets shoppers looking for bargains. Amazon also has a standalone page on its website for coupons on select brands. If shoppers go to the page, they can clip the coupons virtually and don’t have to take the extra step of checking a box.
This approach is designed to reach the shoppers who will shop exclusively based on which brands are offering coupons, which are different than products on sale, price promotions or discounts.
1. Why does Amazon apply the coupon box to help customers save money?| A．To avoid the abandonment of coupons. |
| B．To ensure customers make wise choices. |
| C．To increase customers’ chance of buying. |
| D．To recommend good products to customers. |
| A．Their effort to get a reward. | B．Their expectations of price. |
| C．Their curiosity about the reward. | D．Their desire to make a difference. |
| A．It is a losing bat in the long term. | B．It can provide much convenience |
| C．It might cause consumers complaints. | D．It’s a reliable way to encourage purchase. |
| A．It will save shoppers’ time to check a box. |
| B．It persuades select brands to offer coupons. |
| C．It tries various means to target different shoppers. |
| D．It plans to reduce unfair competition among brands. |
In recent years, China has been working hard to improve living conditions in rural areas through a program called the New Rural Development Initiative.
One important aspect of the initiative is the improvement of rural infrastructure
Another key focus is the promotion of modern agricultural
machinery, farmers are able to increase their productivity and income
Furthermore, the initiative emphasizes the importance of preserving traditional culture and heritage in rural communities. Efforts
Through the initiative, China is working hard to create a more prosperous (繁荣的) and
4 . The practice of paying children an allowance became popular in America about 100 years ago. Nowadays, American kids on average receive about $ 800 per year in allowance. But the vast majority of American parents who pay tie it to the completion of housework. Although many parents believe that paying an allowance for completing chores (家务活) benefits their children, a range of experts expressed concern that tying allowance very closely to chores may not be ideal. In fact, the way chores work in many households worldwide points to another way.
Suniya Luthar, a psychologist, is against paying kids for chores. Luthar is not opposed to giving allowances, but she thinks it’s important to establish that chores are done not because they will lead to payment, but because they keep the household running. Luthar’s suggested approach to allowance agrees with that of writer Ron Lieber, who advises that allowances be used as a means of showing children how to save, give, and spend on things they care about.
Kids should do chores, he writes, “for the same reason adults do, because the chores need to be done, and not with the expectation of compensation.”
This argument has its critics, but considering the way chores are undertaken around the world may change people’s thinking. Professor David Lancy of Utah State University has studied how families around the world handle chores. At about 18 months of age, Lancy says, most children become eager to help their parents, and in many cultures, they begin helping with housework at that age. They begin with very simple tasks, but their responsibilities gradually increase. And they do these tasks without payment. Lancy contrasts this with what happens in America. “We deny our children’s bids to help until they are 6 or 7 years old,” Lancy says, “when many have lost the desire to help and then try to motivate them with payment. The solution to this problem is not to try to use money as a motive for doing housework, but to get children involved in housework much earlier, when they actually want to do it.”
1. What do some experts think about paying children for doing chores?| A．It may not be the best thing to do. | B．It may not help complete homework. |
| C．It may benefit children in the long term. | D．It may help children engage more in labor. |
| A．strengthen family ties | B．appreciate their help |
| C．motivate them to do more housework | D．teach them ways to manage money |
| A．They should learn to take family responsibilities |
| B．They are too young to request money for what they do. |
| C．They have a natural tendency to help around the house. |
| D．They need a little support to get involved in housework |
| A．Set a good example for children. | B．Accept children’s early bids to help. |
| C．Teach children how to do housework. | D．Reward children for doing housework. |
5 . During my youth in America’s Appalachian mountains, I learned that farmers preferred sons over daughters, largely because boys were better at heavy farm labour. With only 3% of Americans in agriculture today, brain has replaced brawn, yet cultural preferences, like bad habits, are easier to make than break. But history warns repeatedly of the tragic cost of dismissing too casually the gifts of the so-called weaker sex.
About 150 years ago, a village church vicar in Yorkshire, England, had three lovely, intelligent daughters but his hopes depended entirely on the sole male heir (继承人), Branwell, a youth with remarkable talent in both art and literature.
Branwell’s father and sisters saved their pennies to pack him off to London’s Royal Academy of Arts, but within weeks he returned home, a penniless failure. Hopes still high, the family landed Branwell a job as a private tutor, hoping this would free him to develop his literary skills and achieve the success and fame that he deserved. Failure again.
For years the selfless sisters squelched (制止) their own goals, farming themselves out as teachers and governesses in support of their increasingly indebted brother, convinced the world must eventually recognize his genius. As failures multiplied, Branwell turned to alcohol, then opium, and eventually died as he had lived: a failure. So died hope in the one male — but what of her three selfless sisters?
During Branwell’s last years, the girls published a book of poetry at their own expense. Even Branwell might have snickered (窃笑): they sold only 2 copies. However, they continued in their spare time, late at night by candlelight, to pour out their pent-up emotion, writing of what they knew best, of women in conflict with their natural desires and social condition — in reality, less fiction than autobiography! And 19th-century literature was transformed by Anne’s Agnes Grey, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Charlotte’s Jane Eyre. But years of sacrifice for Banwell had caused great suffering. Emily was taken ill at her brother’s funeral and died within 3 months, aged 29; Anne died 5 months later, aged 30; Charlotte lived only to age 39. If only they had been nurtured instead of sacrificed.
No one remembers Branwell’s name, much less his art or literature, but the Bronte sisters’ tragically short lives teach us even more of life than of literature. Their sacrificed genius cries out to us that in modern society we must value children not by their physical strength or sexual gender, but by their integrity, strength, commitment, courage—spiritual qualities abundant in both boys and girls.
1. What does the underlined word “brawn” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Human intelligence. | B．Tiring labour. | C．Physical strength. | D．Personal preference. |
| A．Because Branwell was the only son of the family. |
| B．Because Branwell had a gift for literature and art. |
| C．Because his daughters were not as talented. |
| D．Because his daughters were self-disciplined. |
| A．Stopping working hard. | B．Feeling extremely ashamed. |
| C．Sliding into bad habits. | D．Losing heart completely. |
| A．The Bronte Sisters’ Selfless Sacrifice | B．Branwell — A Shame of the Bronte Family |
| C．The Bronte Sisters’ Great Achievement | D．The Bronte Family’s Regrettable Tragedy |
6 . “One, two, three, post the product links!” “Please press the button and give us a thumb-up” “exactly!” the “vibe group,” which means a group of people who are pumping some life into live-streaming and coordinating with live streamers to help steer customers to buy products. The group, also referred to as the “E-commerce straight man/crosstalk” by Chinese users, has stirred a craze in recent weeks on Chinese media platforms.
For the “E-commerce crosstalk” or people who help live streamers to sell their merchandise, it is their specialization. However, others believe that this is confusing to consumers.
The “E-commerce crosstalk” is also known as the center control of the live stream. The work of the center control spans across the pre, mid and post-stage of the live stream, and needs to be responsible for equipment debugging (调试), backstage operation, maintenance of the live stream order, data review and other contents.
They usually create a warming vibe to help live streamers sell products such as “I want 100k likes, could you guys help me to get them, please”, “Post product links!”, “Repost!” or “Let’s join the fan club”. These are normal psychological suggestions for customers which don’t break any of the rules of how to conduct business.
While the “E-commerce crosstalk” group doesn’t just control tempo, they also have another important role — they create a sense of exigency for customers, making them buy now, such as “My friends, the last one! Hurry, buy it now!” “How many are left? No, almost out of stock, only 30 left!” “Buy more today! Hurry up my friends! Go to the yellow cart, find the 1st link! Great price, great quality!”
“These practices are creating an illusion (错觉) of inventory constraints to mislead customers,” Fan Xiaolin, a Beijing-based lawyer told us. The unrealistic atmosphere created by the “E-commerce crosstalk” can easily mislead consumers, causing them to make irrational purchases. The 2020 China Live E-commerce Industry Research Report shows that the average return rate of live e-commerce is as high as 30 percent to 50 percent, which is much higher than the traditional e-commerce return rate of 10 percent to 15 percent.
1. What do “E-commerce crosstalk” specialize in?| A．Guiding staff to post the product lines. |
| B．Motivating followers to click the “like” button. |
| C．Assisting live streamers to sell goods. |
| D．Monitoring the live stream to function smoothly. |
| A．To ask for a great many thumb-ups. |
| B．To tempt the fans to shower the streamer with gifts. |
| C．To invite consumers to join fan clubs. |
| D．To share or forward the live stream to others. |
| A．Urgency | B．Rhythm | C．Involvement | D．Motivation |
| A．E-commerce crosstalk can create an authentic atmosphere for viewers. |
| B．The customers of e-commerce tend to be irrational. |
| C．The traditional e-commerce return rate is relatively lower. |
| D．The products of live streamers are in short supply. |
7 . Why do we find ugly animals so appealing? And what makes odd-looking creatures so cute?
Evolution plays a role. According to Austrian zoologist Konrad Lorenz, human attraction to infantile (婴儿的) features, such as big eyes, large heads and soft bodies, is an evolutionary adaptation that helps ensure that adults care for their offspring, guaranteeing the survival of their species. Odd-looking animals such as blobfish, pugs, aye-ayes and bulldogs all share these infantile qualities that trigger an affectionate response among humans and an natural instinct (本能) to nurture and protect. And these infantile characteristics increase a person’s protective behavior, attention and willingness to care for the individual and reduce the likelihood of aggression towards an infant, says Marta Borgi, a researcher.
Ugly animals often have other value-some, like the blobfish or the naked mole rat, live in extreme environments that they have adapted to in remarkable ways. Scientists are keen to study these animals to understand whether their biology might provide fresh insights that could lead to treatments for human health conditions such as cancer, heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases.
But while many ugly creatures are adapted to their life in the wild and can provide enormous benefits to the ecosystems they live in, they often still don’t get as much attention as more traditionally cute animals. This can result in a prejudice which leads to many of the less attractive species being overlooked in terms of research.
There are other culture-led factors that also drive our obsession (痴迷) with ugly-cute animals. “The ugly-cute thing is very fashionable,” says Rowena Packer, a lecturer of animal behavior. This is partly driven by social media, with many celebrities and influencers showing off pet pugs and French bulldogs on Instagram, she says.
But there are some serious welfare concerns around this trend. Veterinarians are urging people not to choose a flat-faced dog breed (品种), because they suffer from serious health problems. Pugs and French bulldogs which have been selectively bred experience breathing difficulties, repeated skin infections and eye diseases. So while ridiculous features such as bulging eyes and wrinkly faces may make us smile, we might want to reconsider our obsession with “ugly-cute” pets.
1. What features of animals might stimulate human’s love for them?| A．Unusual Body shapes. | B．Different color patterns. |
| C．Soft bodies and cute looks. | D．Baby-like facial expressions. |
| A．To gain new insights into their living habits. |
| B．To develop certain cures for human diseases. |
| C．To find ways to survive extreme environments. |
| D．To explore reasons for their strange appearances. |
| A．The appeal from celebrities. | B．The need of the community. |
| C．The proposal from an expert. | D．The influence of social media. |
| A．Be a wise ugly-cute animal lover | B．Develop the protective behavior |
| C．Follow in influencers’ footsteps | D．Adopt more odd-looking animals |
8 . Catfish effect is the effect that a strong competitor has in causing the weak to better themselves. Actions done to actively apply this effect in an organization are termed catfish management.
In Norway, live sardines are several times more expensive than frozen ones, and are valued for better texture and flavor. It was said that only one ship could bring live sardines home, and the shipmaster kept his method a secret. After he died, people found that there was one catfish in the tank. The catfish keeps swimming, and the sardines try to avoid this predator (捕食者). This increased level of activity keeps the sardines active, thus, increasing their survival rate greatly.
Catfish effect has been one of the hottest topics in human resources management. Therefore, I will keep the explanation short and sweet. When an outsider joins a well-established team as a competitor, he causes the weak to better their performance. This method is meant to motivate each of the teammates to feel the competition in order to keep up the competitiveness level of the whole team.
However, adding a catfish in the team can also bring in the downside in the group’s dynamics.
The team would go back to the storming stage. Under-performers would become more negative about the change that the catfish tried to implement (实施) because they would see it as a threat. The failed attempt of implementation of changing will create under-performance in the team as a whole, which will lead to a greater management challenge.
The key employee or backbone employee will feel demotivated because the opportunity to get a more senior job has decreased. If there are too many catfish in the company, this would generate a stressful work environment. The employee would constantly worry if they are being “preyed” by the catfish. The mental burden would create a harmful corporate culture and increase the distrust between employees.
A high standard is required on the catfish. The catfish would eventually turn into a leading role in the team. Lack in leadership skill from the catfish would lead to a bigger chaos in the workplace. Worst situation would be setting up a bad leadership role model to further an unhealthy competitive environment.
1. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?| A．The magic trick of catching sardines. | B．The underlying logic of the effect. |
| C．The exact origin of the legend. | D．The great wisdom of a catfish. |
| A．Unfair corporate culture. | B．Violent work environment. |
| C．Great management challenge. | D．Reduced promotion chance. |
| A．Qualifying a catfish for a leading role. | B．Setting up a harmonious relationship. |
| C．Creating a less competitive workplace. | D．Stopping a catfish entering a company. |
| A．Subjective. | B．Pessimistic. | C．Objective. | D．Doubtful. |
9 . Sometimes I am overcome with worry suddenly. I worry about my mom getting sick. I worry that I’m spending too much.
So, when worry and anxiety come into you, know that you’re not alone. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 18 percent of Americans are affected by anxiety. That’s almost 1 in 5!
In life, accidents do happen. Are these really threats? We may think it's safer when we’re anxious. But it’s just a false idea. Focusing on worst-case assumptions will not stop bad things happening.
| A．Just control what you can. |
| B．It’s more common than you think. |
| C．What is it that is making you worried? |
| D．I worry that I’ve hurt someone’s feelings. |
| E．Worry doesn’t make life any more predictable. |
| F．What can you do to deal with what concerns you? |
| G．It’ll only stop us from doing our work and living our lives. |
10 . A worldwide shift from fossil fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles (EV) could significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that humans emit to the atmosphere. But the vehicle electrification can also shift some pollution to communities already suffering under higher economic, health and environmental burdens, researchers warn.
California is seeking to reduce its carbon footprint and has made great increases in the promotion of electric vehicle purchases. One tool the state has launched is the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, or CVRP, which offers consumers money back for the purchase of new EVs.
Now, an analysis of the CVRP’s impact on the state’s air quality from 2010 to 2021 reveals both good and bad news, researchers report May 3 in PLOS Climate.
The good news is that the CVRP is responsible for reducing the amount of the state’s overall CO2 emissions, reducing them by about 560,000 tons per year on average, says environmental scientist Jaye Mejia-Duwan at the University of California. In 2020, transportation in California produced about 160 million tons of CO2, about 40 percent of the total emitted by the state that year.
The bad news is that the most disadvantaged communities in the state didn’t see the same overall improvement in air quality. Those communities didn’t have the same decreases in CO2 — and in fact saw an increase in one type of air pollution, tiny particulates (颗粒) known as PM2.5. “These particulates are small enough to go deep into the lungs, increasing the risk of cancer, heart problems and cognitive decline,” Mejia-Duwan says.
“Electric vehicles are often referred to as ‘zero-emission vehicles,’ but in fact, they’re only as clean as the underlying electric grid (电网) from which the energy is sourced,” Mejia-Duwan says. EVs tend to be relatively heavy due to their batteries. And “heavier vehicles can produce more particulate matter than equally sized fossil fuel-powered cars, due to brake, tire or road wear,” Mejia-Duwan says.
1. California launched CVRP to ________.| A．save money for consumers | B．encourage the purchase of EVs |
| C．promote selling traditional cars | D．add to the profit of car industry |
| A．The seriousness of CO2 emissions. | B．The increasing popularity of EVs. |
| C．The present situation of environment. | D．The positive effect of CVRP. |
| A．Fuel-powered cars are relatively environment friendly. |
| B．There are more EVs in disadvantaged communities. |
| C．Electric vehicles can reduce the amount of emission. |
| D．Heavier vehicles do less damage to the environment. |
| A．Objective. | B．Supportive. | C．Opposed. | D．Indifferent. |
