1 . Many economists predict 2024 will be the time shoppers tighten their belts. That doesn’t mean people will stop spending, say retail (零售) analysts. But it will change what they choose to buy. With a slowing job market, global consumers are likely to move away from more high-priced purchases and focus instead on smaller, less expensive treats.     

The economic uncertainty means that consumers are becoming more discriminating about their purchases, says Ethan Chermofsky, senior vice president of marketing at intelligence platform Placer. ai. “There are the things we decide are necessary, and then there’s another category of things that aren’t necessary but that we consider affordable luxuries, he says. This desire for these “affordable luxuries” is common in difficult economic times. Some economists refer to the phenomenon as the “lipstick index”: a small economic increase led by budget-minded consumers seeking out relatively affordable splurges (挥霍), like small cosmetics (化妆品).

Analysts at Deloitte say consumers will spend on little luxuries like specialty coffees and snacks as well. Additionally, stressed-out shoppers are prioritizing small splurge purchases for wellness and personal care.

As retailers see shoppers turning to little luxuries, they’re offering more and more of them. Target, for example, has staked a flag in what they refer to as “affordable joy”, which includes a selection of self-care and cosmetic products, along with wellness-centric beauty products. Beyond diversifying their offerings, stores are also bringing in luxury-feeling products at lower price points to appeal to more consumers.

Ethan says not every shopper will shift their spending to little luxuries-but even those who are still longing for the “must-haves” of social media will also look to get a deal. They want the feeling of purchasing lower-priced affordable treats. To get these goods, shoppers are likely to tap into the re-sale market for designer items at a more reasonable price. They want things that make them feel good about themselves-they just want to do it without breaking the bank.

1. What can affordable luxuries be?

A．Inexpensive daily necessities.	B．High-end products.
C．Reasonably-priced designer items.	D．High-priced purchases.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The strategies retailers use.	B．The joy businesses offer.
C．The competition stores face.	D．The products consumers buy.

3. What do most shoppers seek according to Ethan?

A．Social-media deals.	B．World-famous brands.
C．Second-hand bargains.	D．Budget-friendly pleasures.

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

A．Lipstick Index: Where Does It Lead Us?	B．Must-have Treats: A Future Spending Trend
C．Affordable Joy: Will We Fall Into The Trap?	D．Little Luxuries: A Driving Force Behind Consumption

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who are the target customers of Bill Bird’s workshop?

A．Those who prefer fashionable shoes.

B．Those who need unusual-sized shoes.

C．Those who like to order shoes quickly.

2. What is the biggest problem Bill Bird has now?

A．The lack of computer technology.

B．The shortage of skilled workers.

C．His outdated shoe-making skills.

3. What kind of person is Bill Bird?

A．Fashionable.

B．Interesting.

C．Devoted.

3 . Are you one of those people who like spending time alone? If so, you probably already know that there are some people who will scold you for it. They think you are alone because you are anxious around other people and just don’t have very positive relationships with humans.     1    

This is a common phenomenon of being alone for too long. Recently, scholars have increasingly recognized the value of spending time alone.     2     They believe that spending time alone is good for creativity, self-insight, self-development, relaxation, and spirituality.

    3     One of the most important facts is whether you choose to be alone. If you are spending time alone because that’s what you want, then that will probably be a psychologically healthy experience. If instead you are home alone feeling despondent because you really want to be with other people, that’s much more problematic.

As important as that distinction is, some scholars believe it is not enough. Even people who choose to be alone, they point out, can do so for different reasons.     4     Others, however, are more likely to be indicative of good psychological health.

For young people, spending time al one for positive reasons is associated with a number of healthy psychological experiences. Those who are alone for negative reasons are worrying. However, wanting to be alone for positive reasons and wanting to be alone for negative reasons are not completely separate.     5     Some people want to be alone for two reasons.

A．They have even documented it.

B．They are forced to spend much time alone.

C．There is a small relevance between the two.

D．They assume you are lonely and depressed.

E．The two have nothing to do with each other.

F．Some reasons for being alone are likely to cause trouble.

G．How do you decide whether being alone is good or bad?

6 . If you’ve scrolled through your Facebook feed recently, you may have noticed something surprising: lots and lots of short videos.

What makes this “Reels” feature strange is that it is hugely addictive, which I know quite well from my own personal experience. Last Friday, I took a break and hit on one short clip of someone making dinner and, well, the next time I looked up it was 20 minutes later and the blank document on my computer monitor was confirming to me that my work was still not done.

However, as silly as it seems, Reels-is actually super important, and is at the centre of a major battle between the world’s largest tech firms. The format (格式) was first pioneered by TikTok-the Chinese-owned video app that has taken the world by storm since it launched in 2016. Today, TikTok has around 23 million UK users every month-including basically every person you know under the age of 25. And that fact has made Facebook and its parent company, Meta, very nervous indeed. As TikTok has continued to boom, Facebook has actually fallen in popularity among “Gen Z”. The reason Tik Tok has proven such a powerful challenger to Facebook’s social media dominance is almost entirely down to these sorts of short-form videos.

The format is almost perfectly optimised to be as addictive as possible: Tik Tok’s app shows you a short-form video, and if you don’t like it, you can simply swipe it away and another one will start playing instantly. And because it is portrait, not landscape, videos look “right” when viewed on your phone. What’s also smart is that TikTok’s algorithm (算法) picks videos for you based on what you actually watch, and not what you say you want.

Facebook isn’t the only app trying to do what TikTok does so well. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, has integrated Reels even more aggressively into its app. And even Google is nervous, launching its own TikTok-style video section of YouTube(which it owns)a couple of years ago. As things stand, though TikTok currently maintains a healthy lead in the category, both YouTube and Facebook have deep pockets-so expect to see even more Reels and Shorts popping up in your feed as this intense battle continues to rage. You won’t be able to take your eyes off them.

1. Why did the author mention his own experience in paragraph 2?

A．To illustrate the feature of short videos.

B．To stress the importance of short videos.

C．To prove his preference to short videos.

D．To introduce the functions of short videos.

2. What do we know about TikTok according to the passage?

A．It has shown the trend of the fall in popularity among “Gen Z”.

B．It is perceived as a potential threat to Facebook’s social media dominance.

C．Its number of registered UK users has reached 23 million since it launched in 2016.

D．It underestimates the essential role of short videos in competition with large tech firms.

3. What makes the short videos on TikTok App so popular?

A．The beautiful visual effects.

B．The high video quality.

C．The random recommendation.

D．The quick switch between videos.

4. What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph?

A．The short videos have a profound impact on our daily life.

B．TikTok seems to be losing its advantage over short videos in the short run.

C．YouTube and Facebook may encounter financial difficulties in developing Shorts.

D．A growing number of tech firms have engaged in fierce competition for the short video market.

7 . 假设你是李华，你的爱尔兰好友Jim发来邮件说爱尔兰人微信群里多数人用真人照片做微信头像（profile photo/picture），觉得这样更能让别人信任自己，他想知道为什么多数中国人不用本人照片当头像。请你用英文给他回复，内容包括：
(1) 分析可能的原因；
(2) 给出你的观点；
(3) 期待回信。
注意：1. 写作词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman going to do this Saturday?

A．Go on a business trip.

B．Attend a party.

C．Work overtime

2. Who does the man advise the woman to ask for help?

A．Her neighbors.

B．The kids’ teacher.

C．The kids’ grandparents.

3. What does the man say about nannies (保姆) here?

A．They are common.

B．They have no certificate.

C．They’re more for full-time care.

9 . In 2009, when Qatar (卡塔尔) bid to host the 2022 Football World Cup, it promised a carbon-neutral (碳中和) event. Even back then, the prospect of neutralizing the carbon-dioxide emissions (排放) generated by hosting hundreds of thousands of fans in newly constructed stadiums, in a desert state, seemed fanciful. So it is proving. In their greenhouse-gas accounting report, published last year, FIFA (国际足联) and the Qatari organizers estimated that the World Cup would generate 3.6 million tons of CO2 emissions. Estimating emissions for big sporting events is a relatively new practice and methods can vary, but that figure is higher than any recent World Cup or Olympics.

It is also likely to be a significant underestimate. A report in May 2022 by Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a climate watchdog (监督者), found that the official forecast failed to account accurately for the emissions generated from stadiums. FIFA, which insists its method is “best in practice”, reckons that the majority of the emissions (52%) will come from fans and players travelling to Qatar, while less than 25% are from stadium construction. That is because organizers expect these stadiums to be used for years after the World Cup, spreading their carbon footprint way into the future.

CMW believes such an excuse is far from reasonable. Before the World Cup, Qataris were able to get by with only one stadium, it points out. Consequently, it estimates that the emissions from stadium construction for the World Cup are undercounted by a factor of eight. It puts the real figure at 5 million tons. Though it amounts to less than 0.02% of the world’s annual emissions, sports teams and organizations should have set a positive example in this.

To remove the doubt from outside, Qatar has established the Global Carbon Council (GCC), a dedicated environmental agency. Beyond adjusting for World Cup emissions, the GCC will promote a path to “a low-carbon future”, a great step for a country with the world’s highest emissions per person. Yet the agency is still at its early stage. Only six projects, saving less than 600,000 tons, have been approved so far.

1. What is the main problem Qatar and FIFA are faced with at present?

A．The 2022 World Cup isn’t as successful as it should be.

B．They may fail to keep the promise to hold a green event.

C．The figure they published is higher than that of other events

D．They are unfamiliar with the new practice of the World Cup.

2. How does Qatar and FIFA cut down the carbon footprint of the World Cup?

A．By insisting on its way of environmental protection.

B．By promising to use the new stadiums for more years.

C．By blaming the greenhouse-gas emissions on travelers.

D．By cooperating with Carbon Market Watch for instructions.

3. Why does the CMW refuse to accept the explanation given by Qatar and FIFA?

A．5 million tons accounts for a little of the annual emissions.

B．The stadium construction for the World Cup sets a bad example.

C．The method they employed in estimating the emissions is unscientific.

D．There will be more stadiums than Qatar actually needs after the World Cup.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．The GCC is an agency specially established for the World Cup

B．The Qataris attach great importance to environmental protection.

C．The Qataris need to make more efforts to hold a carbon-neutral event.

D．The GCC has achieved a lot in cutting down greenhouse-gas emissions.