1 . In recent years, aggression on social media have become commonplace. More than half of the victims said they didn’t know the identity of the perpetrator (作恶者). Most people agreed that the anonymity (匿名) of the Internet provides cover for nasty and harassing (骚扰) behavior.
Does this growing aggression on social media give us a glimpse of our real human nature? Are we-at our core-aggressive beasts? It’s true that hate crimes are on the rise, and political divisions app ear to be growing. The level of public bitterness-especially online-is substantial. But I don’t believe that’s because social media has unlocked our cruel human nature.
As an evolutionary anthropologist, I have spent years researching our transformation as a species. Over the past two million years, we have evolved from groups of apelike beings armed with sticks and stones to the creators of cars, rockets, and nations. Our bigger brains have allowed us to bond and cooperate in more complex and diverse ways than any other animal. Meanwhile, “you are whom you meet.” How we perceive, experience, and act in the world is shaped by who and what surround us on a daily basis. This process has deep evolutionary roots and gives humans what we call a shared reality.
I would argue that the rise in online aggression is a product of our evolutionary social skills, the social media boom, and the specific political, economic and social context where we find ourselves. This explosive combination has opened up a space for increasingly more people to fan the flames of aggression and insult online. Aggressive behavior-especially to those you don’t have to confront face-to-face-is easier than it’s ever been. And for the aggressor, there are often no consequences.
Yes, it seems that the world is getting more aggressive, but that’s not because we are more aggressive at our core. It’s because we haven’t been standing up against bullying, abuse, and aggressive harassment, and promoting pro-social attitudes and actions our contemporary world demands. In person and on social media, we must do both.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph two refer to?| A．Hate crimes on the rise. | B．Growing political divisions. |
| C．Considerable online bitterness. | D．The transformation of humans. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Approving. | D．Ironic. |
| A．Embracing our aggressive nature to compete in today’s world. |
| B．Strengthening laws to hold perpetrators responsible for their online actions. |
| C．Promoting positive behaviors and interactions in both real-life and digital spaces. |
| D．Focusing only on reducing anonymity on the internet to reduce offensive behavior. |
| A．The impact of social media on society. |
| B．The influence of evolution on our behavior. |
| C．The reasons behind rising online aggression. |
| D．The factors in the social media development. |
2 . Not much happens in the sleepy village of Colaton Raleigh, where almost half of the residents are retired, so local walkers were horrified when they discovered 100 ancient beech trees were cut down.
Residents in the east Devon community are saddened by the loss of the beloved trees, which were cut down by a government agency without consulting the community or council. They were located in a special conservation area and site of special scientific interest, and were home to lots of local plants and animals.
An application was made by a local landowner to the Forestry Commission, a branch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It would not comment on individual cases, but said all decisions were taken in line with its standards. Alan Pearce, a local tree manager, said, “It certainly ought to be a fairly wide consultation because it’s part of our heritage. Once they’re gone you’re talking about 200 years to regrow. The stumps (树桩) look, nearly all of them, perfectly sound and solid. I can’t see they can say they were diseased or dying. We’re meant to be planting trees, not felling (砍) them.”
He said people were “absolutely horrified”, with one walker in tears over the felling, which he suggested may have been taken to improve grassland in the nearby field.
Resident Fiona Carroll said, “Many people walk in this area as it is part of a large expanse of heathland and they are at a loss as to why this has been allowed to happen. These were valuable landscape and wildlife trees situated along an extensive ancient Devon bank. The roots had grown into large supporting structures giving many a distinctive look.”
Ewan Macdonald, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, who studies how people engage with the environment, said he was not surprised the felling had caused such an emotional reaction because of the way people connected with trees. He said, “It highlights how intrinsically (内在地) bound up things like trees, the environment and conservation are with our culture.”
1. What happened in Colaton Raleigh?| A．Half of its residents retired from their jobs. |
| B．A government agency felled 100 ancient beech trees. |
| C．The Forestry Commission made an application to cut down trees. |
| D．The felling of the trees was done to improve their living conditions. |
| A．The trees were cut down because of disease. |
| B．The local council didn’t approve of the application. |
| C．The local residents are eager to protect the environment. |
| D．The trees were cut down without consulting local villagers. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Protecting trees is protecting our culture. |
| B．The felling of trees doesn’t cause emotional reactions. |
| C．The environment, conservation, and trees are closely linked to our culture. |
| D．People’s engagement with the environment has no influence on their emotions. |
3 . As the weather shifts, many teenagers search for and purchase fashionable seasonal clothes, often from fast fashion sites. The potential effects of fast fashion are well-known, with the fashion supply chain ranking as the third-largest polluter in the world according to a 2021 report by the World Economic Forum.
Companies like Shein are accused of art theft and unfair treatment of employees. The modern fashion industry heavily relies on labor and treat workers not that well in underdeveloped countries due to globalization. The issue of ethical (合乎伦理的) consumption is complex, particularly among students who put affordability and accessibility in the first place over longevity when choosing clothes. Many think sustainable ethical brands are classist (有阶级偏见的) and that these companies often cater only to wealthy individuals, ignoring many others.
Even if teens don’t throw away their clothes as soon as trends end, there is still a sense of guilt associated with unintentionally supporting the growth of these companies for something as unimportant as fashion or beauty. However, those who buy from fast fashion brands out of necessity are not the ones causing the problem to continue. The concept of sustainability in fashion has been distorted (曲解) by those who use it to make the non-wealthy feel guilty for not participating in ethical consumption. Even purchasing from moral brands becomes unsustainable and fuels consumerism when overdone.
According to Forbes, teenagers are major consumers of TikTok, finding excitement in the platform’s ever-changing trends. Microtrends and fast-paced fashion cycles have transformed clothing into a single-use product. In the past, teens relied on celebrities and magazines for fashion inspiration; but with the rise of influencers and apps like TikTok, access to these previously exclusive fashion cycles has expanded. This accessibility and affordability require transformative change and accountability from appropriate institutions.
A re-examination of business and culture is necessary, and we should encourage small steps toward more intentional, reasonable shopping instead of punishing and policing those who shop for fast fashion out of necessity.
1. Why does the author mention Shein in paragraph 2?| A．To highlight the growing influence of fashin industry. |
| B．To accuse the company of causing pollution. |
| C．To show fast fashion companies' unethical practices. |
| D．To discuss the impact of globalization on fast fashion. |
| A．Sustainability. | B．Brand popularity. |
| C．Design and quality. | D．Price and approachability. |
| A．The influence of celebrities. |
| B．Microtrends and rapidly changing styles. |
| C．The easy access to fashion magazines. |
| D．The unintentional support of consumerism. |
| A．Supporting gradual actions toward reasonable shopping. |
| B．Carrying out strict regulations on all fashion brands. |
| C．Punishing those who throw away old-fashion clothes. |
| D．Promoting fast fashion as a sustainable alternative. |
Many people take the idea of saving money very seriously. Back in 1924, in Italy, a group of people
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Other people don’t spend money because they don’t like the culture of consumption. This is connected to the view that we should make ourselves happy through the
But however we view money, moderate spending is certainly a good idea when we are still too young to get a job. There is a British saying
5 . Pew Research Center is an organization that aims to inform the public about the issues, beliefs and trends shaping the world. It recently asked people in 24 countries a series of questions about how connected they feel to their own communities and countries as well as to people around the world. Pew researchers looked at, among other things, how international travel experience relates to feelings of connectedness.
The study found about half of all respondents reported they feel at least somewhat close to people all over the world. Feeling close to others around the world is more common in Europe than in most other places. In the USA, only 35 percent of the respondents said they feel at least somewhat connected to those in other countries. The percentage was even lower in Argentina (28 percent) and Indonesia (22 percent).
But international travel does not always mean a person feels a closeness to people around the world. Bright, a retired American schoolteacher, is one such exception. Pew researchers found a similar case in Sweden. Ninety-nine percent of Swedish respondents said they had visited at least one other country. Yet a much smaller share of Swedish respondents—47 percent—report feeling close to people all over the world.
However, Pew’s findings also show that international connectedness can be formed in ways other than traveling overseas. Sadikova, a Uzbek English teacher, feels connected to people all over the world even though she has never traveled outside Uzbekistan. She said, “Some years ago it was difficult for us to get information about people in the world, but currently, because of media, it is quite easy to get familiar with events and news.”
1. What’s the mission of Pew Research Center?| A．To make ordinary people aware of what influences the world. |
| B．To advocate traveling worldwide to understand other cultures. |
| C．To report something important happening all over the world. |
| D．To educate the public to get connected with others globally. |
| A．Indonesia. | B．Argentina. | C．The USA. | D．Sweden. |
| A．Swedish people are fond of travelling worldwide to get familiar with others. |
| B．International travels don’t necessarily make people feel connected to others. |
| C．American travelers feels less close to people in the country they have visited. |
| D．The number of Swedish travels is much larger than that of American tourists. |
| A．People in Europe feel much closer to others. |
| B．Uzbeks are less fond of learning about world events. |
| C．Media can also make people feel connected to others. |
| D．Traveling is the easiest way to get linked to others. |
6 . Do you like to shop online? Or do you prefer' to go into a store and look at a product?
One common shopper strategy is "show rooming." This means that customers go into a store, look at the product and talk to a salesperson.
The number of online shoppers is rising, but not as fast as retailers (零售商) first thought. People still like to go into stores.
In order to keep customers coming into stores, managers need to train salespeople well. In-store shoppers want salespeople to give them a lot of attention, be polite, and know a lot about the product.
What products do shoppers like to buy online?
However, online shopping doesn't work for every product. People prefer to shop for food in a store. If you're buying a new car, you can research prices online.
| A．Maybe you like to do both of these things. |
| B．But you still need to drive the car. |
| C．At the top of the list are electronic products. |
| D．You may pay a higher price than you expected. |
| E．You shall know what your purpose to buy something is. |
| F．Teens especially prefer to shop at a shopping center. |
| G．Then they use their smartphones or other mobile devices to find a better price. |
7 . More than one-third of the world’s food is wasted or thrown away, most of which ends up in landfills, producing very large amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Now, many studies show that it is becoming harder to grow enough food to feed an increasing population due to climate change and soil degradation.
But one of the most promising and simplest solutions lies in the problem itself: this wasted food — if composted (堆肥) — could slow climate change and improve soil quality. Higher-quality soil also continues to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, helping to improve plants and contributing further to fighting climate change. Returning one ton of organic matter to each hectare of soil would increase the production of cereal crops each year in Africa, Asia and South America by millions of tons.
While it is true that people can compost in their yards, community gardens, or even on their kitchen counters, larger-scale efforts, including infrastructure (基础设施) and incentives (激励) for consumers, would take it to the next level. Imagine if consumers could just leave unwanted food in a roadside bin for pickup, or drop it off at a local store, earning a few cents a bucket, just like what has been offered for recycling bottles or newspapers.
Moreover, in the case of composting, the payment incentive system would be sustainable because the end-product of compost can be sold to farmers, making it an economically workable model, something that is often lacking in recycling, especially for certain materials, like many types of plastics.
Eventually, more widespread composting of food would pave the way for solutions to additional waste challenges, such as the disposal of packaging and clothing. This will have other positive effects as well; if more consumers compost, companies will be more inspired to make and use compostable packaging, clothing, and other products. While more compostable items are starting to emerge today, additional composting will further drive demand and innovation, and offer a game-changing solution for the planet.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The uneven distribution of food around the world. |
| B．The burden of population growth on the planet. |
| C．The urgency of properly dealing with wasted food. |
| D．The great impact of climate change on food. |
| A．A good system is needed to carry out it effectively. |
| B．It would take a long term to have an effect. |
| C．It is only workable on a small scale. |
| D．It may raise people’s awareness of reducing food waste. |
| A．It is highly profitable. |
| B．It is easy to carry out. |
| C．It is a sustainable economic cycle pattern. |
| D．It is more effective than other recycling systems. |
| A．How Wasted Food Could Be Reduced |
| B．How Wasted Food Could Save the Planet |
| C．How Wasted Food Could Impact Humans |
| D．How Wasted Food Could Become a Business |
When you are surfing the Internet, you can be anyone or anything. Avatars are a key part while people use the Internet to communicate. and express themselves. The first simple 2D avatars
9 . When I first moved to China in 1998, I thought I would impress my class by using some Chinese in my speech about American weddings (婚礼). I told them everyone brings a gift to the wedding for the couple. As soon as I said this, all of the students looked surprised. I knew I had said something wrong. I realized that instead of telling them that everybody brings gifts to the hun li for the couple, I had said people bring gifts for them at the li hun!
I get laughs from some of my students because I often make mistakes and my Chinese sounds strange at times. But I tell them that sometimes their English is really strange too.
One asks, “What are you like to do in your free time?” And the other answers, “I very like basketball.” I find that even good English speakers make such mistakes. The second is by far the most common mistake I have heard among Chinese English speakers. It is a result of first thinking in Chinese and then translating each word in the sentence into English. This, of course, makes some Chinese people’s English sound strange.
“We should get off the car here,” a student told me. My school had asked two students to show me around the city by taxi. In English countries, we “get off” a bike, bus, or train. However, when we leave a car, we say “get out of the car”. Perhaps the student had learned “get off” means xia in Chinese and he thought the phrase (短语) could be followed by any means of transportation. To avoid such mistakes, you should take collocations (搭配) seriously. Only learning vocabulary and grammar is not enough.
Some of my students sound more like a book or machine than a human. Perhaps they have gotten used to depending on books. You can also read English books out loud or use a CD, but you need the real thing. If you have a chance to hear a native speaker from an Englishspeaking country, practice repeating what you hear. They can teach you how to have a conversation.
1. Why did the students feel surprised?| A．American weddings are difficult to organize. |
| B．The author’s Chinese was as fluent as Chinese. |
| C．The author used a completely wrong Chinese word. |
| D．Everyone must bring a gift to an American wedding. |
| A．Spelling mistakes. | B．Direct translation. |
| C．Cultural difference. | D．Wrong pronunciations. |
| A．He might be poor at vocabulary. |
| B．He might mistake “car” for “taxi”． |
| C．He might know very little about the city. |
| D．He might pay little attention to collocations. |
| A．Common mistakes made by Chinese English learners. |
| B．Differences between Chinese and American culture. |
| C．Suggestions on improving conversational skills. |
| D．His experience of learning English. |
10 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all don’t have enough conversational ability. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s embarrassing and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s a valuable social practice that leads to big benefits.
It is easy to consider small talk as unimportant, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist (存在) if there weren’t casual conversations. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,” he explains. “The secret to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, professor of psychology at UBC, invited people to a coffee shop. One group was asked to interact with its waiter, the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported obviously higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network is important for our happiness and health.”
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a greater sense of belonging, a link with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.
1. What does the underline word “casual” in paragraph 3mean?| A．Addictive | B．Public | C．Personal | D．Informal |
| A．Showing good manners. | B．Making business deals. |
| C．Focusing on a topic. | D．Keeping in contact with other people. |
| A．It raises people’s confidence. | B．It makes people feel good. |
| C．It improves family relationships. | D．It matters as much as a formal talk. |
| A．Conversation Counts | B．Ways of Making Small Talk |
| C．Importance of Small Talk | D．Uncomfortable Silence |
