1 . Josie, who is 17 years old, said, “Why do my parents do the same things they tell me not to do? For example, my mum stops me from shouting through the walls and asks me to go and speak to her face-to-face, but she always shouts through the walls to me. What can I do?”
That is a very good point. Parents can be completely inconsistent (不一致), and usually they don’t realize it. You see this a lot in many things like smartphones. Parents always say to their kids, “Oh, you can’t use that. That device (设备) is bad for you, so stop using it at the table. It’s harmful.” But then they are on theirs continually. So what do you expect teenagers to do?
The whole “Do as I say, not as I do” thing is an annoyance, especially for a teenager who is dying for independence and respect but isn’t getting them.
What can teenagers do with it? I would say you should point it out by calmly saying something like “You tell me not to scream through the walls, but you do it to me, so you can understand where I’m coming from. That’s not ideal.” They might object to it, but I think most parents who care about being parents would logically say, “That’s a reasonable point.”
There are a lot of conflicts (矛盾) going on between teenagers and their parents, but a lot of studies show that the conflicts are resolved a lot more when they turn into a dialogue.
If you can talk at a time when you’re both feeling a bit calmer, like just in the kitchen or doing something unimportant, then go in and say, “Can I just mention it? You tell me not to do this, but you do it too.” If you can approach it in a more calm and stress-free manner, most parents will respond positively.
1. How did Josie feel according to her words in paragraph 1?| A．Hopeful. | B．Bored. | C．Proud. | D．Confused. |
| A．The parents’ smartphones. | B．The tables in the house. |
| C．The devices in the house. | D．The teenagers’ points. |
| A．Object to it personally. | B．Complain of it continually. |
| C．Talk with their parents calmly. | D．Do some studies differently. |
| A．To list a fact. | B．To offer a suggestion. |
| C．To show a result. | D．To ask a new question. |
2 . Can you imagine a school with only one student? There is one on the Out Skerries Islands, and Aron is the only student.
The Out Skerries Islands, which are around 280 km from the coast of Scotland, are home to about 70 people. The nearest town is Lerwick on the Shetland Islands. You can only get there by boat and it takes two and a half hours. Besides Aron’s school, there are also two shops, a church and a community hall on the islands.
Aron wasn’t the only student at the school at first. Until July there were several other children there. But now they are older, so they go to the secondary school in Lerwick. Aron has been the only student since September.
The school is very small. It has two classrooms, an art room, a music room and a library. Each week Aron studies Maths, English, Science and Art with the same teacher. She also gives him PE lessons. This is usually a long walk around the islands. He also has the school playground all to himself. Of course, there is one problem. He has no one to play with.
Aron has lived in Out Skerries since he was born and loves the outdoor life. He enjoys exploring (探险) the islands on his bike and jumping into the sea from the pier (突堤).
But his mother is worried that Aron might get lonely. She would like to see more families with children coming to live there. Many people have moved away since the local factory closed ten years ago. That’s why there are so few children on the islands and why Aron has found himself being known as the loneliest schoolboy in Britain.
1. What is NOT true about the Out Series Islands?| A．There is a secondary school. | B．There are less than 100 people. |
| C．They are far from the coast of Scotland. | D．There was a factory 10 years ago. |
| A．It has many classrooms. | B．There are several students. |
| C．It probably has only one teacher. | D．Four subjects are taught in the school. |
| A．walks around the islands | B．plays on the playground |
| C．explores the islands on his bike | D．jumps into the sea from the pier |
| A．Everyone is different and that’s a good thing. |
| B．Teamwork is important to achieve things in life. |
| C．It is important to know how to spend time alone. |
| D．It’s good to learn how to get on with people of different ages. |
| A．The smallest school in Britain. | B．The loneliest schoolboy in Britain. |
| C．Aron’s colorful life on the islands. | D．Mom’s worries about Aron’s future. |
3 . Comparison is the thief of joy, which has become more pronounced with the rise of social media. In the past, you may have envied your neighbour when they bought a new car. Today, the rise of social media has had many benefits but also given rise to social media envy when users perceive the perfect lives of others.
Research has shown that social media users post carefully chosen information to present a better image of themselves and social media allows them to do so. This can lead to social comparison, which is where we think about information about other people in relation to ourselves. Our own lives are for the most part ordinary, but social media can make it appear that everyone else’s are not. This can make us feel different emotional responses.
These emotions can be positive or negative. For example, sometimes envy can lead to self-improvement. Researchers have found that students studied for longer, and their academic performance improved, when they were envious of their successful peers.This is referred to as benign envy. But some envy can lead to negative emotions. You might feel low and have negative thoughts towards the envied person who you perceive to be in a better position than you. This is referred to as malicious envy.
As envy is a natural response, it is important to allow yourself to feel the emotion. The real trick is making sure you stop malicious envy and harness benign envy. By accepting that you are envious of someone when you have viewed a post on social media, you have made the first step to adopt a healthier response. You can then make the decision to use this feeling to fuel self improvement.
Therefore, try to identify role models as well as people to avoid or unfollow. Role models can be anyone that encourages a sense of benign envy and promotes wanting to improve. This could be friends, family or a celebrity. Identifying those that you feel malicious envy towards is equally as important. Unfollowing these people may be beneficial.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By giving a definition. |
| B．By explaining a theory. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By justifying assumptions. |
| A．Freedom of expression. |
| B．Selected information online. |
| C．Social media users' preference. |
| D．Widespread use of social media. |
| A．Post your envy online. |
| B．Acknowledge your envy. |
| C．Stop viewing harmful posts. |
| D．Reject this negative emotion. |
| A．Comparison—the thief of joy |
| B．Stay away from social media |
| C．Envy—a barrier to progress |
| D．Get over social media envy |
4 . A career in comics (漫画) is a dream for many talented, creative artists. It’s an opportunity to express one’s imagination through powerful stories. Traditionally, it was difficult, and sometimes expensive, to make it in the comic world. However, webtoons, comic platforms for viewing on the web and mobile devices, are changing the situation for independent artists. Artists can gain a following on webtoons platforms without having to depend on large publishing agents (代理商). It’s a fantastic opportunity for comic book lovers to find exciting new stories.
WEBTOON is the largest and most well-known webtoons platform, and it offers creators the chance to gain deals with famous agents and publishers. Some creators who got their start on WEBTOON have seen their stories adapted (改编) for TV series or movies. American Netflix has published two live-action adaptations of webtoons. WEBTOON has also worked with brand-name comics. For example, DC Comics, one of America’s oldest and largest comic book producers, produced a comic book series Batman: Wayne Family Adventures with WEBTOON. The popular DC series got more than 76 million views on WEBTOON.
In addition to all that, webtoons have helped independent artists and writers make it in the comic world. Azumi was a webtoons follower, who even won a webtoons competition, but he had no means to continue comic book writing full-time. In 2021, a WEBTOON producer found his great work and employed him to write. This opportunity allowed Azumi to give up his job and focus on his art. Azumi explains, “Many groups and stories that have not been shown in traditional publishing can have a voice and space on WEBTOON.”
“WEBTOON creators are some of the most talented and creative people the history of comics. In a time when comics have never been more popular, we’re proud of the growing Creator Economy and the ecosystem we’ve built to celebrate and support WEBTOON creators,” said CEO, Ken Kim.
1. What can we learn about webtoons from the first paragraph?| A．They push artists to attract mobile viewers. |
| B．They enable artists to show their works easily. |
| C．They will take the place of traditional publishing. |
| D．They encourage users to recommend creative artists. |
| A．WEBTOON is competing with big agents. |
| B．Creators are full of curiosity about adapted works. |
| C．WEBTOON achieves development through partnerships. |
| D．Creators hope to publish their works on different platforms. |
| A．His familiarity with webtoons. |
| B．WEBTOON’s recognition of his talent. |
| C．His excellent performance in a competition. |
| D．WEBTOON’s close contact with its followers. |
| A．Surprised | B．Worried | C．Unclear | D．Satisfied |
Throughout history, many species of animals have been threatened with
The reason is that elephants are a common resource, while cows are private goods. Elephants wander
6 . Walking in the city is very different from walking in the park. A small psychology study suggests urban(城市的) environments can slow your step and possibly increase your mental load. A walk through nature, on the other hand, appears to ease your mind and quicken your pace. The findings show that natural settings may potentially reduce cognitive (认知的)tiredness and improve reaction times straight away. The study, which includes two experiments with two different approaches, was conducted among 65 university students in the lab.
The first of the two experiments in the new study focused on people’s way of walking and cognitive load. During this trial, participants were fitted with sensors and a dozen motion control cameras were set up to watch them repeatedly walk down a 15-metre room at their natural speed. The wall opposite them showed an image of either a nature scene or a city scene. After each walk, participants were asked to rate their feelings of discomfort in the visual environment. On the whole, when walking in city settings, people reported more discomfort and they walked at a slower pace, indicating a higher cognitive load.
The second experiment dug into some of the higher-level cognitive processes that might be at play. In the trial, participants were asked to distinguish between basic visual shapes on the computer while also in the presence of a natural or urban image(the same ones from the first experiment). Measuring reaction times in both natural and urban settings, the team found results to support their idea. In urban environments, participants were slower in distinguishing between simple shapes. The authors think this is because urban environments are more distracting(令人分心的) for our brains and take longer to process, but more research is needed to prove that idea.
1. How were the experiments conducted mainly?| A．By comparing. | B．By giving data. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By explaining facts. |
| A．It can make us feel relaxed and react quickly. | B．It can activate our thinking and speed up our step. |
| C．It can make us less tired and improve our memory. | D．It can make us become more focused and creative. |
| A．They had a lower cognitive load. | B．They had to slow down their pace. |
| C．They couldn’t concentrate properly. | D．They felt uncomfortable after walking. |
| A．Urban environment makes us more concentrated. | B．People’s feelings are decided by their pace of walking. |
| C．The result of the experiments is widely appreciated. | D．People tend to get tired more easily walking in the city. |
7 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words With Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms (平台).
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger, “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual words, we will have little time for our real-world friendships.” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the text. | B．To tell about true friends. |
| C．To bring up a discussion. | D．To encourage online friendship. |
| A．In person. | B．In advance. | C．In any case. | D．In full measure. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Confused. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It’s wise to turn to friends online. |
| B．It’s easier to develop friendships in reality. |
| C．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
| D．Teenagers need focus on real-world friendships. |
1. What is the talk mainly about?
| A．Old people’s lives. | B．A supermarket chain. | C．Services for the elderly. |
| A．She lost her phone by accident. |
| B．She was cheated through phone. |
| C．She was unable to make calls. |
| A．True Call. | B．Safeway. | C．Red & Yellow Care. |
| A．Businessmen. | B．Sick people. | C．Senior customers. |
9 . Americans with small families own a small car or a large one. If both parents are working, they usually have two cars. When the family is large, one of the cars is sold and they will buy a van.
A small car can hold four persons and a large car can hold six persons but it is very crowded. A van hold seven persons easily, so a family with three children could ask their grandparents to go on a holiday travel. They could all travel together.
Mr. Hagen and his wife had a third child last year. This made them sell a second car and buy a van. In the van, the sixth and seventh seat are used to put other things, for a family of five must carry many suitcases when they travel. When they arrive at their grandparents'home, the suitcases are removed from the two seats which can then carry the grandparents.
Americans call vans motor homes. A motor home is always used for holidays. When a family are traveling to the mountain s or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or weeks. All the members of a big family can enjoy a happier life when they are traveling together. That is why motor homes have become very popular. In America there are many parks for motor homes.
1. What kind of family is more likely to buy a van?| A．A family living in the countryside. | B．A family with much money. |
| C．A family with more than two children. | D．A family with grandparents. |
| A．They sold their second car. | B．They built a new place for a van. |
| C．They sold their old house. | D．They moved to their grandparents' house. |
| A．A motor car. | B．A motor home. | C．A motorbike. | D．A big truck. |
| A．To visit their grandparents at weekends. | B．To drive their children to school every day. |
| C．To travel with all the family members on holiday. | D．To do some shopping with all the family members. |
| A．Because some people think motor homes are cheap. |
| B．Because big families can put more things in motor homes. |
| C．Because they can take people to another city when people are free. |
| D．Because they can let families have a happier life when traveling together. |
10 . Cruise and Waymo are two companies that have been developing self-driving taxis, sometimes called “robotaxis” (robot + taxi). Until recently, the cars have had a human in the driver’s seat, ready to take over if there was a problem. But the newest self-driving cars don’t have anyone in the driver’s seat. They are programmed to do everything on their own, including obeying the rules of the road, following speed limits, and avoiding people and other cars.
In early August, Waymo and Cruise were given full permission to operate their robotaxis. The companies were allowed to run as many driverless cars as they wanted, 24 hours a day. And the companies weren’t required to have safety drivers in their cars. The move was a big step for self-driving cars, and many people were excited about the change. The new rules also allowed the companies to charge for every ride, which meant that the robotaxis could finally start to earn money.
But almost immediately, there were problems. A Cruise car crashed into a fire truck, sending a person to the hospital. Later, a Cruise car stopped working in the middle of a crossroad, causing a traffic jam. As a result, Cruise was told to take half of its robotaxis off the roads.
In one recent example, a self-driving car got stuck in wet concrete because it didn’t know that wet concrete was different from a road. In another case, a robotaxi killed a dog. The self-driving system knew the dog was there, but didn’t know how to avoid it. One group that is upset about self-driving cars has found an unusual way to protest: putting traffic cones (圆锥体) on the robotaxis. The cone confuses the car’s driving system and leaves them unable to move.
In spite of the problems, both Waymo and Cruise are planning to expand their self-driving car service to other cities. Cruise has plans to bring their robotaxis to at least 15 cities. Waymo says its driverless system will soon be able to work “in any city, on any kind of vehicle”. Though the quality of self-driving cars is improving, it’s likely to be a while before most people view them as safe.
1. What was the latest change to the robotaxis recently?| A．They were able to really make money. |
| B．They could obey the traffic rules by itself. |
| C．They could run 24 hours on the road a day. |
| D．They didn’t have a human driver any more. |
| A．They killed a person in an accident. |
| B．They couldn’t avoid the traffic cones. |
| C．They sometimes broke down on the roads. |
| D．They couldn’t recognise the concrete road. |
| A．It is very convenient to take robotaxis. |
| B．The safety of robotaxis is still a problem. |
| C．Robotaxis should be expanded in the cities. |
| D．The driverless system of robotaxis is perfect. |
| A．Robotaxis Will Expand to More Cities |
| B．Robotaxis Has a Perfect Self-driving System |
| C．Robotaxis Move Forward, but Face Problems |
| D．Robotaxis Cause Many Accidents on the Roads |
