1 . Film Puts Justifiable Defense in Spotlight
The film, Article 20, directed by Zhang Yimou, draws its name from Article 20 of the Criminal Law, which focuses on the sometimes controversial legal concept of justifiable defense. Drawing inspiration from real-life cases of justifiable defense, the film gained widespread attention and struck a chord with the public during the Spring Festival holiday. The movie calls for a de tailed interpretation of legal terms and urges against compromising on unlawful conduct.
According to the Criminal Law, when a person, faced with an unlawful attack, takes action to protect his or her own rights or interests or those of others, and the attacker is thereby harmed, the defender will be considered to have acted in justifiable defense and will not bear criminal responsibility. For some time, justifiable defense has been regarded as a “dormant clause” (沉寂条款), due to the influence of misconceptions, such as “whoever is injured or killed is right”.
But the true meaning of the law should be to increase the responsibility for wrongdoers, rather than burdening good people. Recent cases have shown that, for ordinary citizens, justifiable defense is no longer a pipe dream. A high-profile case in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, in 2018 served as a wake-up call and caught the attention of authorities regarding such cases. In that case, a traffic argument led to a motorist who took a knife with him confronting another man. The motorist was killed, and police and judges determined that the defender’s actions constituted justifiable defense. Since then, the justifiable defense clause has been applied in several places across the nation. The concern over justifiable defense reflects the public’s demand for fairness, justice, security and rule of law.
Luo Xiang, a renowned professor of criminal law at China University of Political Science and Law, said in a recent comment about the film Article 20 that the public and judges should avoid taking a “godlike” perspective. Instead, they should consider the situation in which the defender was involved, empathize with the defender’s position, and stop themselves from making excessive demands on the defender, Luo said.
1. Why did the film Article 20 attract the audience’s attention?| A．It was released during the Spring Festival holiday. |
| B．It is named after one article in the Criminal Law. |
| C．It explores real-life cases of justifiable defense. |
| D．It was directed by Zhang Yimou. |
| A．the victim gave up his legal rights |
| B．the robber kept silent about the robbery |
| C．the robber was hurt worse than the victim |
| D．the victim knifed the armed robber to stop the ongoing crime |
| A．Making comparisons. | B．Listing reasons. |
| C．Explaining misconceptions. | D．Providing evidence. |
| A．Take a “godlike” viewpoint with the public. |
| B．Put oneself in the defender’s shoes. |
| C．Demand more from the defender. |
| D．Side with the attacker. |
2 . About ten years ago, logging into Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram would mostly show posts from friends and family in the order they were posted. Today, these platforms present a mix of content, tailored by algorithms (算法) to match users’ interests, whether it’s plants, sports, cats, or politics.
Kyle Chayka, a writer for The New Yorker, discusses this topic in his book, Filterworld. He explains that algorithms analyze user data to predict and influence what they will likely engage with. This means that instead of a simple, chronological feed, users encounter a dynamic stream, constantly adapting to their preferences. Chayka examines how these algorithmic recommendations control what we consume, from music and movies to food and travel destinations. He argues that this machine-driven selection process has turned us into passive consumers, making our preferences and tastes more similar.
Chayka points out that algorithms make us passive by always showing us content that we’re unlikely to click away from but won’t find too unexpected or challenging. This constant stream of recommendations reduces our exposure to diverse or challenging content, subtly shaping our preferences and behaviors.
Moreover, Chayka points out that algorithms also pressure content creators, like musicians and artists, to tailor their work to fit these digital platforms. For instance, musicians on Spotify or TikTok might focus on creating catchy hooks at the beginning of their songs to grab the listener’s attention.
Despite the strong presence of these algorithms, Chayka believes that regulation could reduce their influence. He suggests that if Meta, the parent company of Facebook, were required to separate its various services, like Instagram or WhatsApp, and make them compete with each other, it could give users more control and choice over their digital consumption.
In summary, the change from simple, time-ordered social. media posts to algorithm-driven content has a big impact on both the viewers and the creators, influencing what we see, hear, and even think. Chayka’s insights highlight the need for greater awareness and potentially more regulation in our increasingly digital world.
1. According to the text, how have social media platforms changed in the past ten years?| A．They show posts in a time-based order. |
| B．They prioritize posts from friends and family. |
| C．They make adjustments to satisfy users’ needs. |
| D．They provide more content to meet different needs. |
| A．They make users more active consumers. |
| B．They shape users’ preferences and behaviors. |
| C．They reduce the influence of content creators. |
| D．They expose users to diverse and challenging content. |
| A．By encouraging musicians to create longer songs. |
| B．By discouraging musicians from using catchy hooks. |
| C．By giving musicians more control and choice over their music. |
| D．By requiring musicians to create their work to fit the platforms. |
| A．Tech companies should have more departments. |
| B．Social media algorithms give content creators less opportunities. |
| C．Social media algorithms flatten our culture by making decisions for us. |
| D．Network platforms have increased the common recommendations for 10 years. |
3 . 语法填空
As social media has skyrocketed in popularity in the past years,
Trying these unplugged Dos may help. First, set a schedule to put adults, teens and kids back together with family, friends and neighbors
4 . Visit the grocery store on an empty stomach, and you will probably come home with a few things you did not plan to buy.
The checkout area is a particular hotspot for junk food. Studies have found that the products most commonly found there are sugary and salty snacks. And a few studies have suggested that simply swapping in healthier options can change customer behavior. A 2012 study in the Netherlands found that hospital workers were more likely to give up junk food for healthy snacks.
Adjoian and her colleagues wondered if such findings would apply to their city’s crowded urban checkout areas, so they selected three Bronx supermarkets for their own study.
Of the more than 2,100 shoppers they observed, just 4 percent bought anything from the checkout area. Among those who did, however, customers in the healthy lines purchased nutritious foods more than twice as often as those in the standard lines.
The potential influence may seem small, but Adjoian believes that changing more checkout lines would open customers’ eyes to nutritious, lower-calorie foods. Health department officials are now exploring ways to expand healthy options at checkout counters throughout New York City.
| A．These foods give people more energy. |
| B．They bought unhealthy foods 40 percent less often. |
| C．But hunger is not the only cause of additional purchases. |
| D．The supermarkets began to offer nutritious, lower-calorie foods. |
| E．It happened when the latter were more readily available on canteen shelves. |
| F．These findings caught the attention of New York City Department of Health. |
| G．They replaced candies and cookies with fruits and nuts near the checkout counter. |
5 . There is no universally accepted age that is considered old among or within societies. Often disagreements exist as to what age a society may consider old and what members in that society of that age and older may consider old. Moreover, biologists are not in agreement about the existence of an internal biological cause foraging.
In general the social status of an age group is related to its effective influence in its society, which is associated with that group’s function in productivity. In agricultural societies the elderly have a status of respectability. Their life experiences and knowledge are regarded as valuable, especially in preliterate (尚无文字的) societies where knowledge is orally transmitted. The range of activities in these societies allows the elderly to continue to be productive members of their communities.
In industrialized nations, although in certain fields old age is still considered significant, particularly in the political field, older people are increasingly being forced into retirement before their productive years are over, causing problems in their psychological adaptations to old age. Retirement is not regarded unfavorably in all instances, but its economic limitations tend to further remove older people from the range of influence and raise problems in the extended use of leisure time and housing. As a consequence, financial preparation for retirement has become an increased concern for individuals and society.
Familial relationships tend to be the focus of the elderly’s attention. However, the tendency for young people in industrialized countries to be highly mobile has forced older people to decide whether to move to keep up with their families or to remain in neighborhoods which also change, altering their familiar patterns of activity. Although most older people do live within an hour from their closest child, industrialized societies are faced with formulating programs to accommodate increasing numbers of older people who function independently of their families. Adult education programs are beginning to close the generation gap; however, as each successive generation reaches old age, bringing with it its particular tendencies and preferences, new problems arise requiring new social accommodations.
1. What counts for the elderly in agricultural societies?| A．Their status of respectability. | B．Their value in productivity. |
| C．Their rich knowledge in education. | D．Their extraordinary ability to work. |
| A．It has faded the elderly worries. |
| B．It means the end of productive ability. |
| C．It is considered beneficial in all distances. |
| D．It influences the elderly psychologically and financially. |
| A．Planning. | B．Changing. |
| C．Extending. | D．Canceling. |
| A．A personal journal. | B．A science research. |
| C．A social issue review. | D．A community brochure. |
6 . The slogan of a University of Northern Iowa clothing exchange also serves as the perfect description of a fashion currently popular among students: thrifting-trading clothes with friends informally or through campus events and websites such as Swapstyle or at a thrift store.
Students are becoming increasingly vocal champions of this creative and commercial effort and the culture it represents. The act of thrifting is at the heart of the rise in students’ do-it-yourself (DIY) fashion shows and themed parties in which clothes must be handmade-composed of older, organic or recyclable items.
More broadly, the thrifting movement represents a generational switch built on five basic beliefs: old is new, mixing is far better than matching exchanging beats shopping, the best things in life are free (or incredibly cheap), and social responsibility is the new black.
According to recent campus and professional press reports, more students are thrifting so they can remain fashionable during the economic downturn.
They are giving up brand loyalty. They are also increasingly unwilling or unable to buy things at full price. Instead, they are seeking discounted ways to stand out stylistically, including making certain classic clothes the next big things.
“It’s often hard to find two of the same clothing items in a thrift store. You can leave knowing that the special outfit you are getting for your major event, no one will have,” Saint Xavier University rising senior Sydney Bennett confirms. “Because a lot of the items in thrift stores are classic, you will have a chance to showcase a ‘recycled style’ that is just like new for our generation.”
To this end, Bennett calls thrifting “a treasure hunt and shopping experience rolled into one ”.
1. Which item of the following will disqualify you for DIY fashion shows?| A．A newly-bought dress. | B．A pair of washed-out jeans. |
| C．An out-dated sweater. | D．A second-hand cotton jacket. |
| A．It’ll damage economy. | B．It’s a temporary success. |
| C．It was started by the government. | D．It reflects a change in philosophy of life. |
| A．Getting anything for nothing. | B．Staying loyal to the brand. |
| C．Seeking out unique items. | D．Buying as many clothes as possible. |
| A．To evaluate a rule. | B．To clarify a concept. |
| C．To introduce a new trend. | D．To recommend a way of life. |
7 . Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, leading scientists have said, as they warned it is not more environmentally-friendly to go vegan (素食).
Prof. Geoff Simm, Director of Global Academy Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Edinburgh, said, “I think livestock (家畜) farmers do feel they are being demonized (妖魔化).” Often the argument is made that going vegan would minimize land use, but the modelling studies that have been done demonstrate that’s not the case. We feel that while livestock production has a range of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits, the costs have perhaps been receiving far more attention recently than some of the benefits. Meat has massive social benefits. It’s an important source of dietary protein, energy, highly bioavailable micronutrients (微量营养素), even small amounts of animal-sourced food have a really important effect on the development of children, in the developing world on their cognitive and physical development and they are really important.
Prof. Mike Coffey, from Scotland’s Rural College, added, “It’s completely unnecessary to go vegan. If everybody went vegan it would be devastating for the UK environment. Animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.”
Researchers are currently attempting to breed more environmentally friendly cattle, which grow faster and eat less, which could further reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of methane (甲烷) released by cows.
Prof. Coffey said that the difference in methane emissions from best and worst cattle was about 30 percent and that if all UK farmers used the most efficient animals this could reduce carbon emissions by nearly a third. But Prof. Coffey said the next stage will be trying to measure the methane given off by different breeds of cattle to find which are the lowest emitters. Prof. Coffey said that soon shoppers could be able to check meat labels to find out how much environmental impact their food has had. He added, “My expectation is that at some point in the near future there will be product labels that relates to the efficiency or carbon impact of the food.”
Professor Andrea Wilson, also of Edinburgh University, said more research was needed into the impact of veganism (绝对素食主义). She added, “We know a lot about the livestock sector because people have looked at it. We actually know very little about the vegan sector. The danger is we demonize one and jump too quickly to the other.”
1. Why are livestock farmers being demonized?| A．Because livestock production has huge costs. |
| B．Because livestock meat contains harmful protein. |
| C．Because livestock need more land and emit polluting gases. |
| D．Because livestock meat negatively affect children’s development. |
| A．To state a fact. | B．To make a prediction. |
| C．To present a solution. | D．To explain a phenomenon. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Intolerant. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Going vegan is not greener. | B．Consuming meat is harmful. |
| C．Raising cows is environmentally friendly. | D．Criticizing livestock farmers is not wise. |
8 . Checking the ticket-booking strategy, setting an alarm clock, staying up late to check the messages... Liang Yu never thought that she will have to wake up in the middle of the night to “grab tickets” for a museum visit. “I used to be able to easily buy tickets for concerts and musicals, but now I can’t get tickets to the Palace Museum,” Liang told the reporter.
It is not just tickets for the Palace Museum that are difficult to get. Nowadays, during the peak tourist seasons, people complain that it’s hard to get tickets for many museums in China.
The public’s enthusiasm for museums reflects cultural self-confidence. People enter the museum to experience the rich history and colorful civilization for their spiritual advancement. Only by understanding the past can we better create the future.
China was among the fastest growing countries when it comes to the museum industry over the past few years. An average of one new museum was opened every two days across China between 2016 and 2020. By the end of 2020, China was home to 5,788 registered museums, with 1,224 at the state level.
One of the reasons behind the increased museum visits is a renewed interest in museums fueled by popular TV shows and documentaries on cultural heritage. These programs were all big hits among the modern generation. They strike a good balance between knowledge and entertainment.
Taking National Treasure for an example, it quickly rose to the top of the country’s national television ratings after it was presented to the public in December 2017 on the China Central Television (CCTV). The show focused on introducing the stories and history of 27 rare antiques (古董) from nine key museums in China. Nine treasures were chosen through audience voting to be included in an exhibition at the Palace Museum in Beijing in 2020, on the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City.
A follower of National Treasure, 32-year-old web designer Liu Ning described the show as creative, informative and fun. He said it successfully aroused his interest in traditional culture show by presenting museums and ancient relics (遗产) in a vivid way.
1. How does the author introduce the topic in paragraph 1?| A．By giving an example. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By listing numbers. | D．By asking questions. |
| A．They are easily registered. | B．They are increasing rapidly. |
| C．They’re all run by government. | D．There’re 5,788 museums in total. |
| A．To recommend it to the young. | B．To introduce the national treasures. |
| C．To teach us how to appreciate antiques. | D．To explain the reason for the rising museum visits. |
| A．To satisfy their cultural needs. | B．To increase their self-confidence. |
| C．To promote the museum industry. | D．To deepen the understanding of the future. |
9 . Although it may be uncomfortable to admit, many parents play favorites among their children. Is that “bad” parenting? Having a favorite child might be the greatest taboo (禁忌) of parenthood, yet research shows that the majority of parents do indeed have a favorite.
With plenty of evidence to suggest that being the least-favored child can fundamentally shape the personality and lead to sibling (兄弟姐妹) competitions, it’s no wonder that parents might worry about letting their preferences slip.
“Data suggests that mothers, in particular, show favoritism to children who have similar values to them and that engage more with family, over qualities such as being highly ambitious or career driven.” says Jessica Griffin, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts.
In one study, up to 74% of mothers and 70% of fathers in the UK have been shown to exhibit preferential treatment towards one child. Parents admitting having a favorite child showed an overwhelming preference towards the baby of the family, with 62% of parents who have several children preferring their youngest. Griffin says that a favoritism towards a youngest child is often to do with the social and emotional skills associated with birth order — as parents gain more practice in child-raising, they have a better idea of how they want to shape the childhood of the children, and what qualities are most important to pass on.
“Children who grow up in families where they feel that they are treated unfairly may experience a deep sense of unworthiness,” says Griffin. “They might feel that they are unlovable in some way. But for most parents, their worries are misplaced. In fact, in most cases children might not even know that their parents prefer their sibling in the first place. In one study, a shocking four out of five claimed that their sibling was favored over them — a seemingly improbable statistic.
Griffin argues that it’s perfectly OK for parents to have favorites. “The important thing to remember is that having a favorite child does not mean that you love your other children less.” Griffin says.
1. What does the underlined word “slip” in second paragraph mean？| A．Cause trouble. | B．Make no difference. |
| C．Bring benefits. | D．Become obvious. |
| A．Their social skills are much better. |
| B．They want to pass on more knowledge to it. |
| C．Their childhood experience gives them more ideas. |
| D．They have learned more about how to raise a child. |
| A．Compete with each other. | B．Turn a deaf ear to it. |
| C．Become self-denying. | D．Be annoying. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Objective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Critical. |
10 . Coming upon a clear - cut in an old forest is a shocking experience. Tees large and small are collapsed one above the other in pile, and the ground is covered with the tracks of heavy machinery. Such was the scene when forest activist Zack Porter and I hiked a newly built logging (伐木) road in Green Mountain National Forest.
Clear - cutting in the American forests has long been widespread. But now, the Forest Habitat Creation Project represents new reasoning which is hotly debated - that clear - cutting benefits native creatures. The thinking is that clear - cutting done wisely can mimic natural disturbances, for example, from insect invasions or from storms overturning older trees that produce what ecologists call Early Successional Habitats - places where young trees and bushes get the upper hand and animals that depend on such habitat thrive.
The project also states that forests “can only be saved by being destroyed” - by keeping them young. Timber (木材) interests are enthusiastic about the approach because it lets them profit from cutting trees while claiming the significance of conservation. Hunting groups favor it because a younger, less thick forest makes it easier to find the game and birds they're tracking.
Nevertheless, Porter says, “Allowing some of the oldest standing trees in New England to be removed is equal to dereliction of duty on the part of the government, who sees the forests as commodities (商品).” “Forests can produce clean water, clean air, carbon storage, and biodiversity that we need,” he continues as we walk among lovely mixed hardwoods and evergreens that are cut down for logging. “We shouldn't be removing them for short - term gain.”
In this sense, Zack Porter's description of logging for wildlife for short - term gain - the short - term gain of favoring habitat for species people today want to see and hunt - is reasonable.
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By presenting some ideas. | B．By listing some evidence. |
| C．By comparing different views. | D．By stating his own experience. |
| A．Profits can be made from logging. |
| B．Clear - cutting is beneficial to the wildlife. |
| C．The conservation of forest is of significance. |
| D．Clear - cutting can cause natural disturbances. |
| A．Fulfillment. | B．Promise. | C．Misconduct. | D．Exposure. |
| A．A New Approach to Forest Protection |
| B．A Hiking Experience in the Logging Road |
| C．How to Build Early Successional Habitats? |
| D．Is Clear - cutting Forests Good for Wildlife? |
