1 . If sales generally feel hard to resist, the sale in front of Arron Schurevich was the ultimate test: a new car just like the one he’d loved. And it was more than a 20% discount. “I figured that I would be a fool not to take advantage of that,” says Schurevich. After he drove the car off the lot, the deal turned sour. The brand-new car quickly needed repairs. Schurevich now jokes that he paid a tax for being a fool.
Why is it so hard for the human brain to resist a discount? Spotting something you’d like to buy activates your brain’s reward circuitry (奖赏回路). It gets especially heightened if it’s something you’ve been fascinated by — say, the same car you’ve enjoyed for years. Additionally, the discount itself often registers as a win, delivering its own kind of joy, says Jorge Barraza, a consumer psychologist at the University of Southern California.
“Not only are we getting the product,” Barraza says, “but we’re also getting that reward that we discovered something; we’ve earned this extra thing.”
Stores, of course, know all this and try to push our buttons. “Limited-quantity, limited-time, scarcity-marketing promotions—they get people’s blood pumping,” says Kelly Goldsmith, who studies this as a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University.
It’s really hard to always approach sales rationally. One buying strategy experts recommend is to make a shopping list in advance and then, stick to it. Another is to research items — beforehand or on the spot, checking online — to weigh whether the sale is really a good deal.
“The human brain has essentially evolved to feel first and think next, which is why you need to give yourself time to cool off from your instant reaction when in front of a sale,” says Goldsmith.
1. What is the purpose of telling Arron Schurevich’s story?| A．To explain the way to promote sale. | B．To inform readers of an important test. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the passage. | D．To show the advantage of products on sale. |
| A．Brain’s reward circuitry needs activating. | B．It’s hard to resist a discount for some reasons. |
| C．Buying discounted products has consequences. | D．It’s worthwhile to approach sales rationally. |
| A．Stores are good at pushing buttons. | B．Stores tend to affect people’s health. |
| C．Stores help consumers earn extra things. | D．Stores know how to attract consumers with sales. |
| A．Calm down in front of a sale. | B．Make a shopping list ahead of time. |
| C．Research items on the spot or online. | D．Avoid buying any discounted items. |
2 . People don’t usually become homeless suddenly. It’s a chutes-and-ladders (阶梯状) process. A large new statewide study takes a closer look at the period just before homelessness, by asking a representative sample of almost 3,200 homeless people from all over the state about the dilemma they fell into, and what would have helped.
Some of the findings were unsurprising: in the state with the nation’s largest homeless population, people are unhoused because they don’t have enough money, or have experienced trauma (创伤). A quarter of all survey participants had experienced family violence, and their lives and health get much worse once homelessness strikes. But some of the report’s data run counter to popular perception: for example, most homeless people are not from out of state, contrary to the common belief that homeless people move to California for the weather and policies.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Margot Kushel, says there’s a “doom loop” of homelessness, where people have jobs that don’t cover living expenses, so they lose their homes, and the resulting instability makes it harder to keep their jobs.
Kushel points to really exciting models of homelessness prevention, where in low-income communities, they’ll have subway and bus posters saying, “Are you at risk of becoming homeless? Call us.” These programs might offer anything from cash to finding landlords or roommates. “What was really striking to us was how little money people thought it would have taken,” says Kushel. Most participants suggested that less than $500 a month, or a onetime payment of $10,000, would have kept them housed. Kushel cautions that the vast majority of mental health issues among the study participants are anxiety and depression. It’s likely that the lack of resources results in those conditions, rather than the illness causing the homelessness. “The driving issue is clearly the deep poverty,” Kushel says.
1. What does the study focus on?| A．The homeless’ nationalities. | B．The current situation of the homeless. |
| C．Homeless people’s previous experiences. | D．The solution to wiping out homelessness. |
| A．Deep poverty gives rise to homelessness. |
| B．Most participants have experienced domestic violence. |
| C．The majority of homeless people are native Californian. |
| D．Homeless people move to California for the weather and policies. |
| A．A terrible circle. | B．A different situation. |
| C．An improved condition. | D．An unpredictable future. |
| A．Anxiety and depression caused homelessness. | B．People expected a very low charge of housing. |
| C．Homeless prevention exists in all communities. | D．The program offers accommodation free of charge. |
3 . It’s no secret that reading good news feels a lot better than reading bad news. Like, would you rather bite into a lemon, or sip on a fresh glass of lemonade?
In fact, good news, known as solutions journalism, is becoming more popular, as publishers and news stations discover the benefits of sharing positive stories. Good Good Good is one of them.
“If it bleeds, it leads.” has long been a saying used in the media to describe how news stories about violence, death and destruction draw readers’ attention.
| A．Share good news with people around you. |
| B．It’s just that we don’t hear as much about them. |
| C．But the “bad news” has its place in the world. |
| D．It provides a more balanced view of the world. |
| E．And so, negative news stories are everywhere on news media. |
| F．Heartwarming stories make you cry and feel good. |
| G．The news media company is devoted to providing good news intentionally. |
Teenage life is full of adventures and challenges. Doing voluntary work is popular among some teenagers. And extra-curricular activities
5 . Parents continuously discuss about how to get their children stronger and tougher, but whatever they do, it’s not working. Cases of anxiety disorders and depression are rising rapidly among teenagers. What are they doing wrong?
The word “antifragile” is invented and used to describe a small but very important class of systems that gain from shocks, challenges, and disorder. The immune (免疫的) system is one of them: it requires exposure to certain kinds of bacteria and potential allergens (过敏原) in childhood in order to develop to its full ability.
Children’s social and emotional abilities areas anti fragile as their immune systems. If parents over protect kids and keep them “safe” from unpleasant social situations and negative emotions, parents deprive (剥夺) them of the challenges and opportunities for skill-building they need to grow strong. Such children are likely to suffer more when exposed later to other unpleasant but ordinary life events, such as teasing and social rejection. It’s not the kids’ fault. Outdoor play and independent mobility went down; screen time and adult-monitored activities went up.
Yet free play in which kids workout their own rules of engagement, take small risks, and learn to master small dangers turns out to be vital for the development of adult social and even physical competence. Depriving them of free play prevents their social-emotional growth. Norwegian play researchers Ellen and Leif warned: “We may observe an increased anxiety or mental disorders in society if children are forbidden from participating in age-adequate risky play.”
They wrote those words in 2011. Over the following few years, their prediction came true. Kids born after 1994 are suffering from much higher rates of anxiety disorders and depression than did the previous generation. Besides, there is also arise in the rate at which teenage girls are admitted to hospital for deliberately harming themselves.
What can parents do to change these trends? How can parents raise kids strong enough to handle the ordinary and extraordinary challenges of life? Parents can’t guarantee that giving primary schoolchildren more independence today will bring down the rate of teenage suicide tomorrow. The links between childhood over protection and teenage mental illness are suggestive but not clear-cut. Yet there are good reasons to suspect that by depriving kids natural anti fragile of the wide range of experiences they need to become strong, parents are systematically preventing their growth. parents should let go—and let them grow.
1. Parents over protect children, because .| A．children are not independent enough |
| B．they want to keep children from being teased |
| C．they are concerned about their children’s safety |
| D．parent-monitored activities area must |
| A．To stress its importance. | B．To analyze the cause of anxiety. |
| C．To question the latest discovery. | D．To help understand a new word. |
| A．Stop trying to perfect your child. |
| B．Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child. |
| C．While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. |
| D．It takes great courage to raise children. |
| A．reduce children’s risky behavior | B．strengthen children’s friendship |
| C．promote children’s toughness | D．develop children’s leadership skills |
6 . As the movie Nomadland revealed to the world, ever since the 2008 financial collapse, people have mowed into vehicles as a way of surviving the high cost of living. The pandemic also fuelled an increase in the nomadic (流浪的) lifestyle.
In 2020, my co-researcher Scott Rankin and I looked at how people who live in vehicles balance work and life. This year, I continued my research to better understand why people live this way.
People of all ages and genders take part in van (面包车) living. The average age of van dwellers (居住者) was 42. After asking respondents to rank the reasons why they chose to live in a vehicle, ranked from top to bottom are: 1) freedom, 2) low cost of living, 3) adventure, 4)connection to nature,5)minimalism,6)avoiding undesirable weather,7)starting a new life, 8)pursuing work in different places, 9)working remotely, 10)to be on their own, 11)to join a partner, 12)to leave a partner.
Above all else, vehicle dwellers sought to be free. Whether they were a re tire n in a $100,000 Mercedes van, or young Canadians working from a $5 ,000 van, respondents wanted to be able to move their home to any place that was best for them. For others, living in a vehicle minimized their costs, allowing them to work less or make the most of their income without paying rent.
As it turns out, van living is not a fad. While many respondents were new to van living, on average, respondents indicated they had been living in a vehicle for an average of 2.5 years. Seventy-eight per cent of respondents permanently lived in a vehicle.
As the housing crisis deepens, we may see more people consider van living as a means of surviving the high cost of living. It will be up to the government to accept this alternative living arrangement, and consider having parking and facilities to support those who choose to live this way.
1. What’s the purpose of the author’s research?| A．To advocate a new lifestyle. | B．To produce a scientific theory. |
| C．To understand a social phenomenon. | D．To improve some people’s living conditions. |
| A．Their top concern is money. | B．They have different motives. |
| C．They value family more than work. | D．They are mainly adventurous people. |
| A．Something that isn’t suitable for all. | B．Something that isn’t likely to last. |
| C．Something that is popular for long. | D．Something that attracts old people. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Tolerant. | C．Approving. | D．Opposed. |
7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the topic of the conversation?| A．The news media. | B．The food production. | C．The economic situation. |
| A．It sounds funny. | B．It tells the truth. | C．It’s encouraging. |
| A．The prices of certain goods will decline. |
| B．The materials will cost even more. |
| C．The workers will get higher wages. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写上该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：
1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处, 多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Do you often talk with your parents? A recently survey shows that nearly half of the high school students doesn’t like to talk with their parents. 43. 3% of them have trouble communicate with their parents. What was worse, 82. 8% of them don’t want to share their secrets their parents. Actually, it is important for us to communicate with our parents though they are the dearest people in our life, whom care for us all the time. By letting them know that what we think, we can get practical advice from them, which can help us to deal with many problem in life.
In this way, we can feel more confident about us and live happily.
增加:在缺词处加一个洞字符号(⋀), 并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改 10 处.多者(从第 11处起)不计分，
In order to bring down the number of accident and make drivers aware of the danger of driving much fast, many speed cameras are fixed on the roads. Most of them were placed in bright yellow boxes, so drivers can see it clearly from a distance and slow down. On other hand, some officials have the opposite ideas.They believe hiding cameras are more effective than visible ones. The reason is because drivers, not knowing the exact locations of the cameras, will drive more cautious. The police are now gathered related data to make sure which is good.
10 . A middle-aged woman playing by herself in the snow is an undeniably odd sight, but maybe it shouldn’t be. New research suggests that modern adults are suffering from overmuch depression, so play may be as essential to our health as sleep. We’ve been in our nature to play, which is causing all kinds of problems—for ourselves, our children, and our planet.
It’s believed that adult play can lead to useful discoveries, which is supported by a study on Bali’s long-tailed monkeys. For her doctoral paper at the University of Lethbridge, animal researcher Camilla Cenni left two types of puzzle boxes for the monkeys to solve. To get the food inside, they had to drop a rock into the container or use it to hit the box. She found the monkeys that previously had been observed dropping rocks for fun were more likely to solve the rock-dropping puzzle, while those that had discovered the joy of tapping rocks together think of the answer to the tapping puzzle.
This finding also suggests that somewhere, deep in our evolutionary history, a playful proto-human(原始人) came up with the concept of stone tools. Even today, the urge to play underlies most of humanity’s greatest inventions, artworks, and scientific breakthroughs, Brown says. “When I interviewed Nobel winners, I was struck by how most of them didn’t separate work and play. Their labs were their playgrounds”.
“The opposite of play isn’t work; it’s depression,” says play researcher Stuart Brown, “Play is all about looking at a tough world with creativity and optimism. It gives us the ability to cooperate and get along with people who differ from us,” He goes so far as to declare that “adult play is necessary for our survival as a species.”
The next time I’m caught playing, I know exactly what I’ll say: “I am not wasting time, or acting immature. I’m doing nothing for the benefit of all humanity. You’re welcome.”
1. What is the phenomenon the author describes at the beginning of the text?| A．Playing with snow is strange. | B．Wild nature is difficult to find. |
| C．Many people are stressed out. | D．People enjoy living close to nature. |
| A．The necessity of the study. | B．The importance of adult play. |
| C．Main activities of monkeys. | D．Various functions of a rock. |
| A．To explain the concept of play. | B．To compare two research findings. |
| C．To highlight scientific breakthroughs. | D．To offer some background information. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Optimistic. | C．Caring. | D．Active. |
