1 . After a two-hour flight from Shanghai and an hour’s drive, I reached my destination: Jielingkou Village in Qinhuangdao City of Hebei Province, China. The tiny and
In 2018, an anti-poverty project began in the village, with the
But gaining the locals’
Ge said he hopes that as conditions are
| A．rich | B．great | C．old | D．nearby |
| A．reach | B．significance | C．view | D．control |
| A．cost | B．knowledge | C．favor | D．goal |
| A．increasing | B．ignoring | C．considering | D．deciding |
| A．benefits | B．measures | C．disadvantages | D．conditions |
| A．in charge of | B．in response to | C．in sight of | D．in search of |
| A．independence | B．weight | C．trust | D．experience |
| A．worried | B．curious | C．angry | D．enthusiastic |
| A．carry | B．sell | C．boil | D．produce |
| A．mistakes | B．apologies | C．improvements | D．documents |
| A．hurt | B．helped | C．failed | D．escaped |
| A．workers | B．fighters | C．managers | D．supporters |
| A．occasionally | B．gradually | C．hardly | D．regularly |
| A．clean | B．decorate | C．destroy | D．run |
| A．attracted | B．monitored | C．postponed | D．welcomed |
2 . I remember when Kamala Harris became Joe Biden’s running mate, it seemed funny how many people pronounced her name incorrectly. On one occasion, a news host became upset when being corrected, and purposely called her Kumbaya.
I am no stranger to this issue as many of my students are from Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and sometimes their names are difficult for me to pronounce, even after asking them how to say it. Many students seem unwilling to correct me when I attempt to learn their names correctly. The other thing I’ve seen in growing numbers is students “adopting” an English name. It’s much more common than many think, for people to change their names in order to fit in.
This is especially the case when it comes to seeking jobs. Racial and cultural minorities often attempt to avoid discrimination hiring by hiding racial cues on the resume including changing their name. This is referred to as “resume whitening”. Research shows almost 50 percent of black and Asian job applicants did so.
Xian Zhao from the University of Toronto researches ethnic name pronunciation, saying that many people don’t understand that habitually pronouncing an unfamiliar name inaccurately is a form of indirect discrimination. It sends a message that “you are the minorities” says Zhao. “You are not important in this environment, so why should I take time and my effort to learn it?” On the other end, those with ethnic names frequently don’t correct people, even when their names are pronounced wrong repeatedly, feeling it is better just to keep the peace and not stand out for their names are difficult.
It is important to try to pronounce everyone’s name as they pronounce it. This communicates respect of them as a person and their culture. There is nothing wrong with asking someone to repeat their name so that you can learn to pronounce it properly. This is usually appreciated.
1. How do the author’s Asian students respond when their names are incorrectly pronounced?| A．They attempt to laugh at it. | B．They tend to accept it. |
| C．They offer to correct the author. | D．They agree to change their names. |
| A．A change in work environment. |
| B．A ban on racial discrimination in workplace. |
| C．A practice of using Western names in job seeking. |
| D．A boast about one’s educational background in the resume. |
| A．Ethnics accept their names being mispronounced to save trouble. |
| B．Ethnics fight effectively with the discrimination against their names. |
| C．Many westerners pronounce ethnic names incorrectly on purpose. |
| D．Many westerners make efforts to pronounce ethnic names correctly. |
| A．Critical. | B．Uncaring. | C．Supportive. | D．Ambiguous. |
3 . How to Stop Spam Calls for Good
If you made a list of the little things that bothered you the most, phone call scams would no doubt be at the top. Telemarketers, or more often, automated robot-callers, have tricks for interrupting you at the worst possible moment.
Fact is that robot-callers are never going to stop trying to reach you. Their schemes bring in hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars annually. And unfortunately, older people are more likely to fall prey to these scams.
Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry
Your first move: Join the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry. You can get on the list by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register.
Use spam-filtering apps and tech
You probably know that a caller who insists you owe money to the IRS or says you’ll be arrested if you don’t settle a debt is a scammer. But your 10-year-old kid and your older parents and grandparents may be tricked. And remember: Knowing how to stop spam calls is just one step toward avoiding scams; don’t forget to explain how to stop spam texts to your loved ones, too.
| A．Warn family members |
| B．Report to the police at once |
| C．Follow these steps to pull the plug on them once and for all. |
| D．If you have multiple numbers to input, register them at DoNotCall. gov. |
| E．Spam calls can reach you anytime and anywhere when you use your smartphone. |
| F．They’re annoying, but that’s not the only reason you should know how to stop spam calls. |
| G．The National Do Not Call Registry will prevent a lot of unwanted calls, but it won’t stop all of them. |
4 . We know that bully (欺凌) happens a lot and that it can make people feel miserable. And school violence happens all the time.
Bully is where a person or a group exercise control over another against their will, often leaving the victim feeling powerless and alone. Bullying can take many forms. Children, young people and adults can instigate bullying and be bullied in schools. Bullying is harmful to all involved, not just the person who is bullied, but to those who do the bullying and those who stand by. It can lead to self-doubt, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, self-harm and sometimes even suicide. Children might bully because they may not have been taught that it is wrong to bully.
How does bullying affect people?
New research has found that more than half of young people in the UK have been bullied. Of those who have been bullied, 58 % said it made them want to miss school, 44 % said it made them avoid social events, and 37 % said it had affected their school work.
What can I do to help?
| A．What is bullying? |
| B．What is cyberbullying? |
| C．They may think that it is just a bit of fun. |
| D．You should tell them that they're not alone. |
| E．There's no shame or harm in being different. |
| F．The study also found a big problem with racism. |
| G．There are many things you can do to fight against bullying at school. |
5 . We know that China is the largest and fastest-growing consumer market in the world. What is less well understood are the forces that shape consumerism in the world’s most populous country. In my view, there are some social and cultural aspects at play that drive consumer spending.
Consumerism is related to freedom. To have a choice means to have consumer choice. You are what you consume. Consumption is an expression of self. It allows you to explore the world through its products, to experiment with lifestyle choices, and to do so safely and anonymously（匿名）. You might never get to France, but you can try French wine. California might be far, but you can go to Shanghai Disneyland. Indeed, the enthusiasm for choice is reflected in the enthusiasm Chinese consumers have for online shopping.
Consumerism is a statement of success. American economist Thorstein Veblen popularized the concept of “conspicuous consumption”. When consumption is no longer driven only by need, it becomes a way of making a statement that you have disposable（可自由支配的）income and you can ---at least in certain respects---enjoy life on your terms. Simple pleasures---a pair of shoes, a smartphone, designer clothing --- become statements of personal identity.
The collective experience is focused. We like participating in group events. FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out, goes beyond cultures. But I suspect this trend is stronger in China than in the West because Confucian culture does not celebrate outsiders as the West’s culture does. Social media reinforce（强化）this collective pattern so that shopping and dining are shared experiences. Opinions are crowd-sourced. And the merchants reinforce this pattern by supporting holiday sales, group buying, and other promotions.
Successful brands in China are able to handle most or all of the above considerations. The consumer must not only be delighted with your product. The journey of the consumer must also respect these socio-cultural aspects.
1. What’s mainly talked about in the passage?| A．Chinese are growing wealthier. |
| B．China’s fast-growing market economy. |
| C．Chinese socio-cultural influences on consumerism. |
| D．Chinese consumers’ preference for quality rather than quantity. |
| A．Shopping online is a new experience. |
| B．Consumption can be a reflection of freedom. |
| C．Foreign products can be purchased in China. |
| D．Shopping around the world is a favorable choice. |
| A．The ability to cover one’s real need in daily life. |
| B．Spending money in order to keep up with others. |
| C．The purchase of expensive items to display status. |
| D．Buying plenty of goods and delivering them to others. |
| A．Social media play a bigger role in their lives. |
| B．Following the trend is what people like better. |
| C．Chinese people have less contact with the strangers. |
| D．Confucian culture is less likely to appreciate outsiders. |
6 . The word addiction usually makes you think of alcohol(酒精) or drugs.
The question is: why do they have this addiction? There isn’t a specific answer. Some people go shopping when they are sad, worried, upset or lonely and they want to feel better. They use this activity as a way to forget their problems. Shopaholics say that they feel more important and better after they buy something.
Shopaholism seems to be a harmless addiction, but it can bring out problems. Some of them can be psychological(心理的). If this is the case, people addicted to shopping should go to a support group to help them break this habit. However, the process, like for most addictions, is long, and they suffer a lot.
| A．Once you are addicted to alcohol or drugs, it is difficult to get rid of. |
| B．Over the years, shopping has become a very common activity. |
| C．They also tend to have this addiction when they feel guilty(内疚). |
| D．However in modern-day society we are seeing some new kinds of addictions. |
| E．People addicted to computer games consider the games as great ways to enjoy themselves. |
| F．They get deep in debt, and they can even go bankrupt(破产) and get sent to prison. |
| G．It can also cause financial(财务的) problems. |
1. Why is the woman anxious?
| A．Her phone went wrong. |
| B．She broke the man's phone. |
| C．She had the man's phone stolen. |
| A．Go home. | B．Call the police. | C．Get on another bus. |
8 . Going cashless or not
After saving up your allowance, you finally have enough money to buy that toy, game, or piece of clothing you’ve been dreaming of. You go to the store and find the item. But when you get the register to pay, you see a sign: “Hello! We’ve gone cashless.”
Situations like this may become common if more stores and restaurants stop accepting cash as payment. Instead, customers must pay with a credit or debit card, or by smartphone app. Many business owners believe that getting rid of cash has helped them streamline(使效率更高) the way their business runs. Staff members don’t have to worry about having enough money in the register to make change or about delivering bills and coins to the bank.
But a growing number of people think that cashless stores are unfair. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, more than 8 million households in the United States don’t have bank accounts. Also, many people, including kids, don’t meet the requirements for a credit card. “A cash-less economy is not an inclusive(范围广泛的) economy,” Tazra Mitchell told National Public Radio. She’s a policy director at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. In her opinion, cashless stores are “essentially discriminating (歧视) against people”. Plus, people who do have debit and credit cards might prefer paying with cash. “Cash is still very popular with consumers,” Nick Bourke said. He’s a director at the Pew Charitable Trusts’ consumer finance project. “It’s used by almost eight in ten adults in the US every month. That’s more than any other payment type.”
Lawmakers in several places have taken steps to ban cashless stores. A handful of major cities, including New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have already passed laws to address the issue. In San Francisco, California, a law banning cashless stores was passed in May. It says most stores in the city must allow customers to pay with cash. Derek Remski helped write the San Francisco law. He works for the city. “It’s really about fairness,” Remski said. “It’s about understanding that not everyone has equal access to things.”
1. What’s the major function of paragraph 1?| A．To describe a memorable experience. |
| B．To generalize the whole passage. |
| C．To test reader’s reaction to the situation. |
| D．To introduce the theme of the whole text. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Indifferent | C．Supportive. | D．Opposed. |
| A．The requirements for kids to open a bank account. |
| B．The reasons why people think cashless stores are unfair. |
| C．The relationship between cashless stores and households. |
| D．A research done by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. |
| A．To ban illegal trade. | B．To ban cashless stores. |
| C．To protect cashless stores. | D．To ensure business owner’s rights. |
9 . Speed-reading is a crucial skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and tweets to try to
But a new trend calls on people to
A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smartphones. They
Unlike traditional book clubs, the
Slow readers, such as The Atlantic’s Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration,
Some of these benefits have been backed up by science.
Another study published last year in Science showed that reading novels helps people understand others’ mental states and beliefs, a crucial skill in building
Slow reading means a(n)
| A．highlight | B．grasp | C．determine | D．underline |
| A．Flooded | B．Armed | C．Obsessed | D．Impressed |
| A．unlock | B．uncover | C．unplug | D．unpack |
| A．straighten in | B．rise from | C．shift in | D．sink into |
| A．point | B．cause | C．impact | D．duty |
| A．protected | B．interactive | C．relaxed | D．addictive |
| A．defined | B．urged | C．initiated | D．performed |
| A．increases | B．maintains | C．evaluates | D．reduces |
| A．In brief | B．For example | C．Above all | D．By contrast |
| A．recreational | B．professional | C．intellectual | D．educational |
| A．confidence | B．endurance | C．awareness | D．relationship |
| A．return | B．answer | C．end | D．barrier |
| A．misunderstandings | B．sufferings | C．obstacles | D．distractions |
| A．purposely | B．automatically | C．occasionally | D．leisurely |
| A．Cope with | B．Reach for | C．Believe in | D．Stick to |
10 . Kids nowadays are growing up “connected”, learning to use technology at a surprising speed. Technology is a regular part of school now! Kids as young as Kindergarten are using smartboards, IPads, and computers to complete tasks in the classroom. Older children rely on the Internet for research, getting homework, sending work to teachers, and even accessing（ 获得） textbooks. In fact, today’s kids have been given the name “digital（数字）natives” because they are facing technology almost from birth, so new things have never been a greater challenge in the hands of our children. The Internet，Facebook, iPods, pictures and texting on cell phones and all of these are the ways kids communicate today. They have become a central part of their lives. It allows them a private life that most of us know very little about.
Kids just don’t think about the results of the new world of social networking and text messaging. They don’t think that it is dangerous to send a photo of a particular person to a foolish person, who might send it to some friends that may send it to a hundred others and the next thing you know, it’s on many Facebook sites and all over the Internet forever. They don’t think that way because they don’t have the life experience that we do. We have to help them.
The key to knowing how they manage this privacy（隐私） is our “connection” to them. How closely do we connect with our kids and pay attention to what they’re doing? And how often do we talk to our children... and really listen to them? If they believe in us and know that we will be there for them, they are more likely to follow our advice. If we talk openly about what we believe in, what we stand for, those values will become their own before long.
1. What is the author’s opinion about children?| A．They are good at accepting modern things. | B．They are well understood by their parents. |
| C．They almost like to surf on the Facebook. | D．They know the Internet dangers well. |
| A．Kids. | B．Adults. | C．Internet users. | D．Internet teachers. |
| A．They only understand their own private lives. | B．They are badly influenced by new things. |
| C．They do not have life experience. | D．They don’t depend on their parents. |
| A．When they are surfing on the Internet. | B．When they meet some dangerous situations. |
| C．When parents believe in what they are doing. | D．When parents communicate with them deeply. |
