1 . For years, my time spent in the shower could have got me a mention in Guinness World Records as the shortest time taken to bathe. I hurried up during this process.
One day, however, while at a party, I heard an artist friend telling everybody that his idea came while he was having a shower. "What about you? Don't you get your creative thoughts from the same place?", he asked.
"I'm in and out in a hurry", I told, him proudly. I have no time to waste!"
"What a pity! That's the place where you need to slow down; plenty of great thoughts come from there!" he said. I tried it out. I slowed down the whole process, started enjoying the warm water, taking a little longer to soap myself and even spending more time just enjoying the process, and realized how much I had missed in hurrying up all these years.
A woman told me how much stress her friend was suffering from and how she tried to convince her that she needed to find ways to relax. She gave her a videotape on stress management and relaxation techniques, and encouraged her to watch it right away. Fifteen minutes later, her friend returned the tape and said: "It was good but I don't need it".
"But it's a 70-minute video. You couldn't have watched the whole thing," the woman replied. "As a matter of fact, her friend put it in, fast-forward!"
A major social problem of the 21st century is Hurry Sickness. We hurry through work. We swallow fast food. We complain that we don't have enough time. We race through the days and weeks until one day we look back in amazement and comment: My god, how time flies! Then we realize the heavy price we have paid for traveling fast.
Symptoms of Hurry Sickness include stress and anxiety, bad relationships, lowered work performance and even disease. Some people don't survive it. What's the cure? Slow down, for life is so short and precious that we must live it well.
1. What was the advantage of taking a shower in the eyes of the artist friend?| A．Time was saved. | B．Nothing was missed. |
| C．Great ideas flew away. | D．Creative thoughts came. |
| A．She felt stressed. | B．She found the tape useless. |
| C．She found no way to relax. | D．She watched the tape too fast. |
| A．People run fast to work. | B．Everything is done in a hurry. |
| C．People don't have enough time. | D．Time flies without being noticed. |
| A．Slow down and enjoy life more. | B．Learn to survive without stress. |
| C．Develop a good friendship. | D．Hurry up and perform good work. |
2 . When it comes to elite universities like Cambridge and Harvard, students often worry that they are not clever enough to get in. But the truth may not be as simple as that.
According to The Guardian, most applicants to top schools have equally perfect test scores.
When James Keeler, the admissions tutor at Selwyn College, UK, went through a pile of essays for medical school candidates, one of them caught his eyes. “He's been volunteering with St John Ambulance, and also training to be a special policeman.
"Unfortunately, most essays fail to highlight what's unique about each applicant. Students are often obsessed with maintaining a faultless image of themselves and are afraid to show who they really are. They write an essay, and then it gets passed through the English teacher and the parents and the aunt and uncle and the guidance counselor.
| A．We are eager to meet straight A students |
| B．By the time it gets to us, it's just so wonderful that it's hard to really get a sense of that person |
| C．We want them to be as individual as possible |
| D．In terms of extracurricular activities, universities are also looking for "distinguishing excellence" |
| E．Students get rejected largely because they "failed to shine" as a person |
| F．No single student will be admitted unless they are academically top "A" |
| G．That's something I've never seen before |
3 . Children moving from primary to secondary school are ill-quipped to deal with the impact of social media. which is playing an increasingly important role in their lives and exposing them to significant emotional risk, according to a report by the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England.
The report shows that many children in Grade 7-the first year of secondary school, when almost all students will have a phone and be active on social media feel under pressure to be constantly connected.
They worry about their online image, particularly when they start to follow celebrities on Instagram and other platforms. They are also concerned about "sharenting"-when parents post pictures of them on social media without their permission and worry that their parents won't listen if they ask them to take pictures down.
The report, which was created with data from focus group interviews with8- to12-year-olds, says that though most social media sites have an official limit of 13, an estimated 75 percent of 10-to 12-year-olds have a social media account.
Some children are almost addicted to "likes", the report says. Aaron, an 11-year-old in Grade 7, told researchers," If I got 150 likes, I'd be like, that's pretty cool, and it means they like you." Some children described feeling inferior to those they follow on social media. Aimee, also 11, said, "You might compare yourself because you're not very pretty compared to them."
Anne Longfield from Children's Commissioner for England is calling on parents and teachers to do more to prepare children for the emotional impact of social media as they get older. She wants to see the introduction of compulsory digital literacy and online resilience（适应力）lessons for students in Grades 6 and 7.
"It is also clear that social media companies are still not doing enough to stop under-13s using their platforms in the first place," Longfield said.
"Just because a child who has learned the safety messages at primary school does not mean they are prepared for all the challenges that social media will present," Longfield said.
"It means a bigger role for schools in making sure children are prepared for emotional demands of social media. And it means social media companies need to take more responsibility," Longfield said.
1. What is the report mainly about?| A．An increasing number of 7-year-old are being exposed to social media. |
| B．Social media occupies too much time for secondary school freshmen. |
| C．Many secondary school freshmen suffer from social media-related stress. |
| D．The use of social networking is causing relationship problems for teenagers. |
| A．How they are seen on social media sites. |
| B．How they can keep away from social media. |
| C．Their parents monitoring their use of social media. |
| D．Their parents banning them to post pictures on social media. |
| A．Some 10- to 12-yarold children tend to copy the celebrities they follow. |
| B．Some 10- to 12yerold children wish to be recognized by others. |
| C．Some 10- to 12yearold children ignore the number of likes they get. |
| D．Some 10- to 12-year-old children feel inferior to their followers. |
| A．Parents should monitor how their children use social media. |
| B．Social media companies should set an official age limit of 13. |
| C．Social media companies should create special sites for children under 13. |
| D．Schools should help equip students for the challenges of social media. |
4 . Have Chinese audiences on average spent more time watching entertainment content online in this uncommon year when the battle against COVD-19 is still being fought? In the latest annual report released by Tencent Video, one of the largest streaming sites in China, the answer is yes.
An average consumer has spent 133.9 minutes each day watching TV dramas, a 10 percent increase compared to last year, according to the report. Interestingly, TV romantic dramas account for 36 percent of all 131 television series newly streamed on the site this year, topping all genres. In the overseas market, Chinese dramas are seeing a rise in popularity, stimulated by hit costume dramas like Three Lives Three Worlds. The report shows that subscribers of WeTV, the overseas version of Tencent Video that is available in more than 110 countries and regions, have risen 175 percent over last year.
Shows with strong female roles are more popular, exemplified by the hit series Nothing but Thirty, the report said. It also found that a quality trailer played a vital role in drawing audiences, as about 90 percent of consumers pick their choices among the options from trailers.
Through Nov 30, a total of 15 online films have earned more than 10 million yuan, driving the annual box office receipts on Tencent Video to nearly 500 million yuan this year. While TV series are almost “dominated” by female audiences, men were favored online movies more. Nearly 70 percent of online film viewers are men, whose favorite themes center on fantasy, comedy and adventure.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The cost of making TV dramas. | B．The characteristics of TV dramas. |
| C．The popularity of TV dramas. | D．The overseas version of some TV dramas. |
| A．Because it shows the content of a drama. | B．Because most audiences choose drama depend on it. |
| C．Because it costs a large amount of money. | D．Because it includes the introduction of the characters. |
| A．Children. | B．The old. | C．Female. | D．Male. |
| A．The drama popular with Chinese | B．High-quality film |
| C．Chinese female roles in TV dramas | D．Chinese dramas gain more popularity nowadays |
5 . We all know employees talk, and things can never remain totally secret. But a direct discussion about salary details probably isn’t the best idea.
There are organizations that openly share salary information around the office. However, unless all similar jobs pay the same rate, people advise that open salary concepts do not work well.
When companies have different employees on the same job and one of them is paid differently, many unfairness issues surface. It can happen in any company that differentiates (区分) pay for any reason like seniority and performance. You should run the risk of causing a distance between you and your colleagues if they learn you earn more for what they think to be the same job.
The secret nature of your salary, in fact, can be a greater benefit to you. It creates an opportunity for a manager to have a personal discussion with employees as to why they are being paid what they are and how they can then move forward with confidence that they have developed a “special” relationship with their supervisor (主管) on their individual issues, good and bad, without involving others in the process.
If you learn that someone who holds a similar position earns a bigger paycheck, don’t panic. First, do some due diligence to determine if you are being underpaid in general. Use the Internet salary calculator, and also reach out to your out-of-office network to find out how people at other companies are being compensated. Next, you’d better go to your boss and ask the reasons. Open a rational dialog to understand what skills or experience you’ll need to improve your performance and earn more recognition and financial rewards.
1. What could happen if your colleagues learned that you are paid more?| A．They might become less friendly to you. | B．Your salary might be reduced soon. |
| C．They might badly perform in their work. | D．You might be given extra jobs. |
| A．It inspires you to make greater progress in your work. |
| B．It warns you to work harder to make more money. |
| C．It gives the manager a chance to communicate with you. |
| D．It proves the manager treats all his employees equally. |
| A．To tell about how to get along with the boss. | B．To show how to keep silent about the problem. |
| C．To urge employees to argue with the boss. | D．To suggest ways to deal with the problem. |
| A．Personal relationship. | B．Salary secret. |
| C．Colleague pressure. | D．Salary difference. |
1. How far is it from Gulou to the center of Beijing?
| A．5 kilometers. | B．9 kilometers. | C．22 kilometers. |
| A．Studying. | B．Travelling. | C．Working. |
| A．Driving a car. | B．Taking a taxi. | C．Going by underground. |
| A．What to eat in Beijing. |
| B．How to live well in Beijing. |
| C．When to travel in Beijing. |
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8 . In Chinese cities, food deliverymen are often seen riding at full speed through busy traffic. They rushed from restaurants to different destinations, even under bad weather conditions.
The article The Food Deliverymen Are Trapped in the App pointed out that on food delivery service platforms, Eleme and Meituan, the time limit and the route for each delivery order is calculated by an algorithm（算法）.But the algorithm doesn't consider real-life situations, such as red lights, speed limits and fully occupied elevators.
The time limit for a delivery order within 2 kilometers is 30 minutes, even shorter in recent years. Delay could mean a fine. So deliverymen rev up, often breaking traffic rules, putting their own lives at risk.
Many people asked the platforms to improve the regulations imposed（强加） on the deliverymen. In response to this demand, Eleme announced it would add a button to the app, which allowed customers to extend the time limits for their orders, and encouraged customers to show more respect for deliverymen. But some people felt that the company was staying away from the problem and changing people's attention. Some held the view that the company was putting the responsibility on the customers rather than solving the problem itself.
As to delivery delays, solutions are far from enough. As a matter of fact, when a delivery delay happens and the company can' t reach an agreement with the customer on the responsibility, the deliveryman is usually the final one responsible for the delay. The Shanghai Customer Council commented that it was unfair for the deliveryman to be the only side responsible for a delay and problems should be solved between the companies and their employees. Besides, market regulatory departments should stop companies from setting tight schedules for their deliverymen and keep them safe on the roads.
1. What does the underlined expression "rev up” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Run away. | B．Speed up. |
| C．Wander around. | D．Slow down. |
| A．The Customer Council. | B．The customer. |
| C．The company. | D．The deliveryman. |
| A．Set tight schedules for more orders. |
| B．Solve the problems of delivery delays with the customers. |
| C．Stop companies from setting tight schedules for their employees. |
| D．Employ more deliverymen for the delivery companies. |
| A．The customers' rights should be protected. |
| B．Food delivery regulations need improvement. |
| C．Food deliverymen take risks on their way. |
| D．Delivery platforms earn more than before. |
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10 . Kaitlin Woolley and Ayelet Fishbach report in Psychological Science that a meal taken “family-style” from a central plate can greatly improve the outcome of later negotiations.
Having conducted previous research in 2017 revealing that eating similar foods led to people feeling emotionally closer to one another, Dr Woolley and Dr Fishbach wondered whether the way in which food was served also had a psychological effect. They theorized that, on the one hand, sharing food with other people might indicate food scarcity（短缺）and increase a feeling of competition. However, they also reasoned that it could instead lead people to become more aware of others' needs and drive cooperative behavior as a result. Curious to find out, they did a series of experiments.
For the first test they included 100 pairs of participants from a local cafe, none of whom knew each other. The participants were seated at a table and fed corn chips with salsa. Half the pairs were given their own basket of 20 grams of chips and a bowl of 25 grams of salsa, and half were given 40 grams of chips and 50 grams of salsa to share. As a cover for the experiment, all participants were told this snack was to be consumed before the game began.
The game asked the participants to negotiate an hourly wage rate during a fictional strike. Each person was randomly assigned to represent the union or management and follow a set of rules.
The researchers measured cooperation by noting the number of rounds it took to reach an agreement, and found that those who shared food resolved the strike significantly faster（in 8. 7rounds）than those who did not（13.2 rounds）. A similar experiment was conducted with 104 participants and Goldfish crackers（饼干）, this time negotiating an airline's route prices. The results were much the same, with the food-sharers negotiating successfully 63. 3% of the time and those who did not share doing so 42. 9%of the time.
1. What does the "family-style" meal in the report refer to？| A．A meal taken at home. | B．A meal shared with others. |
| C．A meal consumed by oneself. | D．A meal taken in a family atmosphere. |
| A．To show the way food is served. |
| B．To prove sharing food increases competition. |
| C．To confirm sharing food can promote cooperation. |
| D．To find out whether sharing food can get people close emotionally. |
| A．To hide the intention of the experiment. |
| B．To avoid the distraction during the game. |
| C．To reward them for their participation. |
| D．To add to their energy. |
| A．By making a questionnaire. |
| B．By giving participants interviews. |
| C．By analyzing the reasons for cooperation. |
| D．By comparing the results of the experiments |
