1 . The UK is experiencing a boom in book clubs, according to new data from event listing companies. Book club listings on the ticketing site Eventbrite increased by 350% between 2019 and 2023. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, book club listings on the site rose by 41%. Another event listing site, Meetup, reported a 14% increase in the number of RSVPs to book clubs between January 2023 and January 2024, compared with a 4% increase in RSVPs for all UK-based events.
Victoria Okafor, who co-runs the book club Between2Books, said the heightened interest in reading may be partly the result of a general “shift in hobbies”, as GenZ (the generation around 00s) turned to other ways to spend their free time. Besides, during the global health crisis period, many people were forced to slow down and pick up or reignite hobbies, and online book clubs provided a platform to connect with others.
Social media may be helping with the visibility of book clubs, too, said Okafor. “People may come across your page accidentally, but from there people have the knowledge to attend should they wish. I think this makes a big difference compared to just hearing things from word of mouth.”
Many of the book clubs listed on Eventbrite carry specific themes — Sheffield Feminist Book Club, Bring Your Baby Book Club, and Modern Chinese Literature Online Book Club.
Okafor’s club, Between2Books, focuses on books by writers traditionally excluded (排除) from the classics. She thought she began seeking out such stories “embarrassingly late”. “Reading authors of color brought back a joy to my reading that came from not only seeing elements of myself and culture reflected in novels but also reading stories that could be funny or empowering as opposed to the accounts of struggle that can often surround stories of people of color,” she said. “The variety of books makes reading and discussion so rich and I think that’s what attenders are drawn to.”
1. How is paragraph 1 mainly developed?| A．By giving examples. | B．By listing figures. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By presenting theories. |
| A．Return. | B．Reward. | C．Regain. | D．Reconnect. |
| A．The influence of social media. | B．The recommendation of old generations. |
| C．GenZ having a stronger thirst for knowledge. | D．Some people shifting the focus of their lives. |
| A．The diversity of books. | B．The reputation of writers. |
| C．The humor of the works. | D．The suggestion of the organizer. |
In recent years, shared vegetable plots
Yang Hui is one of them. He has rented a 20-square-meter vegetable plot for 1600 yuan per year. The family tends radishes (白萝卜), lettuces and other vegetables they have planted. When they aren’t around during the week,
This farm has about 200 members, some of
Those who wish to
3 . A recent report from a higher education advising organization says nearly 40 percent of American employers avoid offering jobs to recent college graduates.
They said members of Generation Z, or “Gen Z”, the group of Americans born between 1997 and 2012, make a lot of mistakes in job interviews. They say they would rather employ older workers who work harder and are dependable.
The report came out in December and noted that, of 800 directors, managers and executives asked questions, 38 percent said they favor older workers. About 20 percent of employers said young people brought a parent with them to a job interview. Almost 60 percent of those surveyed said recent college graduates are unprepared for work and about half said they had to dismiss, or fire, a recent college graduate. Others said the young workers do not take criticism well.
Because of bad experiences with younger workers, more than half of the business leaders said they are putting policies in place that older workers want. For example, they are offering benefits that are important to older workers, paying higher salaries and permitting older workers to work from home.
One respondent gave an example of a Gen Z job seeker who refused to turn on their camera during a video interview. Michael Connors is a recruiter in the Washington, D. C. area. He said he has not had a job candidate saying they will not use their camera for interviews. However, he has had some candidates choosing noisy places for calls.
Adam Capozzi is the career services director at Syracuse University in New York State. He said while many students are very good about online communication, and data management and have experience with spreadsheets, they need help with the “soft skills”. “You could be in an elevator at a specific office building or at a different establishment and bump into someone and strike up a 30-second conversation and not know who they are associated with and a positive first impression can lead to further conversation.”
1. Which of the following about some American employers’ opinions on Gen Z members is NOT true?| A．They don’t work as diligently as older employees. |
| B．They are less reliable than older employees. |
| C．They are not fully prepared in job interviews. |
| D．They make many errors in the workplace. |
| A．Of 496 directors, managers and executives are in favor of younger workers. |
| B．More than half of the business leaders are implementing policies older workers want. |
| C．Strange behavior of Gen Z job candidates in the interview s has dissatisfied recruiters. |
| D．Michael Connors doesn’t mind whether job seekers turn on their cameras. |
| A．Because there are many occasions where we need to use the skills. |
| B．Because the skills can help workers get promoted quickly. |
| C．Because the skills can establish a good relationship between you and others. |
| D．Because the skills can improve the workers’ experience in the workplace. |
| A．US Businesses Are Concerned about Hiring Young, “Gen Z” Workers. |
| B．“Gen Z” Workers’ Different Personalities in the Workplace. |
| C．Why Old Workers Are More Welcomed than “Gen Z” Workers? |
| D．American “Gen Z” Members Are Facing Unemployment Nowadays. |
4 . Turning around corners, weaving through traffic, every second matters. It is neither a street race nor a 007 chase, but the risky journey of a sushi (寿司) roll.
The streets of China are filled with delivery drivers racing noodles, sandwiches and soups across cities. While the everyday consumer may find these services convenient, most do not realize the true cost of their delivery. How much is that late-night snack really worth?
Strict time limits are the main concern for delivery drivers. The Chinese delivery app Meituan decreased the maximum time allowance from 50 minutes to 30 or even 20. Time literally means money: Surpassing the limit can result in fines, which are paid to the firm rather than to the consumers. Yet, beyond fines, there is often a greater cost. According to Pandaily News, one delivery worker is injured or killed in accidents every 2.5 days in Shanghai and, sadly, companies seldom provide insurance claims when their time limits lead to these consequences. Drivers are pushed to break traffic rules and risk their lives so your sushi is not a minute late.
Furthermore, low wages and extensive working hours exacerbate these issues. Some companies in China take advantage of the economic inequalities between China’s large cities and less developed interior to offer extremely low pay to migrant delivery drivers while demanding long hours. Yet these long hours and low pay are common throughout the global delivery industry. In the United States, advertised earnings of $22 per hour are largely exaggerated while workers complain that food delivery apps rarely give them all their tips.
What is the solution? First, consumers should recognize what is behind their impossibly cheap and fast delivery: exploitation. We should expect more from the delivery app companies and less from their drivers. That is, we should pay more and wait longer while only ordering from companies who offer their drivers fair wages, insurance and a safe working environment. In the end, your sushi is just not worth it.
1. Who will be paid the fines for a delayed delivery?| A．The delivery firm. | B．The delivery worker. |
| C．The sushi restaurant. | D．The ordinary consumer. |
| A．Integrate. | B．Comprise. | C．Worsen. | D．Alleviate. |
| A．To indicate that delivery drivers shouldn’t expect much. |
| B．To emphasize that delivery companies should provide insurance. |
| C．To prove that the pay and working environment are better in the US. |
| D．To show that low pay and overwork are common issues in the industry. |
| A．The Harm of Delivery Services | B．The True Cost of Convenient Deliveries |
| C．The Overrated Popularity of Sushi | D．The Benefits and Problems of Delivery Apps |
5 . Younger generations of Chinese citizens have developed new methods to relieve stress, which include raising unconventional “pets”, hugging trees, watching stress relief videos and so on.
On social media platforms, a new toy called “mango dog” recently emerged.
Tree hugging has also become a new stress relief for young people. “You may think you are hugging the tree, but in fact, the tree is embracing you,” this is a feeling shared by a netizen. Many netizens with such experiences have expressed that their anxiety has been reduced, and they feel a sense of communication with nature.
“I came across the idea online. I tried it and felt truly relaxed,” said a young office worker. “In those brief seconds, it felt like the tree released a lot of pressure and stress from me.”
| A．Various “pets” are made to cater to different people. |
| B．It is claimed to bring a sense of calmness and give a healing effect. |
| C．This is not the first time that young people have raised novel “pets”. |
| D．A young media worker also finds the relief in watching short videos. |
| E．In some cities people have even organized “tree hugging interest groups”. |
| F．Other toys such as squeeze balls have also gained popularity as a way to relieve stress. |
| G．The popularity of these methods reflects an increasing need to release people’s pressure. |
When a person wakes up in the morning, seven items are necessary and unavoidable in his or her life: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea.
The saying
The
Although the delivery industry has boomed in the past decade, and many people rely
In China, these essential people usually have busy schedules
They often wear colorful uniforms and ride electric bikes through the streets and communities. People call them “busy bees” in honor of
Sometimes, they rush to meet their schedules and aim to deliver
1. Whom did people usually marry in Russia in the past?
| A．Those with the same interests. |
| B．Those with the same background. |
| C．Those with the same profession. |
| A．She was a scientist. | B．She was a teacher. | C．She was a musician. |
8 . In a new study, the researchers examined trends in subjective well-being (幸福) over the course of a lifespan based on 443 samples from a total of 460,902 participants. “We focused on changes in three central components of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, positive emotional states and negative emotional states,” explains Professor Susanne Bücker.
The findings show that life satisfaction decreased between the ages of 9 and 16, then increased slightly until the age of 70, and then decreased once again until the age of 96. Positive emotional states showed a general decline from age 9 to age 94, while negative emotional states fluctuated (波动) slightly between ages 9 and 22, then declined until age 60 and then increased once again. The authors identified greater median changes in positive and negative emotional states than in life satisfaction.
“Overall, the study indicated a positive trend over a wide period of life, if we look at life satisfaction and negative emotional states,” Susanne Bücker concludes. The researchers attribute (把……归因于) the slight decline in life satisfaction between the ages of 9 and 16 to, for example, changes to the body and to the social life that take place during puberty. Satisfaction rose again from young adulthood onwards. Positive feelings tended to decrease from childhood to late adulthood. In very late adulthood, all components of subjective well-being tended to worsen rather than improve. “This could be related to the fact that in very old people, physical performance decreases, health often worsens, and social contacts reduce; not least because their peers pass away,” calculates the researcher.
The study highlights the need to consider and promote subjective well-being with its various components across the life, as the authors of the study conclude. Their findings could provide significant guidance for the development of intervention programmes, especially those aimed at maintaining or improving subjective well-being late in life.
1. What is exactly the subject of the study?| A．Life satisfaction of the elderly. | B．Trends in lifelong subjective well-being. |
| C．Ways to control negative emotional states. | D．Factors affecting positive emotional states. |
| A．During childhood. | B．In late adulthood. | C．At middle age. | D．In young adulthood. |
| A．Teaching to improve physical performance. |
| B．Giving suggestions on the lifetime increase. |
| C．Providing a theoretical basis for healthy growth. |
| D．Guiding to improve the well-being of the elderly. |
| A．When does happiness matter most to us? |
| B．What does subjective well-being consist of? |
| C．Why will we be more positive as we get older? |
| D．How does subjective well-being develop over the lifetime? |
9 . A proposal released in China recently would require all mobile devices, apps and app stores to have a built-in “minor mode” that would restrict daily screen time to two hours a day, depending on the age group. The restrictions, if approved, would mark an expansion of existing measures rolled out in recent years as China aims to limit screen time among kids and reduce their exposure to undesirable information.
Under the draft rules open for public discussion, children and teens using devices in minor mode would automatically see online applications close when respective time limits are up. They would also be offered age-based content.
No one under 18 would be able to access their screens between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m. while using the mode. Children under eight would be able to use their phones for only 40 minutes a day, while those between 8 and 16 would get an hour of screen time. Teenagers over 16 and under 18 would be allowed two hours. All age groups would receive a reminder to rest after using their device for more than 30 minutes. Parents would be able to override time restrictions, and certain educational and emergency services would not be subject to the time limits.
Parents said the proposal can help protect children’s vision as many young kids cannot stop themselves while watching something they like. On the other hand, it’s easier for parents to control their kids’ screen time. Most importantly, the content under the minor mode is more positive and healthier.
The effectiveness of the new proposed measures may depend on parents’ example, according to a father of two in southeastern China’s Zhuhai city, who said children sometimes use their parents’ accounts to play online. “Even we adults need it!” he joked.
1. What is the main purpose of the “minor mode”?| A．To regulate the legality and standard of apps. |
| B．To increase the variety of mobile applications. |
| C．To restrict under-age kids’ screen time and content. |
| D．To improve the convenience of mobile equipment. |
| A．Children under 8 use phones for an hour daily. |
| B．People under 18 can access their screens at 2 a. m. |
| C．10-year-old students get 90 minutes of screen time a day. |
| D．17-year-old teenagers play on phones for 2 hours every day. |
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．Parents’ leading by example. | B．Flexible control of time limits. |
| C．Children’s ability of self-discipline. | D．Diverse outdoor activities after school. |
1.分析产生这一现象原因;
2.该现象造成的不良影响;
3.发出积极的倡议。
注意:
1.写作词数应为80左右;
2.短文的题目和首句已为你写好(不计入总词数)。
Too much expenditure on fashion
Recently, an increasing number of students are pursuing fashion in our class.
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