1 . To get a sense of how spending in my generation is different from that of my parents’, just consider one simple transaction: a utility bill. When my parents paid their utility bill, they had to take out their checkbook, put pen to paper, write a check, and then record it in their checkbook. If they did not know how much their utility bill was, they had to be purposefully ignorant.

My utility bill is paid automatically from my banking app. For me to know how much my utility bill is, I have to be purposefully diligent. And the truth is, I’m not in most cases.

Of course, I’m not just talking about utility bills here. As with most millennials (千禧一代), technology has made the payment of bills so simple that we tend to take it for granted and hardly have to think about it anymore. And that is the problem: By streamlining our personal finances, technology has also made it so much easier to ignore the costs. However, in doing so, it has broken the connection between the things we buy and the cost of having them. And it is precisely that connection that keeps our financial lives on track—making sure that we save enough and spend our money on the things that really matter.

The question now is: How do we get that connection back, without giving up the convenience that technology has brought us?

The good news is that whatever is given can be taken back. Much of the battle is simply to recognize what we have lost. The first thing is thus to be aware of how much we are spending by using personal-finance apps. These apps can categorize purchases and send you a spending report. They can detect—and warn you—if a repeated payment is going to get you in trouble. And they can send you a notification when each automatic payment is being made. These real-time tools, used together, are probably better practice than balancing a checkbook on a Saturday morning.

The fact, however, is that all of these tools require the user to make a conscious effort to sign up for these services, and to actually use them. And that is where the ”stop me before I do something foolish“ process must begin. If we millennials want to be smart about our money, it seems that we have no choice: We need to bridge that gap between what we spend and how we pay. We need to feel the connection between the value of our purchases and the effort it takes to make them.

1. The example mentioned in the first two paragraphs was meant to suggest that__________.

A．spending habits vary from generation to generation

B．banking apps have quickly developed in recent years

C．the younger generations are much lazier than their parents

D．the payment process has greatly changed over the past decades

2. The underlined word ”streamlining“ in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “__________”.

A．handling	B．stretching
C．improving	D．simplifying

3. According to the passage, which of the following sayings best describes the financial problems that most millennials are facing today?

A．Out of sight, out of mind.	B．The devil is in the details.
C．Rome wasn’t built in a day.	D．You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

4. According to the author, millennials will be able to take back control over their personal finances by__________.

A．stopping the use of automatic paying apps

B．setting aside a regular time to pay their bills

C．making the best use of personal-finance apps

D．thinking twice before making expensive purchases

2 . Today, we are told children don’t spend enough time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV—they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.

But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to swap at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building dens, climbing trees, rummaging for conkers and playing hide-and-seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.

Children often need a helping hand from their mums and dads. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from the National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go.”

So despite the complicated world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine, freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted.”

This might sound a bit old-fashioned to you but there’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!

1. Except what are children encouraged to do the following activities?

A．Building dens.	B．Climbing trees.
C．Playing hide-and-seek.	D．Watching TV.

2. What do we know according to Andy Simpson?

A．Wild time is hard to design.	B．Wild time is beneficial for children.
C．Parents know the importance of wild time.	D．Parents like keeping their children indoors.

3. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A．Modern children need wild time.	B．Adults value outdoor activities.
C．The present world is complicated.	D．This generation of kids have no freedom.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Wild time for children	B．Benefits of wild time
C．More space for children	D．Adventures of children

4 . There is a popular saying in the English language: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, that is not true. Unkind words, name-calling or even the so-called “the silent treatment” can hurt children as much as being physically hit, sometimes even more so. A recent study of middle school children showed that verbal (言语的) abuse by other children can harm, the development in the brain. The study was a project of researchers at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. Researcher Martin Teicher and his team studied young adults, aged 18 to 25. These young men and women had not ever been treated in a cruel or violent way by their parents. The researchers asked the young people to rate their childhood exposure to verbal abuse from both parents and other children. Then the researchers performed imaging tests on the brains of the subjects.

The images showed that the people who reported suffering verbal abuse from peers in middle school had underdeveloped connections between the left and right side of the brain. The two sides of the brain are connected by a large bundle of connecting fibers called the corpus callosum. This was the area that was underdeveloped.

The middle school years are a time when these brain connections are developing. So, unkind, hurtful comments from children or adults during this period have the greatest effect. The researchers tested the mental and emotional condition of all the young people in the study. The tests showed that this same group of people had higher levels of fear, depression, anger and drug abuse than others in the study.

The researchers published their findings online on the American Journal of Psychiatry's website.

Parents cannot control what other people say to their children, but they can prepare their children.

1. Why does the author use the popular saying at the beginning?

A．To show the power of words.

B．To introduce an opposite view.

C．To prove the author's argument.

D．To show ancient people's wisdom.

2. What did the people studied in the research have in common?

A．They were hurt by unkind words.

B．They performed poorly in imaging tests.

C．They had their brain slightly damaged.

D．They experienced no physical abuse at home.

3. What will be discussed in the next paragraph?

A．Comments on the findings.

B．Approaches to further studies.

C．Suggestions to parents.

D．Different opinions on the matter.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Unkind words hurt the brain.

B．Verbal violence should be stopped.

C．The way we speak matters.

D．Words are worse than sticks and stones.

5 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness(意识) of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks(1913-2005)

On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.

1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?

A．Her social work.	B．Her teaching skills.
C．Her efforts to win a prize.	D．Her community background.

2. What was the reason for O’Connor’s being refused by the law firm?

A．Not having training in law.	B．Her little work experience in court.
C．Her identity as a woman.	D．Her poor financial conditions.

3. Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?

A．Jane Addams.	B．Rachel Carson.
C．Sandra Day O’Connor.	D．Rosa Parks.

4. What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A．They are highly educated.	B．They are truly creative.
C．They are pioneers.	D．They are peace-lovers.

6 . Empathy (同理心) is one of those strange qualities — something almost everyone wants, but few know how to truly give or receive it. In a world where self-satisfaction is emphasized, it is in short supply but high demand. This is all the more reason to teach the next generation what it means to have empathy for those around them.

What Is Empathy? — Many people confuse sympathy and empathy, but they are two distinct values. Empathy is not just the ability to understand someone's feelings; criminals often take advantage of people by appearing to understand their feelings and subsequently gaining their trust. Empathy is more than that. Not only is it the ability to recognize how someone feels, but it also values and respects the feelings of another person. It means treating others with kindness, dignity, and understanding.

Kids Need To See Adults Show Empathy — While some children are gifted with naturally kind hearts, in most cases kids need to see empathy modeled by the adults around them. It begins with the way parents relate to their children. Parents who show an interest in the things that matter to their kids and respond to emotions in a positive and caring way are teaching the skill of empathy.

Meet Emotional Needs — When children have their emotional needs met, two things happen. They learn how to meet the emotional needs of others and they are anchored in what they are receiving, meaning that they are secure enough to give to others when the need arises but first they need to receive. An empty jug cannot fill a cup.

It's a good idea to talk to kids about emotions and how other people experience them. Give their emotions names (for example, jealousy, anger, and love) and teach them that these are normal. Talk to them about how to handle emotions in a positive way and point out situations where other people are experiencing emotions. Teach them about respecting the emotions of others and show them how to act in a situation where a response is required.

1. Why is it that the next generation are taught to have empathy?

A．Because people tend to center themselves.	B．Because everyone lacks empathy.
C．Because empathy is a strange quality.	D．Because it's better to give than to receive.

2. Which situation can empathy be used in?

A．When a mathematician is calculating the area of a farmland.

B．When a teacher is comforting a student about his failure in exams.

C．When a criminal is cheating a victim.

D．When a dancer is dancing to music.

3. What does the underlined sentence "An empty jug cannot fill a cup" mean?

A．An empty jug is too small to hold a cup.

B．It's a must to talk to kids about emotions.

C．Adults should set an example to kids.

D．Kids give empathy with their emotional needs met first.

4. What is the main topic of the passage?

A．How to train kids to have empathy.

B．How to distinguish sympathy and empathy.

C．How to help kids finish empathy-related tasks.

D．Whether kids can be trained to be more empathetic.

7 . There’s no doubt that one of the greatest human achievements is the exploration of the space. Ever since astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to be sent into the orbit around the moon in 1961, scientists have been pushing the boundaries further and further. But until now the exploration into the unknown has been dominated (主导) by men.

Of course, in the past, women were also included in the space projects and played an active role on the ground and behind the scenes. For example, they worked as seamstresses (女裁缝师), sewing vital spaceflight components. In fact, many of NASA’s key works would never have been possible without them. Recently Hollywood produced a movie called Hidden Figures to focus on a group of American female mathematicians, especially the black women, who helped NASA send the first American into space. But this was not women’s only contribution. Back in 1963, Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be sent into space. However, after that, space flight programs were slow to employ women. In the USA. NASA didn’t accept applications from women to become astronauts until 1978.

But attitudes have changed and leading officials at NASA say that the first person to set foot on Mars should be a woman. The space agency aims to have a sex-balanced workforce but can only achieve that if equal numbers of men and women are trained for science and technology jobs. As Allison McIntryre told the BBC, “My director is a woman. We have female astronauts. We haven’t put a woman on the moon yet. And I think that perhaps the first person to step on Mars should be a woman.”

1. What did Yuri Gagarin do in 1961?

A．He landed on the moon in success.

B．He discovered many new boundaries.

C．He led scientists to explore the moon.

D．He made the first journey into the space.

2. Why does the author mention the film Hidden Figures?

A．To show women are the true heroes of NASA’s first launch.

B．To stress that black people have won equal rights in NASA.

C．To prove women can do as well as men in NASA’ projects.

D．To present women’s contributions to NASA’s space programs.

3. What is Allison McIntryre’s attitude toward women astronauts?

A．Uncaring.	B．Disapproving.
C．Supportive.	D．Disappointed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Will the First Person to Step on Mars Be a Woman?

B．Great Achievements Have Been Made in Space Exploration?

C．Why Men Played an Important Role in Exploring the Unknown?

D．Men and Women Have Made Equal Contributions to NASA’s Projects?

8 . It’s time to reconsider food. Around the globe, food problems threaten wildlife, wild places and the planet itself. Today, 7.3 billion people consume 1.6 times _______ the earth’s natural resources can supply. By 2050, the world’s population _______(reach) 9 billion and the demand for food will double.

So how do we produce more food for more people without _______(expand) the land and water already in use? We can’t double the amount of food. _______(fortunate), we don’t have to — we just have to double the amount of food available now instead. _______ short, we must freeze the footprint of food.

In the near-term, food production is enough to provide for all, but it doesn’t reach everyone who needs it. About 1.3 billion tons of food _______(waste) each year — four times the amount _______(need) to feed the more than 800+ million people who are _______(hunger).

By improving efficiency and productivity while reducing waste and shifting consumption _______(pattern), we can produce enough food for everyone by 2050 on roughly ________ same amount of land we use now.

1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
4. ______________
5. ______________
6. ______________
7. ______________
8. ______________
9. ______________
10. ______________

9 . Student loan (贷款) debt has become a worldwide problem. In America, the country's overall student debt reached a record of $1.6 trillion in 2019. The average person with student loan debt owed between $20,000 and $25,000. A recent Japanese government report says it has been lending over $9 billion yearly to students since 2010. Similar conditions exist in Africa and South America.

Several factors account for high student loan debt. One is that employers everywhere have increased their demands for skilled workers, making higher education a requirement for many jobs. The students, however, after graduation, often find that their country's economy is not strong enough to support their financial needs, so their ability to pay back the loan becomes a problem.

To solve the problem, many countries are seeking their ways. Australia has developed a system where students do not have to pay anything back until they are earning at least $40,000 a year. In America, several candidates running for president in the 2020 election have offered more extreme solutions that all or at least some of these loans will be forgiven.

Some professors in several universities recently studied what the effects of debt forgiveness might be. They found that, overall, sudden debt relief greatly improved the borrowers' lives. Not only did they have more money, but they were more likely to move to a new area and seek better paying work.

Yet the professors' research doesn't include what might happen to financial institutions or the overall economy if debt were totally forgiven. It only looks at how debt forgiveness would help the borrowers. They warn of some other possible negative effects. If a borrower knew that if he ran into any trouble he would be saved because he could get the debt relief, then he might actually become more reckless (轻率的) with his borrowing in the future.

No matter what, the professors agree that if countries do decide to approve some student debt relief the neediest students should be helped first.

1. How does the author introduce the problem of student loan?

A．By making a comparison.	B．By making classifications.
C．By presenting some statistics.	D．By setting down general rules.

2. What can we learn about student loan debt relief?

A．It will surely provide some benefits to borrowers.

B．It has already been carried out in the United States.

C．It aims to encourage more students to borrow money.

D．It will prevent a person from landing a well-paying job.

3. What is the professors' attitude to debt forgiveness?

A．Uncaring.	B．Positive.
C．Disapproving.	D．Cautious.

4. What's the main idea of the text?

A．Student loan debt is the most serious problem worldwide.

B．Growing global student debt fuels search for solutions.

C．Student loan debt tends to pull the needy out of trouble.

D．People hold different opinions on debt forgiveness.

10 . With the development of science and technology, mobile phones have been an important communication tool in our modern life.     1    

First,     2     If we have a mobile phone, it is possible for us to access anyone at anytime and anywhere. We could call our clients and customers for business. And we can send messages, including text and picture messages to our friends for personal affairs.

Besides, mobile phones have been multi-functional nowadays since its advance development. It could take photos instead of digital cameras. It could be used as a radio or recorder or for playing music.     3    .

    4     Sometimes we would not like to be available to anybody; sometimes we receive so many rubbish messages.

In conclusion,     5     It is really a great invention, which makes our life more convenient and more colorful.

A．But sometimes mobile phones can also make you in a dilemma.

B．Mobile phones bring us more benefits than disadvantages.

C．Mobile phones really bring convenience to our lives.

D．Mobile phones play an important part in our work.

E．However, some small troubles would visit you after using it for some time.

F．And it also could be a game player.

G．Thanks to it, our life becomes easy and colorful.