1 . Many adults in South Korea have chosen either not to have children or not to marry. A South Korean government agency announced in September that the total fertility rate reached 0. 81 last year. The total fertility rate is the average number of babies born to each woman in their reproductive years. South Korea⁵s fertility rate has been the world’s lowest for three years now.

The population decreased for the first time in 2021. It raised concerns for severe damage to the economy. Some observers expect labor shortages and high spending on retirement payments as the number of older people increases while the number of taxpayers decreases. President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered policymakers to find better ways to deal with the problem. The fertility rate, he said, is still decreasing although South Korea spent $ 210 billion over the past 16 years to increase it.

Many young South Koreans say that they don’t want to have a family. Reasons some say for not having children include: a difficult job market, costly housing, inequality between the sexes, and social inequality. The high cost of raising children in a competitive society is also a reason. Some women say men expect them to do much of the childcare while they face discrimination at work.

Lee So-Young is a population policy expert at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. She said, “People think our country isn’t an easy place to live.” And she added, “They believe their children can’t have better lives than them.” Choi Yoon Kyung is an expert at the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. She said many people who fail to enter good schools and get good jobs feel they have become “dropouts” who “cannot be happy”.

South Korea has been offering different incentives (刺激) and support programs for those who give birth to many children. But Choi said the fertility rate has been falling too fast to see any real effects.

1. Why does the author mention the number in paragraph 1?

A．To present a fact.	B．To explain a rule.
C．To clarify a concept.	D．To make a comparison.

2. What could be a result of low fertility rate?

A．More citizens fail to be happy.

B．Retirement payment falls down.

C．People have to pay higher taxes.

D．Less people are available for work.

3. Which is a cause of the decreasing fertility rate in South Korea?

A．The gender equality.

B．The loss of government support.

C．The ever increasing life pressure.

D．The high expectation of children.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The rising stress among young South Koreans.

B．The government^ effort to improve fertility rate.

C．The continuous low fertility rate in South Korea.

D．The severe economic damage of less new-born babies.

2 . Mark it in your calendars now, so you don’t show up to work an hour early on Monday. Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday of November every year in Canada. Most Canadians will turn their clocks back an hour, giving adults an extra hour of sleep and making the next couple of weeks a bit unpleasant for parents of young children. Those living in Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, and some parts of B.C. and Quebec don’t have to do anything, as they stay on standard time year-round.

Daylight saving time was first proposed in 1895 by New Zealand entomologist George Hudson. He proposed the change because it would allow him more daylight hours to find and inspect insects. The first documented cases of daylight saving being adopted in the world happened right here in Canada. The small towns of Port Arthur and Fort William—which would eventually merge to become Thunder Bay, Ont.—adopted daylight saving on May 1, 1908. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary were the first international countries to enact daylight saving time in 1916, as a way to save coal and fuel during the First World War.

The changing of the clocks has been a topic of debate in Canada for many years, with provincial politicians in Alberta, B. C. and Ontario wanting to scrap the century-old practice. Ontario tabled and unanimously passed a private member’s bill called the Time Amendment Act in 2020. Alberta had a referendum on the idea to rid it last year, and just over half of those who voted wanted to keep daylight saving time.

The idea behind the clock shift is to maximize sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, as days start to lengthen in the spring and then fade in the fall. But the benefits of this change are controversial, and the shift can have measurable impacts on health. Canadian researchers warn that daylight saving, and switching the clocks twice a year, can contribute to a phenomenon known as “social jet lag,” where people suffer from disrupted sleep and sleep debt, mental and physical fatigue, and more.

1. What can we learn about daylight saving time in Canada?

A．It always gives adults an extra hour of sleep.

B．It ends on the first Sunday every November.

C．Most Canadians will turn their clocks forward an hour.

D．People living in Yukon need to change their clock time.

2. Why did George Hudson propose daylight saving time?

A．Because he wanted to save fossil energy.

B．Because he wanted to make it a documented case.

C．Because he attempted to carry it out in Thunder Bay, Ont.

D．Because he attempted to spend more time on insect inspection.

3. What do the underlined word “scrap” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Improve.

B．Begin.

C．Cancel.

D．Evaluate.

4. According to the last paragraph, what impact may the clock shift have?

A．To lift one’s spirits.	B．To increase productivity.
C．To cause sleeping problems.	D．To decrease sufferings.

3 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Have you heard of community fridges? These are spaces     1     locals can share food with one another and save fresh food     2     going to waste. The Community Fridge Network     3    (connect) 300 community fridges across the UK. It offers guidance to people     4     (look) to set up their own fridges, and support to groups running fridges. The fridges are open to everyone. Of course, there are some rules for what can and cannot     5    (share) in order to keep things safe. But otherwise, you’re welcome     6     (take) what you need, and leave anything that might otherwise end up in the waste bin.

According to     7     survey by the Food Foundation, in April 2022, 15. 5 percent of UK households were food insecure, meaning that they ate     8     (little) than normal or went a day without food because they could not access     9     afford food.

The benefit of community fridges has never been clearer. In difficult times, with pretty much all costs increasing greatly, it is reassuring to know that     10    (community) are coming together and helping each other as much as they can.

4 . The idea of Buy Now Pay Later, or BNPL, has attracted millions of shoppers with the promise of interest-free credit. An incredible 45 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK turned to BNPL last year, according to The Money Charity. Lenders say they offer a better deal than credit cards, because they do not charge interest but make money from affiliate deals (关联交易) with retailers (零售商). It may be a new way of borrowing money, but the old rules still apply: unless you repay the debt quickly, you are building up trouble for the future.

Now, BNPLs are growing in popularity and do have upsides — mostly convenient shopping with interest-easy financing and no strict approval requirements. However, they also make it effortless to overshop, overspend, and get in over your head with credit problems. 

Lenders pay the retailer on your behalf, and then you repay over 30 days or three months, spreading the cost to help with your cash flow. They say this is fairer and less expensive than credit cards. That may be true, but BNPL has dangers, too.

BNPL lenders may not charge any interest, but they still want you to pay back the money you have borrowed, so what if you can’t? Typically, you have 30 days to pay. If you don’t, your lender will contact you to chase late payments. If you still don’t pay, they call in the debt collectors.

Citizens Advice says that 14 million used a BNPL product last year, but six million did not understand what they were signing up for. Some 26% of BNPL customers regretted their choice, while 41% struggled with repayment. Younger people were particularly at risk. A quarter of those making BNPL repayments couldn’t afford food, rent or bills as a result.

Another worry is that BNPL lenders only perform ‘soft’ searches on a person’s credit report, so do not see the borrower’s true credit status. This means they cannot remove people with financial problems and may end up adding to their troubles. BNPL lenders say they do careful checks to make sure they never lend more than a consumer can afford to pay back, and also pause accounts if a single payment is late. Nobody wants to be pursued by debt collectors. If you do use BNPL credit, never borrow more than you can afford to repay.

1. How do BNPL lenders earn profits according to the text?

A．They force borrowers to pay their debts.

B．They require payment for retailers’ services.

C．They receive a certain fee from affiliate deals.

D．They charge interest from 18 to 24-year-old users.

2. Why does BNPL become more and more popular?

A．For strict approval requirements and no interest.

B．For its convenience of shopping with high interest.

C．For buying anything needed without credit problems.

D．For convenient shopping and no strict approval requirements.

3. What problem does the Buy Now Pay Later method have?

A．All the young people can’t repay the debt quickly.

B．It is difficult to know the borrower’s real credit status.

C．More than half of BNPL customers can’t afford the payments.

D．BNPL has to depend on debt collectors to get back the money.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards BNPL?

A．Favorable.

B．Indifferent.

C．Objective.

D．Critical.

5 . Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, leading scientists have said, as they warned it is not more environmentally-friendly to go vegan (素食).

Prof. Geoff Simm, Director of Global Academy Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Edinburgh, said, “I think livestock (家畜) farmers do feel they are being demonized (妖魔化).” Often the argument is made that going vegan would minimize land use, but the modelling studies that have been done demonstrate that’s not the case. We feel that while livestock production has a range of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits, the costs have perhaps been receiving far more attention recently than some of the benefits. Meat has massive social benefits. It’s an important source of dietary protein, energy, highly bioavailable micronutrients (微量营养素), even small amounts of animal-sourced food have a really important effect on the development of children, in the developing world on their cognitive and physical development and they are really important.

Prof. Mike Coffey, from Scotland’s Rural College, added, “It’s completely unnecessary to go vegan. If everybody went vegan it would be devastating for the UK environment. Animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.”

Researchers are currently attempting to breed more environmentally friendly cattle, which grow faster and eat less, which could further reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of methane (甲烷) released by cows.

Prof. Coffey said that the difference in methane emissions from best and worst cattle was about 30 percent and that if all UK farmers used the most efficient animals this could reduce carbon emissions by nearly a third. But Prof. Coffey said the next stage will be trying to measure the methane given off by different breeds of cattle to find which are the lowest emitters. Prof. Coffey said that soon shoppers could be able to check meat labels to find out how much environmental impact their food has had. He added, “My expectation is that at some point in the near future there will be product labels that relates to the efficiency or carbon impact of the food.”

Professor Andrea Wilson, also of Edinburgh University, said more research was needed into the impact of veganism (绝对素食主义). She added, “We know a lot about the livestock sector because people have looked at it. We actually know very little about the vegan sector. The danger is we demonize one and jump too quickly to the other.”

1. Why are livestock farmers being demonized?

A．Because livestock production has huge costs.

B．Because livestock meat contains harmful protein.

C．Because livestock need more land and emit polluting gases.

D．Because livestock meat negatively affect children’s development.

2. What’s the writer’s purpose of mentioning labeling different breeds of cow?

A．To state a fact.	B．To make a prediction.
C．To present a solution.	D．To explain a phenomenon.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards veganism?

A．Supportive.

B．Intolerant.

C．Indifferent.

D．Doubtful.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Going vegan is not greener.	B．Consuming meat is harmful.
C．Raising cows is environmentally friendly.	D．Criticizing livestock farmers is not wise.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Don’t brag(炫耀), but be proud of what you have done. These two pieces of advice     1     (be) tough to balance before Facebook existed. Even today’s share-it-all social media haven’t made     2     any easier. We are     3     (able) to draw a line between a humble bragging and a straight-up bragging. But we certainly know that oversharing doesn’t do your friendship any favors.

Social media like Facebook bring us     4     (convenient). Meanwhile, they can put us     5     danger of oversharing. Once upon a time, only your family and close friends would be there     6     (see) you eagerly open presents on Christmas morning. Now the photo     7     you take on your iPhone will likely become a touch-up Instagram in about 15 seconds. Maybe you just post it subconsciously. But your sharing behavior could     8     (easy) be considered annoying or even narcissistic(自恋的).

To post or not to post? Maybe we should all be asking     9     (we) the question before hitting the share button. As our personal fame grows alongside our social media presences, so     10     (do) the number of people we could potentially(潜在地) impress or bother.

7 . Feeding America: by the Numbers

41.2 million Americans are food insecure, which means they don’t know when or how they’ll get their next meal.

13 million American children face hunger—That’s l in 6 kids. 1.5 million old soldiers receive food stamps (食品救济券).

27% of families with incomes above the poverty level are short of food. 18.7% of Mississippians are short of food (Highest rate of all states). 5. 4 million old people now face food insecurity in America. 8. 7% of Hawaiians are food insecure (Lowest rate of all states).

$1 donated (捐赠)to Feeding America will buy 10 meals for people facing hunger in America.

Want to Do Something?

One way to stop the hunger is through neighborhood food banks. They need three things: money, your time and food. If you plan to donate food, here are what food banks need most:

●Apple sauce

●Boxed meals

●Canned beans

●Canned chicken

● Canned chili

●Canned fish

●Cooking oil

●Dried herbs and spices

●Nuts

●Peanut butter

● Whole-grain cereal

Note:Avoid food with glass packaging (包装)because they can be broken in transport. Trusted Media Brands—Readers’ Digest’s parent company—has become an official media partner of Feeding America. See how you can help our efforts at feedingamerica. com.

1. How many kids are facing hunger in America?

A．5.4 million.	B．13 million.
C．41.2 million.	D．78 million.

2. What food will neighborhood food banks refuse?

A．Boxed meals.	B．Canned chicken.
C．Glass bottles of milk.	D．Oil used for cooking.

3. Why does the author write this text?

A．To show readers the problems of food safety.

B．To ask readers to help the poor out of poverty.

C．To inform readers of serious food shortages in America.

D．To encourage readers to donate food or money to food banks.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

You walk into a museum, stop in front of a masterpiece and wish to observe it up close. Instead of having       1     good view of it, however, you see nothing but raised arms and smart phones. Isn`t it     2    (surprise)?

Nowadays, the use of smart phones in museums     3    (continue) to rise and art experts are concerned about how to get people to truly appreciate artworks rather than simply take photos or record videos to post     4     social media. Some museums do not allow photography,    5     is less about camera flashes and more about encouraging people to enjoy the experience. Amsterdam`s Rijksumuseum, for example, already     6    (wage) the Big Draw campaign,    7    visitors are encouraged to keep their smart phones in their pockets or bags and pick up paper and pencils instead. The national museums is hoping to help visitors discover and appreciate the beauty of art, architecture and history through drawing. Some museums are also asking people to get prepared before their visit by learning about the artworks first.     8    (hope), with these     9    (measure), the experience of visiting museums will be more satisfying than simply recording everything with a smart phones. There have already been some signs of improvement, which is very encouraging, but there is still a long way     10    (go).

9 . 请以 Plastic surgery: beauty or beast为题，写一篇短文，讨论整容（plastic surgery）的利与弊，并说出你对这一现象的看法。100字左右，标题已经给出，不计入总词数。

Plastic surgery: beauty or beast

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10 . Some Questions About Coronavirus

How long does coronavirus last?

Every case of coronavirus is different, but experts have a general idea of how long the typical course of the illness lasts. Most people can expect to recover within two weeks after the onset of symptoms, but more severe cases could last up to six weeks — and for some, dubbed “Covid long haulers,” symptoms can linger for months.

What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?

Symptoms of the coronavirus can seem a lot like the flu. Initially, a fever, cough, and shortness of breath emerged as the three most common symptoms of COVID-19. Now, other signs such as muscle pain, fatigue, and loss of taste and smell are on the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) symptoms checklist.

How long does coronavirus live on surfaces?

Though the conronavirus is typically transmitted through the air via respiratory droplets (from an infected person sneezing or coughing) rather than by touching objects and materials, the virus can still remain viable on variety of surfaces, according to the CDC, though it’s not exactly clear for how long.

How is coronavirus spread?

According to the CDC, COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person, usually through close contact (within six feet). Being near an infected person who coughs, sneezes, or talks can expose you to their respiratory droplet carrying the virus — and they can spread the virus even if they don’t have any symptoms yet. If those virus-containing particles are inhaled (吸入) or land in your eyes, nose or mouth, you could become infected.

1. How long does coronavirus stay on surfaces?

A．Two weeks.

B．Six weeks.

C．Months.

D．Unclear.

2. People can’t be infected with coronavirus by________.

A．contacting close (within six feet)

B．being near an infected person

C．talking with a healthy person

D．inhaling some virus-containing particles

3. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．Health.

C．Education

D．Travel.