1 . Social welfare programs, including quality early education, earned-income tax credit and health care, can change children’s lives. More importantly, recent studies show the benefits from these programs strongly influence the next generation, lifting them out of poverty.
The long-term impact of prekindergarten is well established and widely known. 50 years ago, 123 three-and four-year-old African Americans from low-income families in Ypsilanti, Michigan took part in an experiment. About half attended a pioneering early education program called Perry Preschool, while the control group did not. Researchers have been able to track the lives of most of these children ever since. The kids who went to Perry Preschool did better in school, made more money, and were healthier than the control group.
The benefits of Perry Preschool didn’t just stop with those children. A study published last summer by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman and his colleagues takes the implications of Perry a giant step further. This research shows that the children of the Perry preschoolers are also better off because of their parents’ experience.
As the Perry preschoolers grew up, they became better educated and developed greater socio - emotional skills than the control group. They became better parents. Their children grew up in harmonious two-parent families that made, on average, about $ 10,000 more a year. It was enough to lift many of them out of poverty. This healthy upbringing has had a long-lasting effect on the children of the Perry preschoolers. Compared to the children of the control group, they were much less likely to have dropped out, and more likely to have graduated from high school.
Here’s another example. A Norwegian study demonstrated the decades-long impact on babies who, during their first year, benefited from their mothers’ having had the opportunity to sign up for free mother and child health care centers. In the following years, these youngsters grew taller and stayed in school longer than those whose mothers did not receive the same support. At 40, they are in better health.
1. What do we know about Perry Preschool?| A．It provided early quality education. | B．It divided the kids into two groups. |
| C．It received kids from all backgrounds. | D．It continued to track half of the kids’lives. |
| A．Truths. | B．Assumptions. |
| C．Effects. | D．Suggestions. |
| A．Perry preschoolers received less education. |
| B．It had no impact on the participants’ children. |
| C．Early education could bring economic benefits. |
| D．The children of the control group became healthier. |
| A．Early quality education matters most. |
| B．Social welfare can break the cycle of poverty. |
| C．Wealth can be passed down through generations. |
| D．Parents are important in shaping future generation. |
2 . During the Labor Day Holiday, Zha Liguo, at our guide, enjoyed sunrises and sunsets over Huangshan. He was joined by thousands of followers who enjoyed the views on their phones in what is known as “cloud tourism”. During the holiday, Zha would begin his day with a broadcast of the sunrise at the mountaintop. He then would hike across the grand valley and wait for the sunset with his mobile phone.
Having worked in the tourism industry for two decades, Zha began experimenting with live stream in 2022. His positive attitude, engaging presentation, and high quality filming in particular, have helped him attract 700,000 followers.
Not far away from Huangshan, the Hongcun Village is also exploring new possibilities. In less than a year since the village created an official livestream account, it has gained more than 100, 000 followers.
“In addition to the landscape, we also take the audience closer to local folk customs, such as lantern making and wood carving. Compared with the traditional tour, ‘cloud tourism’ can give them a much deeper understanding of a place,” said a manager of a local tourist agency.
“Cloud tourism” has not only increased the appeal of tourist attractions in Hongcun Village but also boosted the growth of local industries. The sales of products in the scenic zone shot up in live stream shows and at present about 40 local tour guides regularly live stream. The live video streams have also cultivated (培养) a huge potential customer base. “I would love to go to Huangshan in the future,” read a message left in Zha’s live stream.
1. What did Zha do in early May?| A．He landed a job as at our guide. | B．He met followers over Huangshan. |
| C．He broadcast day breaks and night falls. | D．He shared routines of daily life online. |
| A．His quality filming. | B．His creative experiments. |
| C．His positive attitude. | D．His engaging presentation. |
| A．It draws attention for natural streams. |
| B．It is located in the valley of Huangshan. |
| C．It benefits financially from-livestream. |
| D．It explores possibilities with landscape. |
| A．Introducing some new folk customs. |
| B．Helping locals to admire the scenery. |
| C．Promoting the woodcarving techniques. |
| D．Attracting tourists to explore the site. |
具体内容如下：1.介绍现状；2.纸媒的重要性；3.提出呼吁。
注意：1.词数80左右；2.可适当增加细节，使内容充实，行文连贯。
Embracing the Magic of Print Media
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Every year, some 2.3 million women and men around the world died from work-related accidents or diseases — that’s more than 8, 000 deaths every single day — and at least 402 million people suffer from non-fatal occupational injuries. The number is enormous in terms of personal tragedy and hardship. And it comes with a huge economic loss. It is estimated that occupational accidents and diseases lead to a 5.4 percent loss of annual global GDP.
A safe and healthy working environment is so important that in June 2022 the ILO (International Labor Organization) took a historic step when it added a safe and healthy working environment to its Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Why does this matter? It matters because occupational safety and health can now no longer be viewed as an optional extra. All of the ILO’s 186 member states are now required to respect, promote and achieve a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work.
This is significant for several reasons. First, it recognizes that every worker has the right to be protected from dangers and risks that can cause injury, illness or death in the workplace.
By making occupational safety and health (OSH) a fundamental right, the ILO is sending a clear message to governments and employers of all countries that they must take responsibility for providing a safe and healthy working environment for all workers.
When workers feel safe and healthy in their workplace, they are likely to be more productive and efficient. This can benefit workers, employers as well as the economy. Conversely, when workers are injured or become ill due to workplace dangers, it can have a significantly negative impact on productivity and economic growth.
A safe and healthy working environment is now a fundamental right for each and every worker. Governments, employers, trade unions as well as companies must work together to make this right a reality.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To draw a conclusion. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To warn us of the danger at work. | D．To call for the need of safety environment. |
| A．It means a basic right to the ILO. | B．It means life and death to employers. |
| C．It means a fundamental obligation to workers. | D．It means economic growth to the government. |
| A．Consequently. | B．Contrarily. | C．Conventionally. | D．Commonly. |
| A．The joint efforts by the four sides. | B．The potential improvements to make. |
| C．The history of workers’ sufferings. | D．The measures workers take to get protected. |
1. What is the talk mainly about?
| A．The development of electronics. |
| B．Hearing loss caused by electronics. |
| C．Good habits of listening to music. |
| A．CD players. | B．iPhones. | C．Laptops. |
| A．Over 150. | B．About 300. | C．Around 1,000. |
| A．It happens very quickly. |
| B．It will last throughout your life. |
| C．It is caused by noise below level 90. |
1. What was Prof. Stone’s grandfather afraid of?
| A．Leaving his home. |
| B．Parting from his son. |
| C．Taking early retirement. |
| A．Lack of moral support. |
| B．Loss of self-worth. |
| C．Change of living habits. |
| A．Public services they ask for. |
| B．Health care available to them. |
| C．Contributions they can make. |
7 . With a name like The Daily Orange in America, you will think the Syracuse University student-run newspaper prints a new issue every day. The newspaper began operating at the Syracuse, New York-based school in 1903. But it only prints a new issue three times a week.
Editor in chief Haley Robertson worries about where she will find companies willing to pay for advertising space. She also worries about having to fire friends. And, she searches out former students willing to donate money so the newspaper can send reporters on the road to cover the university’s sports teams. Media executives many years older than Robertson are facing similar problems. The news industry’s financial difficulties have spread to colleges and universities across the US, which brought challenges to these young journalists. Student reporters train for the future in two main ways. They receive a traditional classroom education from professors. They also put what they learn to use in student-run newsrooms.
Chris Evans is president of the College Media Association, or the CMA. He notes that few college newspapers have shut down the way local newspapers in towns and cities across the country have, considering the central role they are playing. But some have had to cut the number of times they publish each week. Some would find a former student for donation or sell enough advertising to cover it.
The University of North Carolina reports that newspaper newsroom jobs across the country dropped from 52,000 in 2008 to 24,000 today. There are other kinds of jobs in the field, of course, but not a very high number of them. Many journalism educators have wondered whether their students can deal with that. Journalism schools should do more than just equip students for possible media jobs, said Marie Hardin, head of Penn State’s Donald Bellisario College of Communications. She said journalism educators need to teach students communication, critical thinking and writing. Such skills are highly sought in many different fields.
1. It can be learnt that The Daily Orange ________.| A．is a national newspaper |
| B．is seeking sponsorships |
| C．lacks enough reporters |
| D．will go fully Internet-based |
| A．Creating new jobs in the news industry. |
| B．Improving professional skills of educators. |
| C．Preparing students for more job options. |
| D．Encouraging students to turn to other fields. |
8 . Do you like to shop online? Or do you prefer' to go into a store and look at a product?
One common shopper strategy is "show rooming." This means that customers go into a store, look at the product and talk to a salesperson.
The number of online shoppers is rising, but not as fast as retailers (零售商) first thought. People still like to go into stores.
In order to keep customers coming into stores, managers need to train salespeople well. In-store shoppers want salespeople to give them a lot of attention, be polite, and know a lot about the product.
What products do shoppers like to buy online?
However, online shopping doesn't work for every product. People prefer to shop for food in a store. If you're buying a new car, you can research prices online.
| A．Maybe you like to do both of these things. |
| B．But you still need to drive the car. |
| C．At the top of the list are electronic products. |
| D．You may pay a higher price than you expected. |
| E．You shall know what your purpose to buy something is. |
| F．Teens especially prefer to shop at a shopping center. |
| G．Then they use their smartphones or other mobile devices to find a better price. |
9 . Growing up in the 80s as a child with lots of siblings, I played in the street until dark or until we were called for dinner. We had an amazing community of neighbours. However, one elderly neighbour hated us. Every time the football went into her garden, she would confiscate it – and then pop the ball. When she collected over 20 deflated footballs, she would take them down to the police station and complain. To her, at least, free and active children were a pest and a disgrace.
Actually, at that time, nothing but one stopped us playing: the shattering of a window and the scream of a parent coming outside to tell us off. On reflection, I was probably part of the last generation of children to play outside regularly. Now in London, the estate I live in is covered with historic signs saying: “No ball games”.
The signs function as a play ban for children. Even during the summer, there are only a couple of rebels who dare to play football on the street. They get my nod and a kick of the ball back when it comes in my direction.
The problem is, many people don’t know that these signs are not enforceable by law: they are simply a request from local housing associations.
Of course, if people are kicking the ball against someone’s house or out on the streets making noise late at night, it would be considered criminal damage and antisocial behaviour – and quite right. But most of the time the signs are just preventing children from playing.
The London Sport charity has recommended that these signs are removed. I agree - let’s burn them all. But I do think it is simplistic to imagine banning the signs will combat a national obesity epidemic.
The Active Lives Survey shows that just 47% of children in England are getting the recommended 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity a day. Removing “No ball games” signs doesn’t mean that the other 53% of children will feel motivated to venture outside and play.
The Active Lives Survey also suggests that boys are more likely to be active than girls. Perhaps boys are still given more activity opportunities. The Lionesses(英格兰女足)win at the Euros football tournament highlighted the lack of opportunities for girls in football and inequitable sports curriculums in schools.
Children and young people of black, Asian and other minority ethnicities are least likely to be active. Perhaps because racism in sport is alive and kicking?
In addition, access to sport and physical activity is a social justice issue that depends on location and financial circumstances. For a child from an economically disadvantaged background, who lives in a high-rise flat with little green space around, the costs and practicalities of participating in sport are prohibitive. For example, a weekend tennis court costs anywhere between £10 and £27, without travel or equipment.
So, while we can burn all the “No ball games” signs in the country, the real barrier to combating low activity levels in children is social inequality. What really needs to happen to get our children moving?
1. What does the underlined word “confiscate” in Paragraph 1 mean in the context?| A．Collect something as a hobby | B．Take something away as a punishment |
| C．Destroy something due to being annoyed | D．Remove and make something disappear |
| A．Because children prefer indoor activities. |
| B．Because boys are more active than girls. |
| C．Because access to physical activity is influenced by social inequality. |
| D．Because of the lack of interest in sports among children. |
| A．Removing the signs will directly address the issue of low activity levels. |
| B．Social inequality is the primary barrier to increasing children’s activity levels. |
| C．Boys are more likely to play sports than girls due to cultural biases. |
| D．Racism in sports is a significant factor in preventing children from being active. |
| A．The author reminisces about their childhood and the changes in outdoor play. |
| B．The ineffectiveness of “No ball games” signs in encouraging physical activity among children. |
| C．The impact of social inequality on children’s access to physical activity. |
| D．The author’s support for removing “No ball games” signs but recognition of deeper issues. |
10 . A new study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family claims that all that time you spend parenting just doesn’t matter. But it’s a claim that, despite the enthusiastic and widespread coverage by the media, does not hold water.
The research suggests that child outcomes (including behavior problems, emotional problems, and academic performance) are barely connected with the time that parents spend with their children. The researchers examined the time diaries of 1,600 children, looking at parenting time and outcomes when the kids were aged 3 to 11 in 1997, and again in 2002, when they were between 8 and 16. (A time diary is a detailed report of all activities you carry out in a day. )
This research largely reflects the failure of the authors to correctly measure parental input. It just looked at time diaries from two particular days-one a weekday and the other a weekend day.
Trying to get a sense of the time you spend parenting from a single day’s diary is a bit like trying to measure your income from a single day. If yesterday was payday, you looked rich, but if it’s not, you would be reported as poor. You get a clearer picture only by looking at your income — or your parenting time—over a more meaningful period.
What you did yesterday should not be taken as representative of what you did last year, This is why most high-quality studies of parenting time focus instead on how often parents read to their children, play with them or help their with homework over a period of a month or longer — long enough to represent their different approaches to parenting.
As an exhausted parent who doesn’t get enough time to work out, and who hasn’t seen a movie for months, I understand why so many of us might seize on studies suggesting that we should take more time for ourselves. Perhaps we should. But I agree with Ariel Kalil, a developmental psychologist, on the suggestion “that when parents spend high-quality time with their children, their children are more likely to succeed.”
1. By saying in Paragraph 1 “ ... it’s a claim that ... does not bold water”, the author means the claim is not ________.| A．reasonable | B．surprising | C．confusing | D．usual |
| A．children’s habits and parents’ influence | B．parenting time and child outcomes |
| C．time diaries and child development | D．daily activities and children’s problems |
| A．By giving descriptions. | B．By analyzing the cause. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By offering research findings. |
| A．be completed in one month. | B．adopt some different approaches. |
| C．concentrate mainly on learning time. | D．be based on data of a longer time period. |
| A．He goes to bed early every night. | B．He has little interest in movies. |
| C．He has little time for himself. | D．He leads a very easy life. |
