1 . They say procrastination (拖延) is the thief of time, but actually deadlines are. New research has found that if you want someone to help you out with something, it is best not to set a deadline at all. But if you do set a deadline, make it short.
Professor Stephen Knowles tested the effect of deadline length on task completion for their research. Participants were invited to complete an online survey concerning a charity donation. They were given either one week, one month, or no deadline to respond. Professor Knowles says although the topic of the survey was about charity, the results are true of any situation where someone asks another person for help.
The study found responses to the survey were lowest for the one-month deadline and highest when no deadline was specified. No deadline and the one-week deadline led to many early responses, while a long deadline appeared to give people permission to procrastinate, and then forget. Professor Knowles wasn’t surprised to find that specifying a shorter deadline increased the chances of receiving a response compared to a longer deadline. However, he did find it interesting that they received the most responses when no deadline was specified.
“We interpret this as evidence that specifying a longer deadline, as opposed to a short deadline or no deadline at all, removes the urgency to act,” he says. “People therefore put off undertaking the task, and since they are inattentive or forget, postponing it results in lower response rates.”
He says of the research that it is possible that not specifying a deadline might still have led participants to assume that there is an unspoken deadline. Professor Knowles hopes his research can help reduce the amount of procrastinating people do. “Many people procrastinate. They have the best intentions of helping someone out, but just do not get around to doing it.”
1. Why did Professor Knowles do the research?| A．To find out whether people are interested in charity. |
| B．To study the role a deadline plays in procrastination. |
| C．To test the effect of procrastination on task completion. |
| D．To attract public attention to the effects of procrastination. |
| A．They oppose the deadline. | B．They are unwilling to act. |
| C．They lack a sense of urgency. | D．They are too busy to remember. |
| A．Procrastination—the Thief of Time |
| B．Procrastination—an Urgent Problem to Solve |
| C．Deadline—a Result of Procrastination |
| D．Deadline—the Key to Managing Procrastination |
2 . In France, a lot of energy goes into one’s personal appearance. Clothing is a big part of Parisian culture; after all, this is one of the world fashion capitals.
Parisians like simple, classic pieces that are timeless. Must-have pieces such as a good pair of jeans, a trench coat, and basic knitwear are always good to have on hand. Parisians don’t really like clothing to be colorful or ostentatious, especially not something to be worn for an ordinary day out. Black, white and different shades of beige are common sightings around Paris’ streets.
Classic goes for shoes, too. A quality pair of leather boots, loafers (休闲鞋) or heels can be paired with anything, provided they are in a shade of black or brown. Comfort is key, since most Parisians do a lot of walking. However, you’ll rarely notice Parisians wearing open-toed shoes. Younger generation Parisians are becoming part of sports shoes culture, though it is unlikely to see an elder Parisian wearing any form of them in public.
Speaking of berets (贝雷帽), a decent beret is an important item for most Parisians. It would be far too general to say that all Parisians are fond of the beret, but the vast majority can appreciate their place in fashion history. They also love having a way of covering their hair when unexpected wind or rain happens in the city of light!
Parisians are not about logos (商标). Contrary to Italians, Parisians prefer not to see any kind of printed logo on clothing, handbags or shoes, unless it is extremely small and subtle. Hoodies with an oversized logo printed down the front is a no-no. Something to keep in mind is that just because Parisians are not into logos, this does not mean they are not into name brands (名牌). On the contrary, the French love luxury fashion and name branded clothing. Parisians know their brands, and they don’t need logos to tell them when something is of a particular fashion house, or when something is real or fake.
1. What does the underlined word “ostentatious” mean in the second paragraph?| A．Simple in design. | B．Of an old style. |
| C．Enhancing creativity. | D．Attracting attention. |
| A．White boots. | B．Black loafers. |
| C．Open-toed shoes. | D．Comfortable sports shoes. |
| A．Most of them like to have one. |
| B．They think it too old-fashioned. |
| C．They think it goes well with long hair. |
| D．Most of them wear it for an ordinary day out. |
| A．Parisians don’t like name brands. |
| B．Parisians aren’t into oversized logos. |
| C．Parisians don’t care about what is in fashion. |
| D．Parisians prefer not to see any logo on clothing. |
3 . The weather has been getting warmer in April but for most cinemas a cold wind is still blowing, partly due to the pandemic but also because of the growing popularity of online video platforms.
For many moviegoers in China, it’s not surprising to see cinemas closing as there have been signs for some time of difficulties in the industry.
In March, the movie box office in China was only 913 million yuan ( $143 million ), a decrease of 63.5 percent compared to the year before. At the same time, due to the lack of supply of new movies, the operating rate of cinemas continued to decline, and more than half of the theaters nationwide were closed for a short time.
As well as the epidemic, the rise of online video platforms in the past three years has also put pressure on cinemas. The quality of the product and the fact that new movies are directly available online has seen society gradually adapting to the streaming media model.
iQIYI has released a total of 33 movies since 2021.Other video platforms are also pushing for more movie rights for the audience. For 26-year-old Zixian, she hasn’t gone to the cinema for over three years since COVID-19 began at the end of 2019. For her, the expensive movie tickets and low expectations for new movies have kept her away from the cinema.
However, many industry insiders and moviegoers still believe that cinemas are a symbol within society and that their fortunes will revive as long as there are enough viewers and fans of cinema. Meanwhile, business insiders also believe there is still hope for the future of cinemas.
Xiao Fuqiu, a film critic based in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Monday that “ compared with media giants like Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video, I don’t think the Chinese online streaming platforms have caused a threat to the survival and development of cinemas. Instead, I think the two platforms are complementary (互补的) to each other. ”
1. Which of the following is NOT the reason for the decrease of the movie box office?| A．The growing popularity of online video platforms. |
| B．Shortage of new movies. |
| C．Lack of attractive actors or actress. |
| D．The pandemic COVID-19. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Indifferent. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Life style. | B．Fashion. | C．Film review. | D．Culture. |
4 . Sara Kays, a 22-year-old girl, is a rising star on online video — sharing platforms. She not only uses TikTok to promote her music but also posts songs to get feedback from her followers.
“It’s been cool to engage with people that way” said Kays, who has been using online platforms to pursue her music dream to maximum effect. Now, she is a TikTok celebrity with about 1.3 million followers. She released her breakup song Remember That Night? in November 2020. The post blew up, getting almost three million views in a matter of days.
Kays has loved singing since she was young. At 11, she got a guitar from her mother and then started to sing while playing. Gradually, people started asking her to play at restaurants and she also started to post some live videos on YouTube, gaining her more and more followers. At 17, Kays turned to songwriting to help her deal with the confusion of adolescence and serve as an outlet for her thoughts and feelings.
“I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to release songs and that all these people are listening to them online,” said Kays. “It’s been amazing.”
Different from other content creators who update their content frequently, Kays updates on a weekly basis and only posts videos about her songs and related stories, such as singing, playing the guitar or ukulele, shooting music videos. Her videos are always concise and simple, the recording process is pretty simple too: she edit the vocals and video in her room.
Now, Kays has signed with a music company. In Kays’ eyes, people like her songs and videos because she exemplifies the ideal package for a TikToker: Relatable, authentic and youthful. “I just sing and share my feelings about divorced parents, body image, loneliness and mental health,” said Kays. “I want more people to know they’re not alone with the struggles in their lives.”
1. For what purpose does Kays use TikTok?| A．relaxing herself. | B．learning the fashion. |
| C．chatting with people. | D．chasing her dream. |
| A．Was almost ignored. | B．Received a lot of criticism. |
| C．Suddenly became popular. | D．Confused people. |
| A．She hoped to make money by writing songs. |
| B．She wanted to find an outlet for her feelings. |
| C．Her followers asked her to write songs for them. |
| D．She wanted to help teenagers with their difficulties. |
| A．She updates her songs frequently on video platforms. |
| B．Her music videos are simple and concise. |
| C．She posts the recording process for her songs. |
| D．Her songs express feelings felt by many young people. |
| A．Songs from the heart | B．Ways to use TikTok well |
| C．The popularity of TikTok | D．A lucky girl |
5 . Telling lies is usually seen as a misbehavior.
Sometimes, telling a lie serves certain purposes. A lie may end up encouraging you if you have been struggling for a long period of time to achieve something,
On some occasions, we have to tell white lies to protect our beloved ones from being struck by discouraging news.
Still and all, long-term relationship between people is based on honesty and trust.
| A．Therefore, telling lies can sometimes be beneficial |
| B．If you are an honest man and you deserve others’ trust |
| C．However, reality does not always encourage truth-telling |
| D．Although telling lies can be considered proper in certain situations |
| E．especially when you don’t see much progress of a task despite a great deal of effort |
| F．even when you have made much progress because you have put all your efforts into it |
| G．For example, imagine one of your family is dying and there’s no way to prolong his life |
6 . There is something to be said for being a generalist, even if you are a specialist. Knowing a little about a lot of things that interest you can add to the richness of a whole, well-lived life.
Society pushes us to specialize, to become experts. This requires commitment to a particular occupation, branch of study or research. The drawback to being specialists is we often come to know more and more about less and less. There is a great deal of pressure to master one’s field. You may pursue training, degrees, or increasing levels of responsibility at work. Then you discover the pressure of having to keep up.
Some people seem willing to work around the clock in their narrow specialty. But such commitment can also weaken a sense of freedom. These specialists could work at the office until ten each night, then look back and realize they would have loved to have gone home and enjoyed the sweetness of their family and friends, or traveled to exciting places, meeting interesting people. Mastering one thing to the exclusion of others can hold back your true spirit.
Generalists on the other hand, know a lot about a wide range of subjects and view the whole with all its connections. They are people of ability, talent, and enthusiasm who can bring their broad perspective into specific fields of expertise. The doctor who is also a poet and philosopher is a superior doctor, one who can give so much more to his patients than just good medical skills.
Things are connected. Let your expertise in one field fuel your passions in all related areas. Some of your interests may not appear to be connected but, once you explore their depths, you discover that they are. My editor Toni, who is also a writer, has edited several history books. She has decided to study Chinese history. Fascinated by the structural beauty of the Forbidden City as a painter, she is equally interested to learn more about Chinese philosophy. “I don’t know where it will lead, but I’m excited I’m on this pursuit.”
These expansions into new worlds help us by giving us new perspectives. We begin to see the interconnectedness of one thing to another in all aspects of our life, of ourselves and the universe. Develop broad, general knowledge and experience. The universe is all yours to explore and enjoy.
1. To become a specialist, one may have to ______ .| A．narrow his range of knowledge | B．avoid responsibilities at work |
| C．know more about the society | D．broaden his perspective on life |
| A．treasure their freedom | B．travel around the world |
| C．spend most time working | D．enjoy meeting funny people |
| A．is fully aware of his talent and ability | B．is a pure specialist in medicine |
| C．should love poetry and philosophy | D．brings knowledge of other fields to work |
| A．Passion alone does not ensure a person’s success. |
| B．In-depth exploration makes discoveries possible. |
| C．Everyone has a chance to succeed in their pursuit. |
| D．Seemingly unrelated interests are in a way connected. |
7 . E-scooters are an increasingly common site on Britain’s roads and pavements. With an electric motor attached, they have become the go-to vehicle of unruly teenagers everywhere.
But here are two things that might surprise you: First, Even though they’re quite clearly being used by thousands of people, because of the way the law is written, e-scooters cannot use the pavements and cycle lanes, because they have a motor. But they can’t use the roads as motor vehicles either, because they are not properly licensed or taxed. And the second thing: I think they are brilliant. Because energy density and efficiency has improved, it has made it possible to strap a battery onto a scooter, and actually have it carry you far enough to be useful.
I’m enthusiastic about scooters because I think they’re like a Swiss Army Knife, and can help solve multiple problems in society. They’re much greener than cars, which is great for the environment. They’re much smaller too, so take up less space on the road. They could even help ease Britain’s ongoing housing crisis. Because e-scooters could expand the distance in which it is reasonable to commute, making more housing accessible to the people who need it. And from a less high-minded perspective, it’s impossible to deny that they’re huge fun to ride.
In 2020, the government authorized local authorities to permit trials of rental scooter schemes around the country. The scooters are operated by a range of providers, and can be picked up off the street by scanning a QR-code with an app. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Scooter users are already annoying — so wouldn’t legalizing them make them even worse? I’m not convinced. If e-scooters were legalized, they could be properly licensed and regulated. I also think if privately owned scooters were allowed, it would also incentivize good behavior, as scooter owners rather than renters would be more likely to, for example, own a helmet and take good care of their own equipment.
There is some good news for the sceptics though. At the end of last year, the government scooted the question of legalization into the long grass, announcing that instead of making a decision, the regional trials would be extended until November. So, my dream of an e-scooter utopia might have to wait for a bit longer.
1. Which of the following may be out of our expectation?| A．E-scooters are common on Britain’s roads. | B．E-scooters cannot be used everywhere legally. |
| C．The practical value of e-scooters is limited. | D．People prefer riding an e-scooter to using a car. |
| A．More houses are acceptable to more people. | B．E-scooters are great for the housing environment. |
| C．E-scooters take up less space in houses. | D．It’s huge fun to ride an e-scooter in the house. |
| A．Encourage. | B．Maintain. | C．Restrict. | D．Praise. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Cautious. | C．Opposed. | D．Indifferent. |
8 . David Frank started working for tips when he was 11 years old, delighting restaurant diners in New York with his magic tricks. As a teenager he would make an average of $60-70 in an evening—not bad, but he wanted more. So he started reading research on tipping, and found a study showing that servers who left a sweet at the end of the meal could up their pay. He tried handing customers a playing card at the end of his act, which he hoped would persuade them to part with more cash. It worked.
Mr. Frank's findings confirmed the notion of the tip as a sort of reward for outstanding service. For a start, economists are puzzled by the fact that so many people give tips, voluntarily handing out cash for a routine service, when it is assumed that customers generally want to pay as little as possible for what they buy. But fuzzier factors also seem to matter, like the feelings of gratitude that Mr. Frank inspired. A Survey in 2010 by Ofer Azar of Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found that 85% of American tippers claimed to be following a social pattern, while 60% said they tipped to avoid guilt.
During the pandemic these fuzzy factors appear to have strengthened. Mr. Lynn observed that people have been tipping more generously even while ordering take-away food.
The presence of a pandemic or of a magician performing at one's table are just two of many factors that may affect the size of a tip. A tipper may simply be touched by the server. If a waiter squats down beside you at the table as he or she takes your order, that often brings a higher tip. Good weather may encourage generosity too. Race can be an uglier factor. A study of tips for cab drivers found that black drivers were tipped on average at a rate of 13%, while white drivers got 20%.
1. Why did David Frank hand customers a card?| A．To delight the customers. | B．To provide the best service. |
| C．To satisfy their needs. | D．To increase his income. |
| A．Customers want to pay as few tips as possible. |
| B．Most tippers in America tip because others tip. |
| C．Tipping is the best way to show gratitude. |
| D．Tipping is usually included in the bill. |
| A．To indicate take- away food is more popular during pandemic. |
| B．To persuade readers to order take-away food in pandemic. |
| C．To emphasize that people tend to give more tips in pandemic. |
| D．To explain there's no need to tip in terms of take-away food. |
| A．The pandemic makes tips unaffordable. |
| B．The customers' mood influences their tipping. |
| C．Tipping has nothing to do with weather. |
| D．There are more white drivers than black ones. |
9 . Are you a moviegoer? If, like me, you’re a fan of film, then there’s no better place to watch something than on the big screen at the cinema. You enter the dark theatre and take your seat, ready to be entertained. But while you are absorbed in some movie magic, many others are now getting their film fix at home.
Over the last few years, cinemas have seen a comeback. Customers have been attracted by comfortable seats, and lots of choice of things to watch. Multiplexes in particular can screen up to twenty films at the same time, suiting all different tastes. In addition, 3D and even 4D movies can give the audience an extra immersive experience. So, what’s not to like about a trip to the cinema?
One answer to that question is convenience. Rather than going out, it’s so much easier to stay in and watch movies on a TV screen via an online streaming service. There’s plenty of choice, and it’s relatively cheap as well. But, personally, I find there’re too many distractions, and watching at home is not such an event. I miss the cinema!
The coronavirus pandemic has put the future of cinemas under the spotlight. Some have had to close because of reduced ticket sales. In the UK, it’s brought about a surge in TV watching and online streaming. It’s reported that half of UK adults will keep and continue using their new streaming subscriptions.
This isn’t great news for cinemas. They rely on the release of a big blockbuster to bring the crowds back, but the launch of new films, such as James Bond: No Time To Die, are being delayed. Disney has released its $200m blockbuster, Mulan, online instead of in movie theatres. John Fithian, from the National Association of Theatre Owners, told Variety magazine: “This idea of waiting out the pandemic to make your movies more profitable doesn’t make sense to me. There won’t be as much of an industry left to play your movies in if you do that.”
1. What’s mainly talked about in paragraph 2?| A．Why people don’t like to go to the cinema. |
| B．What has helped cinemas make a comeback. |
| C．How cinemas have developed in the last few years. |
| D．Whether cinemas can remain popular in the future. |
| A．It can hardly suit all different tastes. | B．It’s time-consuming due to distractions. |
| C．It offers a variety of films free of charge. | D．It’s not as enjoyable an experience as going to cinemas. |
| A．Sudden increase. | B．Short-term benefit. |
| C．potential influence. | D．Fierce competition. |
| A．The release of blockbusters cannot bring the crowds back. |
| B．The pandemic hasn’t had a great effect on the film industry. |
| C．Delaying the release of blockbusters can bring in more profits. |
| D．Releasing films online is an alternative during the pandemic. |
10 . Kori Doty does not identify “herself” as either male or female and uses the pronoun “they”. Doty gave birth to Searyl Atli at a friend’s home. “I’m raising Searyl in such a way that until they have the sense of self and command of vocabulary to tell me who they are. I’m recognising them as a baby and trying to give them all the love and support to be the most whole person that they can be outside of the restrictions that come with the boy box and the girl box.”
The baby has still not been granted a birth certificate.The province only issues a birth certificate that states a gender. Doty has taken one step further — apply for a judicial review. Doty claims a medical examination at birth cannot decide a child’s true gender. “Those assumptions were incorrect, and I ended up having to do a lot of adjustments since then.” The court case is expected to be heard later.
Human rights lawyer barbara findlay, who styles her name without capital letters, said that the genderless health card arrived in the mail and that it is “a big deal and a major step forward”. However, without a birth certificate, Searyl is listed as a non-citizen in the province’s system.
The lawyer argues that it violates the baby’s human right. “There used to be a reason to put sex on birth certificates. You used to need to know that because only men could vote, only men could own property, only men could sit in the Senate, and so on. Those days are long gone,” said Findlay. “...just as we used to have race on birth certificates, but we don’t any more. It’s time to take sex off birth certificates and treat it, like race, as a private matter.”
1. What will Doty do for her child Searyl Atli?| A．She will fight for the child’s health card. |
| B．She will help the child grow up healthily. |
| C．She will treat the child as a twin boy or girl. |
| D．She will raise the child until they can speak. |
| A．Facing a charge from court. | B．Enjoying no human rights. |
| C．Being given wrong a gender test. | D．Being offered no birth certificate. |
| A．The child would otherwise be listed as a foreigner. |
| B．The genderless health card has arrived in the mail. |
| C．Now there is no need for information of sex on birth certificate. |
| D．The child’s human rights will be damaged without a birth certificate. |
| A．No Sex Identity, No Birth Certificate? | B．Boy and girl, Lucky and Happy? |
| C．Male or Female, Counts or Doubts? | D．No Birth Certificate, No Citizenship? |
