1 . Many economists predict 2024 will be the time shoppers tighten their belts. That doesn’t mean people will stop spending, say retail (零售) analysts. But it will change what they choose to buy. With a slowing job market, global consumers are likely to move away from more high-priced purchases and focus instead on smaller, less expensive treats.
The economic uncertainty means that consumers are becoming more discriminating about their purchases, says Ethan Chermofsky, senior vice president of marketing at intelligence platform Placer. ai. “There are the things we decide are necessary, and then there’s another category of things that aren’t necessary but that we consider affordable luxuries, he says. This desire for these “affordable luxuries” is common in difficult economic times. Some economists refer to the phenomenon as the “lipstick index”: a small economic increase led by budget-minded consumers seeking out relatively affordable splurges (挥霍), like small cosmetics (化妆品).
Analysts at Deloitte say consumers will spend on little luxuries like specialty coffees and snacks as well. Additionally, stressed-out shoppers are prioritizing small splurge purchases for wellness and personal care.
As retailers see shoppers turning to little luxuries, they’re offering more and more of them. Target, for example, has staked a flag in what they refer to as “affordable joy”, which includes a selection of self-care and cosmetic products, along with wellness-centric beauty products. Beyond diversifying their offerings, stores are also bringing in luxury-feeling products at lower price points to appeal to more consumers.
Ethan says not every shopper will shift their spending to little luxuries-but even those who are still longing for the “must-haves” of social media will also look to get a deal. They want the feeling of purchasing lower-priced affordable treats. To get these goods, shoppers are likely to tap into the re-sale market for designer items at a more reasonable price. They want things that make them feel good about themselves-they just want to do it without breaking the bank.
1. What can affordable luxuries be?A.Inexpensive daily necessities. | B.High-end products. |
C.Reasonably-priced designer items. | D.High-priced purchases. |
A.The strategies retailers use. | B.The joy businesses offer. |
C.The competition stores face. | D.The products consumers buy. |
A.Social-media deals. | B.World-famous brands. |
C.Second-hand bargains. | D.Budget-friendly pleasures. |
A.Lipstick Index: Where Does It Lead Us? | B.Must-have Treats: A Future Spending Trend |
C.Affordable Joy: Will We Fall Into The Trap? | D.Little Luxuries: A Driving Force Behind Consumption |
2 . You’ve probably followed a few cute dogs and cats on social media. However, are you aware that Ai-generated pets are also gaining popularity nowadays? They are just as adorable as real dogs and cats but also exhibit human-like characteristics.
Chai Dada, 21, runs an AI-generated dog account called “Shizhuangzhuangya” on Xiaohongshu and has already got more than 10,000 followers. Her AI-generated pet Zhuangzhuang is a fluffy Shiba Inu with a big belly who likes to eat and work out. “Zhuangzhuang is actually a reflection of me,” Chai said. “Its life and mood basically reflect my own.”
To personify the character more, the young content maker places Zhuangzhuang in various daily life scenarios. For instance, responding to the recent increase of “hui nan tian”— the super humid (潮湿的) weather in southern China in spring — Chai posted images of Zhuangzhuangmopping a wet floor, with the caption. “It’s wet everywhere at home”; vividly capturing the mood. In the comments section, many have expressed sympathy (同情), for the poor dog.
“Many scenes may seem ordinary, but when a very lifelike and adorable human-like pet appears in these familiar scenes, it looks interesting,” Chai said. Since Zhuangzhuang closely resembles a human in a dog’s body, many followers have come to believe in its real existence. This has provided Chai with opportunities to monetize by partnering with brands for product advertisements. Aiming to expand her reach, Chai expressed a desire to dive deeper into AI to bring her AI pet to life not just in pictures but also in videos.
She also observed that more and more people like her are becoming AI pet bloggers, which has intensified competition in this industry. To attract more fans, bloggers are constantly learning more AI skills and brainstorming to create more interesting storylines. “I want to develop Zhuangzhuang into an intellectual property and create related cultural and creative products such as dolls and stickers,” said Chai.
1. What do we know about the AI pet Zhuangzhuang?A.It is a digital recreation of Chai’s childhood pet. |
B.It has gained over one million followers online. |
C.It is a virtual representation of a real Shiba Inu. |
D.It mirrors the life and personality of its creator. |
A.To show the fun Zhuangzhuang brings Chai. |
B.To illustrate how Chai humanizes Zhuangzhuang. |
C.To describe Zhuangzhuang’s daily struggles. |
D.To suggest Zhuangzhuang’s growing fan base. |
A.Commercialize. | B.Promote. | C.Maximize. | D.Monitor. |
A.Perfect Zhuangzhuang’s features. | B.Cooperate with other AI pet creators. |
C.Create lifelike videos of Zhuangzhuang. | D.Write a book featuring Zhuangzhuang. |
3 . The standard public health threats are all-too familiar: smoking, high blood pressure, cancer. But a new government advisory made headlines in 2023 by adding an unexpected major to that list. Loneliness, stated the report from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, is a widely under recognized U.S. health crisis. In recent years, about 50 percent of Americans have experienced loneliness, which results in adverse effects. Lonely people, as Murthy’s report warns, run the same mortality (死亡) risk as people who smoke 15 cigarettes a day.
On its face, Murthy’s warning sounds awfully alarmist. It’s hard to understand how a lack of companionship could be as threatening as an addiction or global pandemic. But humans are so biologically wired to be social that isolation damages our systems. People who lack social support have a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 32 percent higher risk of stroke, and a 26 to 29 percent higher risk of premature death, according to the report. What’s more, such health effects in isolated older adults have led to about $6.7 billion in Medicare spending each year.
Scientists now know that loneliness can cause lots of health problems. That may be because our ancestors thrived (繁荣) in supportive communities. “Our brains function more efficiently when we are with others.” Says Julianne Holt Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University.
Since loneliness can feel so much like personal failure, it’s easy to assume people should just try to handle it on their own. But in reality, many of the factors that promote social isolation are structural ones. “It could be workplace policies that don’t allow flexibility to support personal relationships.” Holt Lunstad says. “It might be busy or unsafe streets that are barriers to getting to know your neighbors.”
1. What does the underlined word “adverse” in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Slight. | B.Negative. | C.Indirect. | D.Immediate. |
A.Loneliness is a great health threat to people. | B.Loneliness does more harm than a pandemic. |
C.Lonely people run the same risk as the smokers. | D.Loneliness is a well-recognized health problem. |
A.Social isolation can be solved on one’s own. |
B.Social anxiety holds back personal interactions. |
C.The absence of social support worsens loneliness. |
D.Tight working schedules lead to tense relationships. |
A.The causes of loneliness. | B.The effects of loneliness. |
C.The definition of loneliness. | D.The solutions to the loneliness. |
4 . An increase in a country’s working-age population is a blessing. Lots of workers support relatively few children and retired people. So long as the labor market can absorb an increasing number of job-seekers, output per head will rise. That can boost savings and investment, leading to higher economic growth, more productivity gains and developmental speed-up. Yet for countries that fail to seize this opportunity, the results can be tough.
Consider Thailand. It is rapidly aging. In 2021, the share of Thais aged 65 or over hit 14%, a figure that is often used to define an aged society Soon Thailand will, like Japan, South Korea and most Western countries, see a decreasing supply of workers and flagging productivity and growth without extraordinary measures. Yet unlike Japan and the rest. Thailand is not a developed country. It has got old before it has got rich.
This is a big barrier to Thailand’s future development. To protect its aging citizens, many of whom are poor, Thailand’s government will have to spend more on health care and pensions (养老金). This will make it harder to invest in productivity-boosting skills and infrastructure (基础设施). And where Thailand goes, many developing countries will follow.
One conclusion is that countries with a working-age burst need seeking more economic growth out of it. India may never have a better chance than the present. It is widely accepted that privatization and looser foreign-investment rules could raise its growth rate.
Another conclusion is that developing countries need to start planning for old age earlier. They should reform their pension systems, including by raising retirement ages. They should encourage financial markets, providing options for long-term saving and health insurance. And they should try harder to increase female participation in the labor force. Getting more women into jobs would help deal with the fact that women live longer than men, but tend to have less savings and pensions, leaving them in difficult situations in old age.
1. What does “opportunity” in the first paragraph refer to?A.Providing more jobs for working-age laborers. |
B.Reducing support for children and the elderly. |
C.Encouraging investment for economic growth. |
D.Increasing economic output and labor productivity. |
A.It causes a shortage of young workers. |
B.It forces the country to invest in infrastructure. |
C.It leads to less investment in economic development. |
D.It increases the burden on the working-age population. |
A.To extend women’s retirement ages. |
B.To encourage women to be included in health insurance. |
C.To equalize the number of men and women in the workplace. |
D.To settle the conflict between women’s long lifespan and small pension. |
A.Aging Problems in Developing Countries. |
B.Planning Ahead for Aging Societies. |
C.Challenges and Opportunities of Aging Societies. |
D.The Role of Female Labors in Addressing the Aging Issue. |
5 . It is now possible to generate fake but realistic content with little more than the click of a mouse. This can be fun: a TikTok account on which an artificial Tom Cruise wearing a purple robe sings Tiny Dancer of Paris Hilton holding a toy dog has attracted 5.1 million followers. However, this technology also causes challenges. Cheaters can copy loved ones’ voices with just ten seconds, and AI-generated celebrities advertise questionable products online. Fake videos of politicians are also spreading rapidly.
The fundamental problem is an old one. From the printing press to the internet, new technologies have often made it easier to spread untruths or pretend to be the trustworthy. While humans have traditionally relied on shortcuts to detect fakes, such as spelling mistakes or strangely rendered (渲染的) hands in AI-generated images, these signs are becoming less reliable as AI continues to improve. The arms race between generating and detecting fakes currently favors the former, and it seems that eventually, AI models will be able to produce perfect fakes.
This rapid advancement in AI technology raises serious concerns. For example, it could lead to a world where any photograph of a person can be used for blackmail (敲诈). Additionally, anyone could create a video of a political leader announcing a nuclear first strike, causing widespread panic.
Despite these awful possibilities, societies will adapt to the rise of fake content. People will learn to distrust images, audio, or video as proof of events, similar to how they view drawings. Instead, the focus will shift to identifying the source of content, with reliable sources becoming increasingly important.
It may sound strange, but this was true for most of history. While AI technology presents significant challenges, it is not the end of the marketplace of ideas. Over time, the fakes that rise will mostly be the funny ones.
1. What is the main concern over the ability of AI to generate realistic fake content?A.It makes people pretend to be someone else. |
B.It enables cheaters to promote fake products online. |
C.It causes arms race between generating and detecting fakes. |
D.It makes it difficult to distinguish the real content from the fake. |
A.Its source. | B.Its visual quality. | C.Its popularity. | D.Its emotional impact. |
A.Funny fakes will be the only one that rise in the future. |
B.The rise of fakes content will not destroy the exchange of ideas. |
C.People will find it necessary to distinguish AI-made content from reality. |
D.People will no longer trust any form of media owing to the flood of fakes. |
A.Fun and Fear of Videos: AI is Changing Our World |
B.AI-Generated Fakes: A Challenge to Truth and Trust |
C.From Laughs to Lies: The Impact of AI-Created Videos |
D.Dawn for Digital Art: Welcoming the Era of AI-Made Content |
6 . It’s commonly acknowledged that our lives are ruled by algorithms (算法), but have we really collectively understood how they have transformed our culture and personality?
In Filterworld: How algorithms flattened culture, Kyle Chayka argues convincingly that the rise of algorithm-driven feeds, used everywhere online from Instagram to Spotify, has led to a more uniform culture. Our tastes and desires increasingly don’t belong to us, but to algorithms that are designed to keep people engaged at all costs. If the collection of our tastes truly shapes our entire personality, then this loss is more psychologically damaging than it first appears. Aimlessly scrolling (滚屏) through Netflix or TikTok may seem harmless, but over days, months or years, we lose touch with what we like and enjoy.
Taste-making algorithms are inescapable. Chayka shows this by working through all corners of life: what we wear(TikTok), where we eat(Google Maps), music we listen to(Spotify), even who we date or marry(Tinder). This universe of algorithm-driven decisions has society-wide implications: “It extends to influence our physical spaces, our cities, and the routes we move through…flattening them in turn.” No one gets out of the Filterworld untouched.
If you’re lucky enough not to need any sort of algorithm-based system for your work, then you have the option to step back from algorithms for a while. But if your friend suggests a film recommended on X/Twitter or you feel the need to buy those shoes suddenly everyone has started wearing after social media advertisements, what are you to do? It all feels fruitless.
This Filterworld may be inescapable, but there is hope. You can start by engaging more with the media you do choose to consume. This could mean reading up about a film you watched or paying artists you like directly. Even the thoughtful act of recommending an album (专辑) to a friend is more rewarding than a random TikTok feed. As Chayka says, resistance to algorithms “requires an act of willpower, a choice to move through the world in a different way.”
1. What is Kyle Chayka’s opinion on algorithms?A.They improve our tastes. | B.They make our culture more alike. |
C.They help to identify our personality. | D.They contribute to psychological problems. |
A.The society with advanced technology. | B.The world without social media platforms. |
C.The network of algorithm-driven decisions. | D.The community free from algorithmic influence. |
A.Limiting the use of social media platforms. | B.Making choices based on friends’ suggestions. |
C.Getting more involved with the selected media. | D.Disconnecting from social media advertisements. |
A.Algorithms: Cultural Takeover | B.The Secret of Algorithms |
C.Social Media: Cultural Messenger | D.The Rise of Digital Platforms |
7 . In recent years, aggression on social media have become commonplace. More than half of the victims said they didn’t know the identity of the perpetrator (作恶者). Most people agreed that the anonymity (匿名) of the Internet provides cover for nasty and harassing (骚扰) behavior.
Does this growing aggression on social media give us a glimpse of our real human nature? Are we-at our core-aggressive beasts? It’s true that hate crimes are on the rise, and political divisions app ear to be growing. The level of public bitterness-especially online-is substantial. But I don’t believe that’s because social media has unlocked our cruel human nature.
As an evolutionary anthropologist, I have spent years researching our transformation as a species. Over the past two million years, we have evolved from groups of apelike beings armed with sticks and stones to the creators of cars, rockets, and nations. Our bigger brains have allowed us to bond and cooperate in more complex and diverse ways than any other animal. Meanwhile, “you are whom you meet.” How we perceive, experience, and act in the world is shaped by who and what surround us on a daily basis. This process has deep evolutionary roots and gives humans what we call a shared reality.
I would argue that the rise in online aggression is a product of our evolutionary social skills, the social media boom, and the specific political, economic and social context where we find ourselves. This explosive combination has opened up a space for increasingly more people to fan the flames of aggression and insult online. Aggressive behavior-especially to those you don’t have to confront face-to-face-is easier than it’s ever been. And for the aggressor, there are often no consequences.
Yes, it seems that the world is getting more aggressive, but that’s not because we are more aggressive at our core. It’s because we haven’t been standing up against bullying, abuse, and aggressive harassment, and promoting pro-social attitudes and actions our contemporary world demands. In person and on social media, we must do both.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph two refer to?A.Hate crimes on the rise. | B.Growing political divisions. |
C.Considerable online bitterness. | D.The transformation of humans. |
A.Critical. | B.Objective. | C.Approving. | D.Ironic. |
A.Embracing our aggressive nature to compete in today’s world. |
B.Strengthening laws to hold perpetrators responsible for their online actions. |
C.Promoting positive behaviors and interactions in both real-life and digital spaces. |
D.Focusing only on reducing anonymity on the internet to reduce offensive behavior. |
A.The impact of social media on society. |
B.The influence of evolution on our behavior. |
C.The reasons behind rising online aggression. |
D.The factors in the social media development. |
8 . Every order of takeout comes with a side of single-use plastics and each plastic fork. knife, spoon and straw-whether or not you wanted it or used it-ends up in the trash.
New research found that 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste was generated in 2021-six million metric tons more single-use plastics compared to 2019. A hunger for takeout meals during the pandemic contributed to the surge.
An estimated 60% of Americans order takeout or delivery at least once a week and online ordering is growing 300% faster than in-house dining; that means millions of single-use plastic utensils (餐具) are going out with every order.
New laws aim to address the problem. Some of the recent bills are thanks to The National Reuse Network, part of the environmental nonprofit Upstream, which launched a national Skip the Stuff campaign to work out policies that require restaurants to include single-use plastic utensils, straws, and napkins only when customers request them.
The bills also require meal delivery and online apps like Uber Eats, GrubHub and Door Dash to add single-use extras to their menus; customers can choose the items and quantities to have them included in the order. Customers that don’t order the single-use plastics won’t receive them. The goal of the bills is to reduce the 40 billion plastic utensils sent to the landfill (垃圾填埋场) every year.
“Most of the time, people are taking food home or to their offices where there are reusable utensils so these utensils wind up in a drawer or get thrown out,” says Alexis Goldsmith, national organizing director for a nationwide project Beyond Plastics. “Some people do need utensils, but for the most part, they’re not needed.”
To date, Skip the Stuff bills have been passed in several cities, including Denver, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, California and Washington state passed statewide bills that make single-use plastic “accessories” available with takeout orders only upon request.
Organizations like Upstream, Beyond plastics and NRDC have created toolkits to help additional communities launch their own Skip the Stuff campaigns.
1. What does the underlined word “surge” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Great desire. | B.Sharp decline. | C.Rapid increase. | D.Obvious panic. |
A.Choosing green products. | B.Adding single-use napkins. |
C.Recycling and reusing utensils. | D.Providing utensils only on request. |
A.To reduce plastic waste. | B.To stop bad eating habits. |
C.To encourage people to eat out. | D.To better the dining environment. |
A.Unimportant. | B.Damaging. | C.Much-needed. | D.Well-known. |
9 . Unlike Special Forces tourism, where the aim is to hit as many famous spots as possible in the
In some cases, Citywalk is much like a food tour, with walkers carefully planning out
On Gen Z trend bible Xiaohongshu, hashtags “Citywalk” and “Day off Citywalk” have 14.2 million and 411.5 million views
While Citywalk can work as an
A.largest | B.hugest | C.shortest | D.quickest |
A.figuring | B.measuring | C.admiring | D.sensing |
A.offline | B.local | C.internet | D.nearby |
A.instead | B.however | C.meanwhile | D.furthermore |
A.paths | B.routes | C.ways | D.directions |
A.trend | B.taste | C.flow | D.trick |
A.on | B.at | C.by | D.via |
A.installed | B.launched | C.set | D.downloaded |
A.easily | B.possibly | C.luckily | D.randomly |
A.totally | B.particularly | C.visually | D.respectively |
A.read | B.named | C.said | D.noticed |
A.searching | B.leaving | C.longing | D.allowing |
A.inspiration | B.expression | C.anticipation | D.approach |
A.are keen to | B.are approved to | C.are bound to | D.are determined to |
A.discovers | B.observes | C.sees | D.views |
10 . Moutai, China’s largest baijiu maker, and domestic coffee brand Luckin Coffee on Monday launched in China a latte advertised as containing the fiery Chinese spirit baijiu, as the Chinese luxury liquor maker aims to pull in younger consumers. And the truth is, once released, the drink quickly sold out.
The latte, decorated with the iconic Moutai logo, contains less than 0.5 percent (alcohol by volume) of 53 degree Moutai, and soon became one of the most discussed topics on Chinese social media with people curious about how traditional Chinese liquor would taste with coffee.
In Beijing, the Moutai-flavored latte sold out in some Luckin Coffee locations before midday. And many had to shut down their online ordering system as orders surged. “It seems that people prefer iced latte, so we quickly used up the ice in the branch. The number of orders is scary, ” said a barista (咖啡师) surnamed Zhang. She said she had no choice but to temporarily stop the online ordering system at around 1:30 pm because there were more than 200 orders still to be completed and almost all of them were for the Moutai-flavored latte.
People have been sharing their reactions after trying the latte on social media, with most agreeing that the aroma of the baijiu is very strong. Some people said they even felt dizzy after drinking the coffee due to its alcohol content.
Some also wondered whether they would be allowed to drive after drinking the latte. In response, Luckin Coffee stated that underage people, pregnant women, drivers and those who are allergic to alcohol are advised not to order the drink. On Monday, an officer from the Beijing Traffic Administration Bureau also asked people not to drive, no matter how much alcohol is actually in the latte.
1. What is the netizens reaction to the combination of liquor and coffee?A.They are indifferent to the new latte. | B.They strongly support its update. |
C.They have a strong desire to taste. | D.They think it is too tradition to try. |
A.Declined suddenly. | B.Moved quickly. |
C.Emerged orderly. | D.Increased greatly. |
A.Students who are in primary school. | B.Elders who are healthy enough. |
C.Women who have given birth for years. | D.Passengers who are taking a bus. |
A.To advertise. | B.To introduce. | C.To persuade. | D.To entertain. |