1 . The number of states requiring high schoolers to learn about personal money matters continued to increase in 2021, and another —Florida—is ready to join the group shortly. In Florida, the Legislature has passed a law requiring students to take a full term course in personal finance (金融) before graduating.
Financial concerns grew during the pandemic, and rising inflation (通货膨胀) is tightening household budgets. Those factors, combined with worries about burdensome student debt levels, have created a stronger reason for making personal money skills a must for high schoolers.
“The need has never been greater,” said Annamaria Lusardi, the founder and academic director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center at George Washington University. “We owe it to this young generation to be well prepared for the future.”
Financial literacy (金融素养) — a working grasp of concepts like saving, credit, interest rates, investing and risk assessment — is generally low among American adults, especially younger adults. Two-thirds of Generation Z adults, for example, couldn’t correctly answer more than half the financial questions in the center’s survey, which compared financial literacy across five generations.
“The pandemic has shown a great need for the average Americans to have these skills,” said Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance.
State-level surveys conducted for Next Gen have found strong support for high school personal finance requirements, Mr. Ranzetta said, and dozens of proposals are awaiting action in state legislatures. It’s uncertain how many will become laws, but a requirement in a large state like Florida, he said, may help promote other states’ efforts.
While the progress among states is encouraging, there is more to do. Currently, just nine of the 23 states require personal finance to be taken as a stand-alone course. Others permit the subject to be combined with other classes, like math or social studies, or provide other ways for students to quit the course.
1. Which is NOT the reason for requiring students to take a course in personal finance?| A．The impact of the pandemic. | B．The tight household budgets. |
| C．An increase in financial cases. | D．Concerns about student debt levels. |
| A．Dozens of proposals are sure to become laws. |
| B．Florida’s new law may encourage other states’ efforts. |
| C．Personal finance is not necessary for the average Americans. |
| D．The young generation have been well prepared in personal finance. |
| A．Positive. | B．Objective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．A New Course in Personal Finance |
| B．A Great Need for Financial Literacy |
| C．High Schoolers’ Growing Financial Concerns |
| D．High Schools’ Requirements for Personal Finance |
2 . Are you one of those people who like spending time alone? If so, you probably already know that there are some people who will scold you for it. They think you are alone because you are anxious around other people and just don’t have very positive relationships with humans.
This is a common phenomenon of being alone for too long. Recently, scholars have increasingly recognized the value of spending time alone.
As important as that distinction is, some scholars believe it is not enough. Even people who choose to be alone, they point out, can do so for different reasons.
For young people, spending time al one for positive reasons is associated with a number of healthy psychological experiences. Those who are alone for negative reasons are worrying. However, wanting to be alone for positive reasons and wanting to be alone for negative reasons are not completely separate.
| A．They have even documented it. |
| B．They are forced to spend much time alone. |
| C．There is a small relevance between the two. |
| D．They assume you are lonely and depressed. |
| E．The two have nothing to do with each other. |
| F．Some reasons for being alone are likely to cause trouble. |
| G．How do you decide whether being alone is good or bad? |
1. What is the woman going to do this Saturday?
| A．Go on a business trip. | B．Attend a party. | C．Work overtime |
| A．Her neighbors. | B．The kids’ teacher. | C．The kids’ grandparents. |
| A．They are common. | B．They have no certificate. | C．They’re more for full-time care. |
4 . That artificial food dyes (染料) are unhealthy is not news. Some are known to cause hyperactivity (多动症) in some children, affecting their ability to learn. But regulatory agencies (监管机构) around the world don’t necessarily agree on which food dyes are a problem, or why. That may soon change. A 2021 peer-reviewed report by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that artificial food dyes “cause or worsen neurobehavioral (神经行为的) problems in some children” and that the current levels that are regarded safe for consumption by the federal government are too high.
California is now considering requiring warning labels on food products and dietary supplements containing the seven most commonly used artificial dyes. The warning label requirement would put California on par with the European Union, which since 2010 has required food products containing certain artificial food dyes to carry warning labels about their negative effect on activity and attention in children.
Artificial dyes are used in foods for one reason: to make products look prettier. Bright colors make candies appealing, especially to kids. But dyes are also in chocolate cake mixes, salad dressings and other products that don’t seem to cry out for a color boost.
In Europe, it was the 2010 label lawmaking that triggered (引发) companies’ decisions to reformulate. “If you’re a company, you do not want to put a warning label on your product.” says Lefferts, an environmental health consultant. Warning labels are why European Starburst Fruit Chews are now colored with natural products, not the artificial dyes that brighten their North American counterparts (同类商品).
Given that artificial food dyes are used far more than needed, we need to be more cautious. After all, we don’t dye fresh fruits and vegetables, but we do dye candy and sprinkles, points out Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor at McGill University in Montreal. “The foods in which you find food dyes are foods that are poor in nutrition,” he says. “If you limit foods that contain food dyes, you automatically make your diet better.”
1. What can we learn about artificial food dyes from paragraph 1?| A．A 2021 report confirmed their negative effects. |
| B．The fact that they are harmful is newly revealed. |
| C．Regulatory agencies consider them a serious problem. |
| D．The Federal government thinks their current standard too high. |
| A．In opposition to. | B．In line with. | C．Ahead of. | D．Behind. |
| A．Food companies will stop coloring their products. |
| B．More fresh fruits and vegetables will appear in the market. |
| C．Food companies may replace artificial dyes with natural products. |
| D．It will be hard to find packaged foods without warning labels of dyes. |
| A．Approving. | B．Neutral. | C．Tolerant. | D．Concerned. |
5 . 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. |
6 . 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. |
7 . Are you happy with your appearance?
“Almost all the girls with single-fold eyelids (单眼皮) in our class have had double eyelid operations,” Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer.
From popular photo-editing apps to plastic surgery (整形手术), it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves?
“Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty,” experts say.
However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our “imperfect” looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.
| A．Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. |
| B．Body image anxiety is common among teenagers. |
| C．Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image. |
| D．Some teenagers might feel negative about their appearance. |
| E．It’s common for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance. |
| F．She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful. |
| G．Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising, TV shows and social media. |
2. 提出护眼建议；
3. 发出倡议。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Take Care of our Eyes and Avoid Myopia
Dear fellow students,We are living in an era of rapid technological development, where electronic products have become an indispensable part of our daily lives.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Students’ Union
9 . It’s no secret that reading good news feels a lot better than reading bad news. Like, would you rather bite into a lemon, or sip on a fresh glass of lemonade?
In fact, good news, known as solutions journalism, is becoming more popular, as publishers and news stations discover the benefits of sharing positive stories. Good Good Good is one of them.
“If it bleeds, it leads.” has long been a saying used in the media to describe how news stories about violence, death and destruction draw readers’ attention.
| A．Share good news with people around you. |
| B．It’s just that we don’t hear as much about them. |
| C．But the “bad news” has its place in the world. |
| D．It provides a more balanced view of the world. |
| E．And so, negative news stories are everywhere on news media. |
| F．Heartwarming stories make you cry and feel good. |
| G．The news media company is devoted to providing good news intentionally. |
10 . People these days are posting about their lives on social media. But what if you’re a private and introverted person like me? What if you want to live in the moment instead of sharing every bit of your life? To be honest, it’s nobody’s business but your own.
Escaping stalkers (跟踪者).
I’ve been a public person as a jazz vocalist for years. It exposed me to stalkers who felt they knew me, just because I was present everywhere. Needless to say, it brought me much anxiety and stress. At some point I asked myself-is being visible more important than my peace of mind?
Protecting privacy
Another reason I keep my life private is that I prefer to be in the present moment and appreciate it fully. To be on your phone constantly, or to film everything you do, can be quite disrespectful to the people you spend your time with. You lose out on those spontaneous(自发的) moments and a deeper connection. I choose what I share and when I share it, and the rest is for experiencing life without expectations.
Live your life fully, regardless of whether the world knows it or not!
| A．Experiencing life |
| B．Living in the moment |
| C．Don’t I really care about privacy? |
| D．Are my followers more important than my friends and family? |
| E．If you feel like sharing your life openly without hesitation, go for it. |
| F．Here are my reasons for not sharing my personal life on social media. |
| G．It can be quite challenging to go through tough moments with everyone watching. |
