2 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To tell about true friends.	B．To start a discussion.
C．To encourage online friendships.	D．To summarize(总结) the text.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in paragraph 3?

A．In any case.

B．In public.

C．In person.

D．In advance.

3. What is Katie’s attitude toward online communication?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Positive.

C．Worried.

D．Confused.

4. Which of the following is the Rosen’s view?

A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships.	B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life.
C．It’s wise to turn to friends online.	D．Social media help people stay closely connected.

3 . The most obvious dog fetish (迷恋) today is the longing for cuteness. Almost every day you can see adorable pictures of dogs and other animals that will make you smile and say, "How cute!"

It is a cultural phenomenon that the media scholar James Meese calls the "cute economy" which exists primarily on social media, is user-generated, and is heavily dominated by pictures of animals, especially pets. The goal is to generate a positive response, probably followed by a tap on the screen to "like" and "share". We can click through image after image of cute animals doing cute things, feeling a little boost of good cheer.

The marketing researchers have identified some of the most common categories of cuteness in online pet content: animals doing silly things; animals of extreme size; animals with unusual looks; and animals behaving in ways that seem human-like. Dogs and other animals in the "cute economy" are often further humanized by being dressed in clothing and accessorized (装饰) with hats, jewellery, nail polish and fur dyed a rainbow of colors. Users who post successfully and with some strategies can make money by doing so. Thus, certain dogs have become cuteness celebrities, with millions of devoted followers and paid content from advertisers.

Unfortunately, the price of the "cute economy" comes at a serious cost. The cutest and most popular breeds tend to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioral problems. Cuteness is often coupled with their discomfort. People are drawn to the cuteness of dogs with extremely foreshortened skulls and extremely short legs and awkwardly long bodies, such as the French bulldog and the corgi

Actually, there are well-established health issues. We should treat the "cute economy" with caution, like resisting the commodification (商品化) of appearance by opting out of social media channels promoting the "cute economy". We can also choose not to "like" or "share" images of dogs whose cuteness is linked with discomfort. Although we are biologically attracted to dogs that are super cute, we should be mindful in our "impulses".

1. What is the key to the "cute economy" according to the text?

A．Taking photos of different animals.

B．Cute animals' attractive appearance.

C．Pets' owners' liking adorable pictures.

D．Posting cute animals' pictures on social media.

2. Which kind of cuteness is most likely to be the online pet content?

A．A normal-sized dog is eating bones.

B．A white cat is quietly lying next to its owner.

C．A parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing.

D．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby.

3. What is the side effect of the "cute economy"?

A．It will change the animals' nature.

B．It may make the animals not so cute.

C．It will result in a decline in animal population.

D．It may cause health problems to the animals.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Attractive Pictures of Animals	B．Happiness From Pets
C．The "Cute Economy" and Its Price	D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness

4 . “One day I went to a Swedish friend’s and while we were playing in his room, his mom yelled that dinner was ready. And check this. He told me to WAIT in his room while they ate!” an Internet user shared on a media platform. Consequently, there was a lot of criticism (批评) of the Swedes. Many said they wouldn’t dream of being so mean in their culture. Would a host in Sweden really not invite a guest to join their meal if it’s dinnertime?

It does happen, says Richard Tell Strom, a food historian at Stockholm University. He says this so-called “non-hospitality” was customary when he was a kid in the ‘60s and ‘70s. If he was over a friend’s house and it was time for dinner, he would go back to his own house to eat. Or he would stay and wait in another room while his friend finished his meal. Then they’d continue playing.

“Some Swedes think feeding a guest creates a sense of duty.“ explains Telstra.” And in a society that values quality and independence, people don’t want to put a burden on someone or feel like they owe someone something.” However, it wasn’t a common rule. Families in the countryside, for example, were more likely to feed guests. People lived farther apart, so it wasn’t as easy for people to go home and eat. The “no dinner for you” policy has slowly faded, says Tell Strom. “Since the 1990s, food has become a new symbol in society. We have open kitchens. People like to dine there and show off their cooking.”

But non-sharing hosts haven’t completely disappeared, says Mohini Mchta, a food scholar. She admits she had a tough time adjusting to life in Sweden when she moved there in 2020. She was used to cooking dinner every day for friends and hosting dinner parties almost weekly in India. She learned that in some cultures, like her own, sharing a meal with someone is a way to break the ice-but this isn’t always the case for Swedes.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To offer a platform to discuss ideas.	B．To free the netizen’s bad feelings.
C．To introduce the topic meal-sharing.	D．To compare some foreign food cultures.

2. What does the underlined word “customary” Paragraph 2 mean in?

A．Normal.

B．Optional.

C．Unique.

D．Horrible.

3. Why do some hosts choose non-hospitality according to Tellstrom?

A．Because food represents a symbol of social status.

B．Because they don’t want to show off their cooking.

C．Because it is widely accepted across the country.

D．Because their culture values quality and independence.

4. How is the text developed?

A．By offering opinions.	B．By listing reasons.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By providing numbers.

5 . While teenagers who are at risk of depression with risky behaviors — drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and cutting classes often alert parents and teachers that serious problems are brewing, a new study finds that there’s another group of adolescents who are in nearly as much danger of experiencing the same mental symptoms.

These teens use tons of media, get insufficient sleep and have a sedentary (不爱活动的) lifestyle. Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on the planet. But the study warns that it is teenagers who engage in all three of these practices in the extreme that are truly in a dangerous position. Because their behaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have been called the “invisible risk” group by the study’s authors.

The study’s authors surveyed 15,395 students and analyzed nine risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking and high media use. Their aim was to determine the relationship between these risk behaviors and mental health issues in teenagers. The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was most likely to show symptoms of depression; in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with just 4% of the low-risk group. But the invisible group wasn’t far behind the high-risk set, with more than 13% of them exhibiting depression.

The findings caught Carli off guard. “We didn’t expect that,” he says. “The high-risk group and low-risk group are obvious, but this third group was not only unexpected. It was so distinct and so large—nearly one third of our sample—that it became a key finding of the study.”

Carli says that one of the most significant things about his study is that it provides new early warning signs for parents, teachers and mental health-care providers. And early identification, support and treatment for mental health issues, he says, are the best ways to keep them from turning into full-blown disorders.

1. What does the underlined word “adolescents” mean in Paragraph 1?

A．Authors.

B．Scientists.

C．Teenagers.

D．Babies.

2. Which teenager probably belongs to the “invisible risk” group?

A．A teenager who suffers from lack of sleep.	B．A teenager who skips school.
C．A teenager who drinks frequently.	D．A teenager who exercises regularly.

3. What can we know about the new study?

A．It was intended to dig into the reasons for depression.

B．Its findings were under expectation of the research team.

C．It revealed an alarming rate of the invisible group suffering depression.

D．It was conducted by analyzing and comparing the previous data.

4. In which part of the newspaper can you read this passage?

A．Literature.

B．Culture.

C．Geography.

D．Health.

7 . 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。

A video of college students in northeastern China wearing military style cotton coats to class     1     (go) viral on social media platforms recently.

Down jackets (羽绒服) have been a     2     (necessary) for many Chinese people all the time. To seek more profit in the booming market, many     3     (brand) have started to move towards high-end development,     4     (result) in a more significant increase in demand for high-quality materials like white goose down. Thus, the price has increased.

With the price of down jackets increasing, college students in China have picked up military coats     5     (defend) themselves from the winter cold. Thanks     6     their low cost and high quality, cotton coats have made a major comeback this winter and stormed college campuses.

The general thinking among students is that it isn’t about     7     they can afford a down jacket or not, but that cotton coats     8     (simple) provide better quality at a much lower price. The cheapest military style cotton coat costs less than 100 yuan and they have become the most fashionable winter wear for college students in northern China. A single person wearing one of these coats is noticeable, and a couple might     9     (laugh) at. But when a group wears them, it’s     10     latest fashion.