1 . The healthy adolescent boy or girl likes to do the real things in life, to do the things that matter. He would rather be a plumber’s mate and do a real job that requires doing than learn about hydrostatics sitting at a desk, without understanding what practical use they are going to be. A girl would rather look after the baby than learn about child care. Logically we should learn about things before doing them and that is probably why the experts enforce this in our educational system. But it is not the natural way—nor, in my view, the best way. The adolescent wants to do things first for only then does he appreciate the problems involved and want to learn more about them.
They do these things better in primitive (原始的) life, for there at puberty the boy joins his father in making canoes, patching huts, going out fishing or hunting. He is serving his apprenticeship in the actual accomplishments of life. It is not surprising that anthropologists find that the adolescents of primitive communities do not suffer from the same neurotic (神经质的) ‘difficulties’ as those of civilized life. This is not, as some assume, because they are permitted more sexual freedom, but because they are given more natural outlets for their native interests and powers and are allowed to grow up freely into a full life of responsibility in the community.
In the 19th century this was recognized in the apprenticeship system, which allowed the boy to go out with the master carpenter, or thatcher, to engage in the actual work of carpentry or roof-mending, and so to learn his trade. In some agricultural colleges at the present time young men have to do a year’s work on a farm before their theoretical training at college. The great advantage of this system is that it lets the apprentice see the practical problems before he sets to work learning how to solve them, and he can therefore take a more intelligent interest in his theoretical work.
Since more knowledge of more things is now required in order to cope with the adult world, the period of growing-up to independence takes much longer than it did in a more primitive community, and the responsibility for such education, which formerly was in the hands of the parents, is now necessarily undertaken by experts at school. But that should not make us lose sight of the basic principle, namely the need and the desire of the adolescent to engage responsibly in the real pursuits of life and then to learn how—to learn through responsibility, not to learn before responsibility.
1. According to the author, what is the natural way of education?| A．Doing things while learning. |
| B．Doing things as an apprentice. |
| C．Doing things before learning. |
| D．Learning practical knowledge first. |
| A．are given opportunities to develop their interest first |
| B．are given more freedom in doing things and learning |
| C．can work with their masters throughout their learning |
| D．can learn the trade through solving problems at work |
| A．the difficulties modern adolescents experience |
| B．the amount of freedom in learning in primitive life |
| C．the kind of skills boys learned from their father |
| D．the way of learning in primitive communities |
| A．more subjects are to be covered |
| B．more parents should be involved in teaching |
| C．there should be a deeper understanding of a subject |
| D．more time is needed for becoming independent |
| A．The apprenticeship system was effective in learning. |
| B．Students should be given more freedom in learning. |
| C．Students develop their interest through learning. |
| D．Learning to solve problems is learning through responsibility. |
2 . Pretty in pink: adult women do not remember being so obsessed with the colour, yet it is pervasive in our young girls’ lives. It is not that pink is intrinsically (内在地) bad, but it is such a tiny slice of the rainbow and, though it may celebrate girlhood in one way, it also repeatedly and firmly fuses girls’ identity to appearance. Then it presents that connection, even among two-year-olds, between girls as not only innocent but as evidence of innocence. Looking around, I despaired at the singular lack of imagination about girls’ lives and interests.
Girls’ attraction to pink may seem unavoidable, somehow encoded in their DNA, but according to Jo Paoletli, an associate professor of American Studies, it is not. Children were not colour-coded at all until the early 20th century: in the era before domestic washing machines all babies wore white as a practical matter, since the only way of getting clothes clean was to boil them. What’s more, both boys and girls wore what were thought of as gender-neutral dresses. When nursery colours were introduced, pink was actually considered the more masculine colour, a pastel version of red, which was associated will, strength. Blue, with its intimations(暗示) of the Virgin Mary(圣母玛利亚), constancy and faithfulness, symbolized femininity(女性化). It was not until the mid-1980s, when amplifying age and sex differences became a dominant children’s marketing strategy, that pink fully came into its own, when it began to seem inherently attractive to girls, part of what defined them as female, at least for the first few critical years.
I had not realized how profoundly marketing trends dictated our perception of what is natural to kids, including our core beliefs about their psychological development. Take the toddler. I assumed that phase was something experts developed after years of research into children’ s behaviour: wrong. Turns out, according to Daniel Cook, a historian of childhood consumerism, it was popularized as a marketing trick by clothing manufacturers in the 1930s.
Trade publications counselled (劝告) department stores that, in order to increase sales, they should create a “third stepping slime” between infant wear and older kids’ clothes. It was only after “toddler” (学步的小孩) became a common shoppers’ term that it evolved into a broadly accepted developmental stage. Splitting kids, or adults, into ever-tinier categories has proved a sure-fire way to boost profits. And one of the easiest ways to segment a market is to magnify gender differences --- or invent them where they did not previously exist.
1. By saying “it is... the rainbow” (Para. 1), the author means pink ________.| A．should not be the sole representation of girlhood |
| B．should not be associated with girls’ innocence |
| C．cannot explain girls’ lack of imagination |
| D．cannot influence girls’ lives and interests |
| A．discovered | B．programmed | C．marked | D．sealed |
| A．the observation of children’s nature |
| B．the marketing of products for children |
| C．researches into children’s behaviour |
| D．studies of childhood consumption |
| A．classify consumers into smaller groups |
| B．attach equal importance to different genders |
| C．focus on infant wear and older kids’ clothes |
| D．create some common shoppers’ terms |
| A．fully understood by clothing manufacturers |
| B．clearly explained by their inborn tendency |
| C．mainly imposed by profit-driven businessmen |
| D．well interpreted by psychological experts |
3 . By now, it is pretty well understood that we regularly pay for things in ways other than using money. Sometimes we pay sill with cash. But we also pay for things with data, and more often, with our time and attention. We effectively hand over access to our minds in exchange for something “fee”， like email, streaming video or online shopping pages. As opposed to “paying” attention, we actually “spend attention”， agreeing to the view ads in exchange for something we really want.
The centrality of that deal in our lives makes it unacceptable that there are companies who seize our time and attention for absolutely nothing in exchange, and indeed, without permission at all-otherwise known as “attention theft”.
Attention theft happens anywhere you find your time and attention taken without permission, like the new, targeted advertising screens in hospital waiting rooms, the airlines that play full-volume advertising from a screen right in front of your face, or the advertising - screens in office elevators. These are just few examples in what is a growing category. Combined, they threaten to make us live life in a screen-lined cocoon(茧)，shrunken and incapable of independent thought.
Then, what makes it “theft”?Advances in neuroscience over the last several decades make it clear that our brain’s resources are unconsciously triggered(触发)by sound and movement;therefore the screens seize rare mental resources. Meanwhile, in the law, theft is typically defined as the taking control of a resource “under such circumstances as to acquire the major part of its economic value or benefit. ” Given the established market value of time and attention, when taken without permission or compensation, it really is not much different from someone taking money out of your pocket. Thus, when the firms selling public-screen advertising to target audiences brag of rapid growth and billions in profit, those are actually earnings made by stealing from us.
1. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 1?| A．Preference for cash. | B．Consumption of attention. |
| C．Payments in shopping. | D．Addiction to mass media. |
| A．By making a definition. | B．By analyzing causes. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By predicting results. |
| A．It brings a fortune to the thief. |
| B．It lays heavy burden on the brain. |
| C．It takes up mental resources secretly. |
| D．It brings about economic loss constantly. |
| A．The Crisis of Attention Theft |
| B．The Price of Attention Theft |
| C．Ads：Source or Theft of Information |
| D．“Paying” Instead of “Spending” Attention |
4 . The Effects of Traffic Congestion in Cities
Many of the world’s big cities have problems with congestion. There is simply far too much traffic, so governments everywhere have to think about how to solve the problem.
Traffic jams have a number of negative effects. They cause stress to drivers, which may lead to health problems or road rage. They can also reduce productivity because products cannot be delivered on time and employees arrive late for work or meetings. Another important issue is that the emergency services can become caught in traffic.
Other more creative solutions to the congestion problem are to increase tax on fuel so that it is more expensive, or make people pay to travel on certain roads such as in the centre of a city or on a motorway. However, taxing fuel and roads may mean that some people cannot afford to drive their cars and may have to give up their jobs.
A more popular solution, therefore, would be to encourage other forms of transport which will lead to fewer cars on the road.
Overall, although there are a number of good ways to tackle this problem, some of these also have negative effects. It would seem that encouraging alternative forms of transport is probably the best solution as this solves the congestion problems and reduces the amount of traffic at the same time, which will also have a positive effect on the environment.
| A．One suggestion is to encourage people to cycle more. |
| B．Generally, people dislike the image travelling by bus creates. |
| C．However, there are a number of steps that can be taken to reduce road congestion. |
| D．This allows some flexibility for car drivers but reduces city centre congestion. |
| E．Finally, there are the negative effects that traffic congestion causes to the environment. |
| F．Also, governments may not want to increase fuel taxation too much if it is unpopular with voters. |
Keep Your Eyes Open for Weight Loss Ads
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public,
One notable case a few years ago
6 . Guns have a special place in American culture, and though not everyone agrees on whether or not they are a good thing, there is no mistaking that they will be part of the cultural landscape for some time. To answer the question, no, not everyone has a gun.
Americans use guns for one of two uses: either for sport, where they can use them on firing ranges or for hunting in approved areas, or for self-protection. The latter is where most people begin to take sides, either arguing for the removal of guns from society or allowing more people to have them. There are organizations and community groups for both sides and both sides have strong feelings.
Legally, there are restrictions on gun owners.
It is important to remember, however, that the news stories that make the United States seem like a dangerous place are deceiving; guns are not everywhere or constant.
| A．You are only allowed to purchase a firearm if you have had a background check and meet certain legal requirements. |
| B．There have been many enlightening articles on gun control in America. |
| C．If you were to visit the United States for two months the only gun you might see is in a museum or on a police officer. |
| D．Less than fifty percent of homes in the United States own weapons, and many of those homes are in rural areas where guns may have a greater use. |
| E．More people are deciding to legalize their gun transactions instead of buying them on the black market. |
| F．What alarms people the most about American gun culture are the illegal guns and shooting, which make some places feel unsafe. |
7 . A recent study has shown that levels of
Parents today consider the streets too dangerous for their children so children are taken from home to
This preoccupation has two causes: fear of
It is a fact, however, that children could be experiencing these fears unnecessarily.
The fear of traffic accidents is certainly more real but it is something that needs to be addressed by society in general. Some cities in the Netherlands, for example, have created traffic-free zones and pedes-trian-friendly zones,
There are, however, critics of this study. Many child psychologists believe that this lack of
| A．serious | B．mental | C．bodily | D．brief |
| A．days | B．cases | C．youngsters | D．parents |
| A．study | B．job | C．life | D．safety |
| A．home | B．office | C．company | D．school |
| A．by | B．on | C．for | D．with |
| A．air | B．railway | C．traffic | D．sudden |
| A．meet | B．take | C．miss | D．find |
| A．In addition | B．In contrast | C．In fact | D．In particular |
| A．habit | B．care | C．study | D．relationships |
| A．circle | B．way | C．sign | D．source |
| A．If | B．Where | C．While | D．What |
| A．raised | B．supported | C．decided | D．improved |
| A．with | B．when | C．whether | D．where |
| A．courage | B．attention | C．focus | D．independence |
| A．likely | B．like | C．probably | D．possibly |
| A) challenge B) honor C)financially D) shock E) controlling F)broaden G) manage H) pushed I) experiences J) abroad K）.appreciating |
Each year, thousands of Chinese middle school students go to study in foreign countries such as the US, the UK, Australia and Japan.
“Chinese children hope very much to go abroad to get a wider view, less competition in studying, or family
However, these are not always the most difficult things. To most children,
Zhang Jia, a 16-year-old student entered a high school in Melbourne, Australia last October. To his surprise, his teachers there hardly
“In this educational system, we have more free time and space to think,” said Zhang. “But if you don’t know how to
“Studying
9 . Corporate scandals (丑闻), like political scandals, start with shocking revelation and then move inevitably into who-knew-what stage. This is where executives can start reestablishing their
Since they were forced to
On October 8, German prosecutors broke into the corporate offices as part of their investigation. Meanwhile, Matthias Muller, the
If Mr. Winterkorn was not responsible, who was? Nobody believes that the handful of senior managers could have
Even if they manage to fix millions of cars, Volkswagen executives will still face an enormous
| A．reputation | B．revenge | C．responsibility | D．revolution |
| A．commit | B．recognize | C．admit | D．revise |
| A．gratitude | B．apologies | C．guidance | D．authorities |
| A．approved | B．chose | C．withdrew | D．undertook |
| A．light | B．ashes | C．smell | D．pollutants |
| A．effective | B．efficient | C．extinct | D．essential |
| A．officially | B．voluntarily | C．temporarily | D．newly |
| A．anything | B．something | C．nothing | D．everything |
| A．minor | B．major | C．inferior | D．superior |
| A．conceal | B．confuse | C．attract | D．deceive |
| A．held on | B．got rid of | C．carried out | D．made up |
| A．clear | B．public | C．possible | D．convenient |
| A．convincing | B．likely | C．factual | D．solid |
| A．conflict | B．opportunities | C．competitions | D．challenges |
| A．response | B．blow | C．solution | D．key |
| A. generally B. unnecessary C. attitudes D. reluctant E. respect F. cause G. incorrectly H. sparkly I. communities J. protect K. contributions |
During the outbreak of COVID-19, almost everyone in China wears a mask to
According to the Global Times, different attitudes toward wearing masks largely lie in the cultures. In the West, what people
Siva Kumar from the US is one of them. “Masks can only protect you from particulate matter in the air you breathe, but they can' t hold up microbes," Kumar told China Daily. “Wearing a mask when you’re healthy will
US infection prevention specialist Eli Perencevich told Forbes, The average healthy person shouldn' t be wearing masks." She added, “If they wear them
However, for people in Asian countries like China, wearing a mask is deep- rooted in their culture.Valuing collectivism(集体主义), people in Asia always want to make
Chen Xinjie, a media worker in Beijing, said, Wearing the mask for a long time is hot, stuffy (闷热的) and uncomfortable...But as a member of the group, it’s our duty to do so.
Influenced by social cultures, the
