1 . In a fast developing world, many old-fashioned skills seem to be disappearing. It’s hard to find people who know such skills as sewing, but a few decades ago, it was common for every person to learn them.

Now many would think sewing isn’t as useful today. The garment (服装) industry is producing clothing that is cheaper, faster and more fashionable than ever, making it possible to buy a suit for less than $10 at home.

However, that doesn’t mean clothing isn’t indestructible (破坏不了的). Garments with simple tears that could be fixed in seconds with a needle are just thrown away. This causes more than 26 billion pounds of garbage and millions of dollars wasted because of a tear. Even dirty or worn clothing that still has plenty of usable cloth is being thrown away.

The ability to create hand-made clothes doesn’t only reduce waste. It is also tailor-made just for you. Most buy clothes made for a general body type, and to get it tailored by a professional is expensive. So why not do it yourself?

Perhaps the greatest problem of sewing is simply the time involved. Buying a skirt online takes a few seconds. Making a skirt can take weeks. But learning to sew doesn’t always involve complicated projects. Instead they might just be simple adjustments to help the garments fit or match your style.

Schools could easily teach sewing. Yet, they focus more on college preparations, ignoring traditional skills. Actually sewing is a valuable skill to be used in daily life. It wouldn’t take much time to teach children how to sew.

So, instead of letting old things die in this new age of the Internet, how about learning some of the lost skills that helped us for so long?

1. Why do some people think the sewing skill is less useful?

A．Because cloth is too expensive.

B．Because sewing is a bit boring to learn.

C．Because hand-made things are easily broken.

D．Because clothes are cheaper and convenient to buy.

2. Which benefit of sewing is talked about in Paragraph 3?

A．It contributes to creativity.	B．It’s environmentally-friendly.
C．It pushes the garment industry.	D．It gives costumers a typical look.

3. How do schools treat traditional skills?

A．They make the skills easy to learn.	B．They set the skills as basic subjects.
C．They make every effort to teach the skills.	D．They fail to give the skills enough attention.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the old-fashioned skills?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncaring.

D．Opposing.

2 . Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re talking to someone but they keep looking at their phone? This is called “phubbing” — a mix of the words “phone” and “snubbing”, which is the act of ignoring someone in favor of the phone. It can happen in any conversation — whether it’s with a friend, family member, or even a business associate. When someone is “phubbing”, they’re using their phone to look through the online news, check messages, play games and so on, instead of focusing on the conversation or spending time with the people they’re with.

The word was first used back in 2012, when fewer people had smartphones. And now that most people have smartphones, phubbing is a common problem. Most people would agree that it’s rude to be focused on your phone when you’re spending time with another person. The expert William Hanson thinks so, too. “Phubbing is a no-no!” he says. “If you have planned to go out with friends, focus on them and not your friends on your phone.” Studies have found that phubbing can damage your relationships with others. Eye contact is super important in bonding and developing oxytocin, the chemical that builds trust and connection. A lack of eye contact due to phubbing can make people feel like you don’t care about them or value their time.

Phubbing can make people feel disregarded, and those who “phub” are thought of as less polite and caring. So science has shown that phubbing is not good for us — but why do we do it? It might be because we are feeling bored, worried or stressed. Or it might be because we are addicted to checking our phones, especially social media. Whatever the reason may be, phubbing is a bad habit and can make us miss out on real moments with the people around us. So the next time you’re spending time with a friend or family member, try and keep your phone out of sight!

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Phubbing dates from 2012.

B．Phubbing means using phone when necessary.

C．Phubbing only happens in business associates.

D．Phubbing is the act of focusing on people instead of phones.

2. Which of the following states would William Hanson agree with?

A．Phubbing would benefit relationship.

B．It is polite to phub when meeting friends.

C．People don’t need eye contact to show their caring.

D．Phone should be put aside when they meet their friends.

3. Which is NOT a reason for people’s phubbing according to the passage?

A．They are bored.	B．They think it a fashion to phub.
C．They are addicted to their phones.	D．They want to check their social media.

4. What does the underline word “disregarded” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Concerned.

B．Protested.

C．Focused.

D．Ignored.

3 . Hole-in-the-wall restaurants (苍蝇小馆) are rising in popularity in China. Recently, the “hole-in-the-wall” topic appeared on Sina Weibo, leading to discussions and attracting 67, 000 reading views.

According to Hubei Daily, hole-in-the-wall restaurants focus more on delicious food over decor (室内装潢) or service. Now, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are often found in the corners of small lanes and alleys (小巷) in different parts of a city. The most popular hole-in-the-wall restaurants usually have a history of more than 10 years and are run as family businesses.

A university student, Zhou, living in Wuhan, tried a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with her friend after other friends recommended it to her. She ordered 3 dishes, which only cost 64 yuan. “The food tastes good, and it's cheap,” she told Hubei Daily.

Wang Hongjie, a 16-year-old from Chengdu, likes the experience of eating at hole-in-the-wall restaurants. “Due to the limited space, diners at small-in-the-hole restaurants usually need to eat meals with strangers at the same table. This gives people the chance to talk with each other, creating a sense of hustle and bustle (烟火气),” she said. “But at internet-famous restaurants, diners just quietly enjoy their meals. It’s boring.”

Even so, Zou Zhiping, a professor at Hubei University of Economics, said that due to resource limitations as well as a lack of food safety awareness, hygiene (卫生) and food safety issues are more common at hole-in-the-wall restaurants. To solve these problems, Zousuggested that the local government provide training and support for these restaurants.

1. What is special about hole-in-the-wall restaurants?

A．They are run by dining groups.	B．They are located in busy streets.
C．They provide tasty but cheap food.	D．They center more on service.

2. What does Wang like about hole-in-the-wall restaurants?

A．The quiet dinning environment.	B．The reliable customer service.
C．The active communications.	D．The good quality dishes.

3. What problem do hole-in-the-wall restaurants have according to Zou?

A．The limitation of seating space.	B．The absence of training and support.
C．The variety of food served there.	D．The concern of cleanliness and food safety.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Reasons for the popularity of hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

B．An introduction to hole-in-the-wall restaurants in China.

C．Different opinions about hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

D．Problems of hole-in-the-wall restaurants in China.

4 . Sheep herding is a profitable industry in China. However, if farmers want to earn more, they have to solve a range of problems such as scale expansion, processing and marketing, which is almost impossible relying on only their individual strength. But farmers in Nanxiaozhai village in the Shanxi city of Huairen, have found a solution.

Guo Jianqiang, a resident in Nanxiaozhai, said he started his business in 2013 by raising about 300 sheep. The number has since increased to 1,000. “I earned an income of 2 million yuan ( $309,000) last year and the amount is expected to reach 9 million yuan this year,” he said.

Guo attributed the growth to the establishment of a sheep cooperative, which helped to expand operational scale and sales channels with the joint force of stockholders.

According to Guo Zhidong, Party secretary of the village, Nanxiaozhai now has a total of 89 such cooperatives. The cooperatives have also developed a full industrial chain for sheep, ranging from raising, slaughtering and land processing to their sale.

Nanxiaozhai has a long history in the sheep industry, according to the village Party chief, who explained that was a natural choice out of the village’s environmental conditions. In Nanxiaozhai, residents used to farm on the infertile land and the grain yield could hardly support their existence.

It was Wang Yueming, Cao Zhiguo and other villagers who started their business as sheep dealers in the late 1970s. “They could earn up to 20 yuan for selling a sheep,” Guo Zhidong said. “That was a very large income at that time.” Later, about 80 percent of the villagers were engaged in the business but they found purchasing sheep from neighboring villages became more difficult because of limited output. So they began to raise sheep themselves.

The village business has boosted the sheep industry in Huairen city as a whole. Statistics show the city’s annual output of sheep is about 6 million heads, making it a renowned sheep-producing base in Shanxi.

1. What is the problem faced by farmers in Nanxiaozhai?

A．Finding better places to sell lamb.

B．Making larger profits on their own.

C．Satisfying the demand for more sheep.

D．Destroying the environment with herds.

2. What does the underlined word “slaughtering” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Producing.

B．Counting.

C．Holding.

D．Killing.

3. What can we say about residents in Nanxiaozhai?

A．They are proud to be sheep dealers.

B．They adapt to the conditions successfully.

C．They are opposed to buying sheep elsewhere.

D．They benefit substantially from working the land.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Rise and Fall of Nanxiaozhai Village

B．Sheep Herding Brings Prosperity Flocking

C．The Switch from Sheep Industry to Farming

D．Establishing Cooperatives Boosts Connections

5 . Many Silicon Valley parents are becoming more concerned about preventing their children from using screens. Some parents think that even a little screen time can be extremely addictive, so it is better if their children avoid using or seeing these devices completely. However, it is difficult for working adults in the 21st century to give up using a phone at home. So, it’s simpler to employ someone to do this.

“Silicon Valley nanny (保姆)”, who takes children back to a time without screens every day is widely needed. From Cupertino to San Francisco, it’s widely agreed that screen time is harmful to youngsters. Therefore, parents are requesting nannies to keep phones, tablets and computers in a hidden place. Others even offer no-phone agreements.

Research shows that spending too much time on technology can harm young minds. For example, teenagers who use social media frequently are more likely to feel depressed and anxious. Insomnia (失眠) rates have also increased amongst this age group, and an increasing number of children display the signs that they can’t focus attention. These seemingly minor (轻微的) problems could become significant challenges for future generations.

“Many parents come back home and focus on their smartphones, ignoring whatever their children are trying to say,” said Shannon Zimmerman, who works as a nanny in San Jose for families that forbid screen time. “As a nanny, I also call on more parents to spend more time with their kids.”

1. Why are the Silicon Valley nannies greatly needed according to the text?

A．To help parents and children balance work and life.

B．To teach children how to use technology responsibly.

C．To keep children away from screens.

D．To encourage children to exercise.

2. What is the result of spending too much time on screens for teenagers?

A．Feeling confused.

B．Feeling anxious.

C．Feeling bored.

D．Feeling nervous.

3. What does Shannon suggest parents do?

A．Encourage their children more.	B．Play games with their children.
C．Stop using smartphones at home.	D．Spend more time with their children.

4. What is the text about?

A．Parents concern about screen time for children.	B．Children are addicted to screen time.
C．All parents limit children to phones.	D．Science has no effects on young minds.

6 . A March 2023 report from Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could do a quarter of all the work currently done by humans.     1     It would not just happen to individuals, but it could be pretty systemic.

    2     There are still things AI isn’t capable of. There are generally three categories that are probably going to be relatively secure in the foreseeable future.     3     That means you’re not doing formulaic work, but generating new ideas. For example, in science, medicine and law, where your job is coming up with a new legal strategy or business strategy, there’s going to continue to be a place for human beings.

The second category is jobs that require complicated interpersonal relationships like nurses, business consultants and investigative journalists. These are jobs where you need a very deep understanding of people.     4    

The third safe zone are jobs that really require lots of mobility and problem-solving ability in unpredictable environments. Electricians, plumbers, and the like all fall under this umbrella, where you’re dealing with a new situation all the time. They are probably the hardest of anything to automate.

It’s important to note that an advanced education is not a defence against AI takeover. In many cases, more educated workers are going to be more threatened than then even the least educated workers.     5     It’s really hard to automate that job.

In short, seeking roles in dynamic, shifting environments that include unpredictable tasks is good way to avoid job loss to AI.

A．And that could be terrible.

B．Thankfully, it’s not all bad news.

C．The robots really are coming for some jobs.

D．The first would be jobs that are genuinely creative.

E．Think of the person that works cleaning hotel rooms.

F．That doesn’t necessarily mean all jobs that are considered ”creative” are safe.

G．It’ll be a long time before AI has the ability to really build relationships and interact.

7 . For many, the idea of commuting (通勤) daily to a place of work might sound outdated. In the UK, at least, the shape of the working week is changing, and a new hybrid approach is becoming commonplace. This new look seem unavoidable; new technology means tasks traditionally done in the office can be done at home. And there’s the demand for a better work-life balance, too. All of this has been accelerated by the necessary changes brought on by the Covid pandemic.

One obvious change in the UK is that Friday has become the most popular day to work from home. One survey found it’s when just 13% of workers go into the office. It means employees can save on commuting costs and the price of lunches. Generally, employers thought the shift to hybrid working and home working had increased productivity rather than decreased it.

Monday is also becoming a “work from home” day: a recent study of mobile phone activity in the UK suggested a typical week in the office now runs from Tuesday to Thursday. This means companies have to think differently about the workspace they provide. There are going to be fewer people in offices for the longer term. A shorter office week isn’t great news for the city-centre shops, which depend on trade from workers. But suburban and small-town high streets are reporting an increase in footfall (客流量) as people work and shop locally.

There’s also an emerging trend for a shorter working week. Some companies are experimenting with a four-day working week—but with the same full-time pay. They have tried to make work time more efficient by cutting out unnecessary meetings and having shorter breaks, for example. They claim this has made workers more productive. All this makes you wonder if the act of going to work and doing the nine-to-five will become a thing of the past.

1. What is the driver for the changes mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．Covid pandemic	B．More work
C．New commuting approach	D．Novel technologies

2. What does the underlined word “suburban” in the 3rd paragraph probably mean?

A．City-centre

B．Downtown

C．Out-of-town

D．Metropolitan

3. What can we know about hybrid working?

A．It decreases productivity	B．It helps companies cut staff
C．It lowers employees’ wage	D．It promotes work-life balance

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Workers Tired of Workplaces

B．Hybrid Working Trend in the UK

C．Home Working Makes Bosses Unhappy

D．Inefficient Nine-To-Five Working Mode

8 . 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。

The idea of the ”melting pot“ has been a defining characteristic of American society. The term refers to the concept that a society consisting     1     people from different cultural backgrounds can create     2     new, unique culture by melding together their customs and traditions. This process creates a society where people     3     (unite)by shared values and experiences, despite     4     (come)from different places and backgrounds.

The United States has always been defined by immigration, with people from all over the world coming to build     5     (good) lives for themselves and their families. As these immigrants arrived, they brought with them their own languages, customs, and     6     (religion). Over time, these differences were overcome as people from different cultures worked together and learned from each other. In this way, the melting pot     7     (assist) to create a truly unique American culture that incorporates elements from many different communities.

For Chinese high school students, understanding the concept of the melting pot can be     8     (especial) important. Like in the United States, China is home to a     9     (diversity) population, with people from many different regions and ethnicities. By appreciating the diversity within our own country and learning from the experiences of others, we can help create a more harmonious society     10     celebrates the unique contributions of every individual.

9 . Over the past 50 years, it turns out that high-speed trains are not just reducing journey times, but most importantly, it’s driving economic growth, creating job opportunities and bringing communities closer together.

Although Japan started the trend with its Shinkansen “Bullet Trains” in 1964, it was the coming of France’s TGV in the early 1980s that really promoted a global high-speed train revolution that continued to speed up. China has built around 42, 000 kilometers of high-speed railways since 2008 and plans to top 70,000 kilometers by 2035.

But the United States detoured the revolution. For the rich and economically successful nation on the planet, with an increasingly urbanized population of more than 300 million, it is increasingly difficult to give a good reason. Cars and airplanes have dominated long-distance travel in the United States since the 1950s.Now Americans still almost entirely depend on crowded highways or airline networks that are easy to collapse.

“Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value,” says William C. Vantuono, editor-in-chief of Railway Age, North America’s oldest railroad industry publication.

“It’s logical that the United States hasn’t yet developed a nationwide high-speed network, "says Scott Sherin, chief commercial officer of train builder Alstom’s US division. “For decades, traveling by car wasn’t a hardship, but as highway congestion (堵塞) gets worse, we’ve reached a stage where we should start looking more seriously for the alternatives.”

“The magic numbers are centers of population with around three million people that are 200 to 500 miles apart, giving a trip time of less than three hours — preferably two hours, where those conditions apply in Europe and Asia, high-speed rail reduces air’s share of the market from 100%to near zero. The model would work just as well in the USA as it does globally.” adds Scott Sherin.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The value of high-speed trains.	B．The growth of high-speed trains.
C．The hardship of high-speed trains.	D．The revolution of high-speed trains.

2. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?

A．To introduce a new topic.	B．To give a possible explanation.
C．To define a meaning.	D．To draw a comparison.

3. What does the underlined word “detoured” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Didn’t get involved in.	B．Didn’t change.
C．Didn’t give up.	D．Didn’t protest.

4. What does Scott Sherin think of the United States developing high-speed trains?

A．It is developing high-speed rail.	B．It should be cautious.
C．It is losing its market share.	D．It should be flexible.

10 . How important has Internet become in our lives? The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to celebrate the Web’s 25th birthday. The researchers were greatly heartened by what they found.

“In 2006, only 14 percent of American adults used Internet. Today, it’s 87 percent,” said Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project. “It is what has impressed us the most.”

The survey also showed that 70 percent of the Internet users have been treated kindly or generously online, while 25 percent of respondents said they have been treated unkindly. More than half—56 percent—of users said they’ve seen an online community come together to help someone solve a problem. 25 percent said they’ve left an online group because members were too unpleasant.

When Pew asked questions about whether being online has enriched people’s relationships—or not—the results were very positive: 67 percent of Internet users said their online communication with family and friends has generally strengthened those relationships. Only 18 percent said it has generally weakened those relationships.

According to the survey, 53 percent of Internet users said Internet has become the hardest tech tool to give up. It is 15 percent higher than the result of a similar survey conducted in 2006. In fact, more people said they would have a harder time stopping using Internet than giving up TV. (These days, so much great television streams across the Internet that it makes sense.)

“In our survey, we have found that the Web makes a few people very unhappy. There’s strong evidence pointing to the fact that Internet users tend to compare their daily lives with the ‘highlight moments’ of their friends’ lives,” said Lee Rainie. “It’s really silly.”

1. Which is the most impressive result of the latest survey?

A．Users’ dependence on Internet.	B．The fast growth of Internet users.
C．The kindness of online communities.	D．The strengthened family relationships.

2. How many participants found it the hardest to give up Internet in 2006?

A．15%.

B．38%.

C．53%.

D．68%.

3. What message does Lee Rainie seem to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Online depression cannot be avoided.	B．Don’t show off in online communities.
C．Don’t make unnecessary comparison.	D．Copy your friends’ wonderful lifestyles.

4. How do the researchers feel about the results of the survey?

A．Optimistic.

B．Worried.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Doubtful.