1 . Be a Better Traveler in the Over-tourism Era
Travel has become as accessible as McDonald’s, reaching a new high as global tourist arrivals reached 1.4 billion last year. In 1995, global arrivals numbered only 525 million.
As a father of two kids, I am the first to celebrate the drop in costs brought on by air-travel market liberalization, the rise of discount airlines, a revolution in accommodations thanks to the likes of Books.com and Airbnb, and mobile devices installed with the best maps and travel guides the world has ever known. I’m also happy for the retailers, hoteliers, museum keepers and others who have benefited financially from the tourism boom.
I can’t help but wonder, though, what we are actually seeing as we travel these days. More people are travelling, but many are visiting the same places. Is a forest of selfie sticks what I wanted to show my daughter at the Louvre? When was the last time I set food on Prague’s main square without being elbowed a dozen times? Is a trip to Barcelona complete if you have to avoid every famous location for fear of being trampled (踩踏)?
Cities can not do much about this — they can’t very well close airports, force airlines to fly less frequently or increase their prices. Raising the cost of air travel, overall or to specific destination, will never be popular. Many will object it on the grounds that travel shouldn’t be just for the rich, and it’ll hurt the residents of cities troubled with over-tourism.
So what should travelers do? Stay home? That’s unlikely. But if you are heading for some of the world’s most popular destinations, rethink your bucket list (愿望清单). You should be open to venturing beyond the obvious. Even if you are set on visiting an iconic site, consider going at an off-peak time.
The biggest thing to keep in mind, no matter where you travel, is to be well-researched, respectful and genuinely curious about the destination. Don’t fall victim to what people call “selfie culture” and “bucket list culture”. Treat the destination as you would do to your own home - not as a “hidden gem” that you throw money at to get certain experience you feel entitled to.
1. Which of the following is NOT the cause of the drop in travelling costs according to the author?| A．The rise of discount airlines. |
| B．The freedom to choose transport |
| C．The popularization of mobile devices. |
| D．The appearances of Booking.com and Airbnb. |
| A．It would result in a decrease in airport security. |
| B．It would lead to fewer people travelling overall. |
| C．It would hurt the residents of tourism-dependent cities. |
| D．It would encourage a “bucket list culture.” |
| A．Facing the trouble of over-tourism, cities lack feasilbe measure. |
| B．Those cities as famous tourist destinations are not only for the rich. |
| C．Cities with over-tourism can’t deal with protests among travelers. |
| D．Cities with over-tourism can stop people making trips there. |
| A．Set on a journey at an on-peak time. | B．Avoid visiting an iconic site |
| C．Raise the cost of air travel. | D．Be willing to explore new sites. |
2 . The decline in moral standards--which has long concerned social analysts--has at last captured the attention of average Americans. And Jean Bethke Elshtain, for one, is glad.
The fact the ordinary citizens are now starting to think seriously about the nation’s moral climate, says this ethics (伦理学) professor at the University of Chicago, is reason to hope that new ideas will come forward to improve it.
But the challenge is not to be underestimated. Materialism and individualism in American society are the biggest obstacles. “The thought that ‘I’m in it for me’ has become deeply rooted in the national consciousness,” Ms. Elshtain says.
Some of this can be attributed to the disintegration of traditional communities, in which neighbors looked out for one another, she says. With today’s greater mobility and with so many couples working, those bonds have been weakened, replaced by a greater emphasis on self.
In a 1996 poll of Americans, loss of morality topped the list of the biggest problems facing the U.S. and Elshtain says the public is correct to sense that: Data show that Americans are struggling with problems unheard of in the 1950s, such as classroom violence and a high rate of births to unmarried mothers.
The desire for a higher moral standard is not a lament (挽歌) for some nonexistent “golden age,” Elshtain says, nor is it a wishful longing for a time that denied opportunities to women and minorities. Most people, in fact, favor the lessening of prejudice.
Moral decline will not be reversed until people find ways to counter the materialism in society, she says. “Slowly, you recognize that the things that matter are those that cant’ be bought.”
1. Professor Elshtain is pleased to see that Americans ________.| A．have adapted to a new set of moral standards |
| B．are longing for the return of the good old days |
| C．have realized the importance of material things |
| D．are awakening to the lowering of their moral standards |
| A．its growing wealth |
| B．the self-centeredness of individuals |
| C．underestimating the impact of social changes |
| D．the prejudice against women and minorities |
| A．was something unheard of | B．was by no means a rare occurrence |
| C．attracted a lot of public attention | D．began to appear in analysts’ data |
| A．if people can return to the “golden age” |
| B．when women and men enjoy equal rights |
| C．when people rid themselves of prejudice |
| D．if less emphasis is laid on material things |
Despite the popularity of dieting and exercising, more people are bigger than they used to be.
The US is the
So why are so many Chinese getting overweight?
According to The Wall Street Journal, China’s weight has grown with its economy. With incomes growing, families
Unhealthy lifestyles also contribute to China’s obesity problems. Many Chinese families are eating more deep-fried and junk food while exercising little.
It is also likely
The trend could lead to big problems, as obesity can have severe health consequences. According to the World Health Organization, around 2,8 million adults die each year
| A. as B. involve C. filling D. rapidly E. major F. developed G. all H. by I. along J. needs K. present |
Throughout the 20th century, Japanese towns and cities grew
The urban areas on the Japanese island of Honshu (本州岛) continue to grow
Four
5 . Thanks to in-depth reporting by the Wall Street Journal, we now know that Facebook has long been aware its product Instagram has harmful effects on the mental health of many adolescent users. Young girls, in particular, struggle with their body image thanks to a constant stream of photos and videos showing beautiful bodies that users don’t think they can attain.
While the information the Journal covered is essential and instructive, it does not tell the whole story. Deep down, this is not an Instagram problem; it’s a people problem. Understanding that distinction can make the difference between a failed attempt to contain a teen’s interest in an addictive app and successfully addressing the underlying problem leading to mental distress induced (诱发) by Instagram.
Critics were quick to shame Facebook for sitting on the data and not releasing it to researchers or academics who asked for it. Others criticize the social media giant for not using the research to create a safer experience for its teen users. The anger, while understandable, is misplaced.
While I’m reluctant to defend Facebook, I’m not sure it’s reasonable to blame the company for withholding data that would hurt its business. Have you ever binge-watched (狂看) a Netflix series? I assure you it wasn’t a healthy endeavor. You were in active, likely did nothing productive, mindlessly snacked and didn’t go outside for fresh air. It is an objectively harmful use of time to stare at a TV or laptop for a full weekend. Should we respond by shaming Netflix for not alerting us to how damaging an addictive product can be?
While it’s reasonable to say Instagram makes esteem issues worse, it strains credulity (夸张到难以置信) to believe it causes them in the first place. You create your own experiences on social media. For the most part, you choose which accounts to follow and engage. If you’re already vulnerable to insecurities and self-sabotage (自损) — as many teens are — you will find accounts to obsess over. And this isn’t a new phenomenon.
Before social media, there were similar issues fueling self-esteem issues. Whether the target be magazines, movies or television shows depicting difficult-to-attain bodies, there has been a relatively steady chorus (异口同声) of experts nothing the damage new media could cause young viewers.
Self-esteem issues have an underlying cause — one that’s independent of social media use. Instagram merely enhances those feelings because it provides infinitely more access to triggers than older forms of media. It’s more worthwhile to address those underlying factors rather than to attack Facebook.
1. The author thinks the criticisms against Instagram __________.| A．are successful attempts to change teens’ interest in addictive apps |
| B．address the Instagram - induced mental pain |
| C．are only based on the data released by Facebook |
| D．are not directed at the fundamental problem |
| A．compare the criticisms against it and Facebook |
| B．defend why Facebook is to blame |
| C．suggest the critics’ remarks are not to point |
| D．show Netflix does more harm to teens |
| A．it is human nature to get addicted to social media |
| B．users decide on their experiences on social media |
| C．people have a tendency to feel insecure online |
| D．people are keen on fabricating their self - profile |
| A．the unprecedented criticism facing Facebook |
| B．the alarming online habits of teenagers worldwide |
| C．the root cause of Instagram - induced mental strains |
| D．the harmful impact of Instagram on teenagers |
6 . The economic case for regifting
Despite its pleasures, gift giving can be problematic.
A recipient wants items A and B (say, a hat and gloves) yet receives items C and D (say, a scarf and mittens). Another recipient wants C and D, yet receives A and B. The
The
Getting stuck with gifts we do not want is no small problem. Consider that the National Retail Federation calculated that the average holiday-season
Why can’t more gifts be passed along to people who
Our research with Francis J. Flynn, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, suggests the shame associated with regifting is largely
We conducted a study in which we asked people to imagine themselves either as a ”giver,” who gives someone a gift card and later
Next, we tried to shed light on just how serious the perceived offense is. We asked two group —again givers and regifters—to
Finally, given that the feared offense looks more imagined than real, we turned our attention to how people might be
For this part of our research, we invited to our lab at Stanford people who had recently received presents and divided the people into two groups. When we gave the first group an opportunity to
When we gave the second group the same opportunity, we added that it was ‘“National Regifting Day,” a real
Everyone has received bad gifts in their lives, and we generally accept that we will receive more in the future. Yet for some reason, we believe that we give only good gifts.
Our research offers a simple solution to the problem of
| A．result | B．cycle. | C．trick | D．solution |
| A．cause | B．psychology | C．science. | D．theory |
| A．feelings | B．ideas | C．trick. | D．evaluations |
| A．citizen | B．retailer | C．shopper | D．foreigner |
| A．refuse | B．appreciate | C．envy | D．collect |
| A．perceived | B．ignored | C．unjustified | D．immeasurable |
| A．learns | B．suspects | C．complains | D．imagines |
| A．praised | B．hurt | C．hateful | D．grateful |
| A．motto | B．code | C．principle | D．attitude |
| A．replace | B．connect | C．compare | D．exchange |
| A．desperately | B．voluntarily | C．responsibly | D．wrongly |
| A．encouraged | B．pushed | C．challenged | D．forced |
| A．hide | B．sell | C．regift | D．decline |
| A．ceremony | B．celebration | C．day | D．event |
| A．unpopular | B．unwanted | C．expensive | D．meaningless |
Making choices is hard. That would be why researcher Moran Cerf has eliminated it from his life. As a rule, he always chooses the second menu item at a restaurant.
This is informed by his research in neuroeconomics (a somewhat new, divisive field) at Northwestem University.
On an instinctive level, Cerf’s idea makes sense: Many choices people make are the product of social pressures and the inputs of
| A. present B. features C. concerned D. reportedly E. commercial F. stretches G. overwhelming H. exceptionally I. routinely J. spared K. broadcasts |
Modern media is awash in advertising clutter(杂乱), and who’s to blame? Modern audiences that hate conventional full-length and full-size ads.
Today’s consumers don’t like to pay for content, which ought to create a rich environment for advertisers. Yet these same consumers are prone to click or turn away when a conventional ad appears. The result is ad clutter.
YouTube
Advertisers integrate plugs(推销) into content to frustrate digital video recorders, which allow viewers to watch programs on a delay and skip regular commercials. If you watch regional telecasts of baseball games, the commercial clutter is so
According to the showbiz paper Variety, several streaming services are about to introduce a new twist: commercials that start running whenever a viewer pauses a program. Hulu intends to launch such ads this year. AT&T’s DirecTV and U-verse units will
There’s a lot at stake. According to Variety, National Football League(NFL) TV broadcasts generate an estimated $4.35 billion in ad revenue during the 17-week regular season. NFL
Interestingly, with no “screen” to work with, radio is one medium that has tried for some time to buck the trend. Many commercial stations trade clutter for clusters--that is, a solid block of commercials running five minutes or more, followed by lengthy commercial-free
But wherever a screen is involved, or a printed page, ad clutter is
But getting limitless content without paying while also being
9 . Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most governments, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise has brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines “our scientists” have invented, the new drugs to relieve old disorders, and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously unmanageable conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to “economics needs”, and that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are “near the market” and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.
In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people may still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some of his research funding.
This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing them as corruptible. This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as “experts”. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer, and a nuclear engineer is most likely to be employed by the nuclear industry. If a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.
1. What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?| A．The decline of public expenditure. | B．Quick economic returns. |
| C．The budget for a research project. | D．Support from the voters. |
| A．They realize they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge. |
| B．They know it takes incredible patience to win support from the public. |
| C．They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public. |
| D．They are accustomed to keeping their opinions secrets to themselves. |
| A．some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty |
| B．sometimes they hide the source of their research funding |
| C．they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned |
| D．their pronouncements often turn out to be short-sighted and absurd |
| A．Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings. |
| B．It may wear out the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research. |
| C．It makes things more trivial for scientists to seek research funds. |
| D．People will not believe scientists even when they tell the truth. |
10 . Yu Pengnian is an 88-year-old real estate Chinese businessman. He amassed a fortune of $1.3 billion dollars during his career but instead of keeping the money and living like an emperor, he decided to give it all away. All of his fortune will be spent on helping poor Chinese students get a better education.
And Yu isn’t the only super-rich person in China who has this spirit of giving. Chen Guangbiao, a Jiangsu recycling tycoon, has given millions of dollars to charity and promises to give all of his money to charity when he dies.
Yu and Chen are among the many businessmen who have become prosperous during China’s economic rise. An American business magazine, Forbes, estimates that there are 117 billionaires in China and hundreds of thousands of millionaires. What sets Yu and Chen apart from the rest, though, is their tremendous generosity when it comes to donating money to charity.
Last week Bill Gates and Warren Buffett came to Beijing. Gates and Buffett, two of the world’s richest men, are also the world’s biggest philanthropists. They invited fifty of China’s richest people to have dinner with them and talk about the spirit of giving. At first, only a few people accepted their invitation. It seemed some of the invited guests were afraid that Buffett and Gates were going to pressure them into giving their wealth to charity.
A lot of people are angry at the billionaires who are not willing to give away their fortunes. They criticize them for being miserly and not caring about the poor and the less fortunate. But I think this criticism is wrong. A gift, any gift, should come from the heart. Instead of criticism, these reluctant billionaires should be encouraged to follow the examples of Yu Pengnian and Chen Guangbiao. Encouragement is always a better strategy than criticism. As we say in English, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
1. He amassed a fortune of $1.3 billion dollars during his career… The word “amassed” means________.| A．stimulated | B．contemplated | C．immigrated | D．accumulated |
| A．helping poor Chinese students get a better education |
| B．helping the students in earthquake-stricken area |
| C．helping his off-springs lead a rich life in the future |
| D．achieve his aim of living like an emperor |
| A．Yu Pengnian is the only super-rich person in China who has the spirit of giving. |
| B．Chen Guangbiao is a real estate Chinese businessman. |
| C．Yu and Chen become wealthy during the rise of China’s economy. |
| D．When Bill Gates and Warren Buffett invited fifty of China’s richest people to have dinner with them, they all felt honored and accepted their invitation at once. |
| A．When it comes to charity work, they are very generous. |
| B．They had dinner with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, talking about the spirit of giving. |
| C．They are pressured into giving their fortune to charity. |
| D．They are both businessmen. |
| A．The author wants to tell us that flies prefer honey to vinegar. |
| B．The author wants to prove that encouragement is always a better strategy than criticism when it comes to charity. |
| C．The English saying expresses the main theme of the passage. |
| D．The author wants to criticize those billionaires who are not willing to give away their fortunes for being miserly and not caring about the poor and the less fortunate. |
