1 . One by one, prejudices are disappearing in the West. People may harbor private suspicions that other people’s race or sex makes them inferior—but to say so openly is totally taboo. One old prejudice remains respectable, though. Just ask a childless person.
They are not charged to special taxes, as they were in Soviet Russia; nor are they driven from their homes, as they still are in some poor countries. The childless nonetheless come in for a lot of criticism. Some point out that non-parents are failing to produce the future workers who will pay for their pensions. Childless politicians are charged with not having a proper stake in society. “He talks to us about the future, but he doesn’t have children!” complained Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the National Front party, of Emmanuel Macron, who went on to win the French presidency. Similar attacks on Theresa May and Angela Merkel also failed but researchers find that many voters quietly agree.
The charges against the childless should be thrown out, along with other social prejudice. In many rich countries, between 15% and 20% of women, and a slightly higher proportion of men, will not have children. The share is rising. Some have medical problems; others do not meet the right person in time; still others decide they do not want them. Whatever the cause, the attacks on the childless are baseless.
If non-breeders are selfish, they have a strange way of showing it. They are more likely to set up charitable foundations than people with children, and much more likely to donate money to good causes. According to one American estimate, the mere fact of not having children raises the amount a person leaves to charity by a little over $10,000. The childless are thus a small but useful counterweight to the world’s parents, who stop social immobility by passing on their social and economic advantages to their children.
The fact that so many senior politicians lack offspring ought to put to rest the idea that they do not care for society. Five of the G7 countries are led by childless men and women. Mr. Macron, Mrs. May, Mrs. Merkel, Shinzo Abe and Paolo Gentiloni have their faults, but they are not notably less able than Justin Trudeau (who has three children) let alone Donald Trump (who has five). Their opportunities for nepotism are limited. And they spare their countries dynastic politics.
The charge that childless people fail to pull their weight in population is correct, but is less serious than it appears. Those who do not have children do put pressure on public pension systems. Governments have to do unpopular things like making pensions less generous, as Japan has done, or accepting more immigrants, as some Western countries have done. But to sustain public pensions in the long term, countries do not actually need more parents. What they need instead is more babies. It is possible to combine a high rate of childlessness with a high birth rate, provided people who become parents have more than one or two children. That was the pattern in many Western countries a century ago. Ireland, yet another country with a childless leader, still manages it today.
The childless also do everyone else a favour by creating wonderful works of art. British novelists have been especially likely to have no offspring: think of Hilary Mantel, P.G Wodehouse and the Bronte sisters. In September last year Britain put Jane Austen on its ten-pound note. That decision was controversial, though it was hard to see why. Few people have written as shrewdly about money or about families even though Austen did not marry, and had no children.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?| A．The childless often get punished in society. | B．The childless often come under sharp criticism. |
| C．Most successful politicians have no children | D．Childlessness affects the result of an election. |
| A．have a strange way to show selfishness | B．set a bad example for young people |
| C．are not as able as those with children | D．are the government’s financial burden |
| A．Accepting more immigrants. | B．Reducing the pensions for the aged. |
| C．Encouraging parents to have more children. | D．Supporting the political leaders with no children. |
| A．Understanding | B．Skeptical | C．Disappointed | D．Reserved |
| A．In defence of the childless. | B．In hope of having a child or not. |
| C．Reasons for not having children. | D．Measures to address aging problems. |
2 . It isn’t just the beauty of vast natural wonders like the Grand Canyon that can take your breath away. You can find awe in everyday things. A new research, published in the journal Emotion, found that older adults who took “awe walks” felt more positive emotions in their daily lives.
In the study, 52 older adults aged 60 to 90 were divided randomly into two groups. They were told to take at least one 15-minute walk each week for eight weeks. Volunteers in the “awe group” were instructed in how to inspire awe as they walked. “We asked them to try to see the world with fresh eyes—to take in new details of a leaf or flower, for example,” Sturm says. For example, one participant from the awe group wrote about “ the beautiful fall colors and how the leaves were no longer crunchy (嘎吱响) underfoot because of the rain”. However, people in the other group were less focused on the world around them.
In addition, participants were asked to take selfies (自拍) in the beginning, middle, and end of each walk. Researchers found that participants who took awe walks showed a “small self”, in that they filled less of their photographs with their own image and more with the background scenery. “When we feel awe, our attention shifts from focusing on ourselves to focusing on the world around us.” Their smiles also grew broader by the end of the study. “We analyzed the intensity of their smiles in the selfies, and participants who took awe walks displayed greater smiles over time than those who took control walks. The former reported greater positive emotions in general, including more joy and gratitude.”
Participants in the control group took more frequent walks than those people in the awe group, the researchers discovered. But walking more didn’t result in positive changes in emotional health or in the way their selfies were taken. This suggests that the results were mainly due to experiencing awe, and not just in spending time exercising.
1. Why is the example mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To show the way of awe walks. |
| B．To state the benefits of awe walks. |
| C．To inspire participants to walk in awe. |
| D．To indicate leaves aren’t crunchy because of the rain. |
| A．They smile more in a selfie. |
| B．They fill fewer photos with surroundings. |
| C．They pay more attention to themselves. |
| D．They show more appreciation and delight. |
| A．Objective. | B．Favorable. | C．Concerned. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Awe Walks Promote Your Physical Fitness |
| B．Awe Walks Improve Your Positive Emotions |
| C．Frequent Walks Contribute to Emotional Health |
| D．Experiencing Awe Does Wonders for Everyone |
3 . A new study by scientists at Utrecht University concludes that about half of global wastewater is treated, rather than the previous estimate of 20%. Despite this promising finding, the authors warn that treatment rates in developing countries are still very low.
Humans and factories produce vast quantities of wastewater per day. If not properly collected and treated, wastewater may severely threaten human health and pollute the environment.
The authors use national statistics to estimate volumes of wastewater production, collection, treatment and reuse. “Globally, about 359 billion cubic metres of wastewater is produced each year, equivalent to 144 million Olympic-sized swimming pools,” says Edward Jones, PhD researcher at Utrecht University. “About 48 percent of that water is currently released untreated. This is much lower than the frequently announced figure of 80%.”
While the results show a more optimistic outlook, the authors stress that many challenges still exist. “We see that particularly in the developing world, where most of the future population growth will likely occur, treatment rates are falling behind,” Jones explains. “In these countries, wastewater production is likely to rise at a faster pace than the current development of collection and treatment basic facilities. This poses serious threats to both human health and the environment.”
The main problem, especially in the developing world, is the lack of financial resources to build basic facilities to collect and treat wastewater. This is particularly the case for advanced treatment technologies, which can be extremely expensive. However, the authors highlight potential opportunities for creative reuse of wastewater streams that could help to finance improved wastewater treatment practices.
“The most obvious reuse of treated wastewater is to increase freshwater water supplies,” Jones states. Treated wastewater reuse is already an important source of irrigation water in many dry countries. However, only 11% of the wastewater produced globally is currently being reused, which shows large opportunities for expansion.
“But freshwater increasing is not the only opportunity,” says Jones. “Wastewater also has large potential as a source of nutrients and energy. Recognition of wastewater as a resource, opposed to as ‘waste’, will be the key to driving improved treatment going forward.”
However, the authors stress the importance of proper monitoring of wastewater treatment factories, accompanied by strong legislation (法律) and regulations, to ensure that the reuse of wastewater is safe. The authors also acknowledge public acceptance as another key barrier towards increasing wastewater reuse.
1. According to the author, the meaning of treating wastewater lies in ________.| A．encouraging new scientific findings |
| B．estimating volumes of wastewater production |
| C．ensuring human health and protecting the environment |
| D．measuring how much wastewater is produced globally per day |
| A．equal | B．harmful | C．useful | D．friendly |
| A．treated wastewater can’t be used as irrigation water |
| B．wastewater production in developing countries is falling |
| C．the treatment of wastewater is more serious than estimated |
| D．public recognition plays an important role in wastewater reuse |
4 . How to Deal with FOMO in Your Life
FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” is becoming increasingly common and can cause significant stress in your life. It applies to anything from a party to a promotion at work and affects just about anyone. It always involves a sense of helplessness that you are missing out on something big.
With social media becoming popular, FOMO has become more obvious. As more research on FOMO is conducted, we are getting a clearer picture of how it affects us.
Moreover, one study found that the fear of missing out was linked to a greater smartphone and social media usage.
Rather than trying to connect more with people on social media, why not arrange to meet up with someone in person? Making plans with a good friend, or doing anything social that gets you out with friends can be a nice change of pace.
| A．It can help you to shake that feeling that you are missing out. |
| B．The idea that you might be missing out on a good time is not new. |
| C．Rather than focusing on what you lack, try noticing what you have. |
| D．The picture is not pretty, as there are many negative effects of FOMO. |
| E．Smartphone usage was related to fears of negative evaluations by others. |
| F．Smartphone and social media have made the FOMO phenomenon worse. |
| G．Understanding where the problem lies can be a great first step in overcoming it. |
The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise. However, its role in learning
6 . The expression, “everybody’s doing it” is very much at the center of the concept pressure. It is a social influence applied on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a similar way as a larger group.
People are social creatures by nature.
Although peer pressure is sometimes quite obvious, it can also be subtle that a person may not even notice that it is affecting their behavior. For this reason, when making important decisions, simply going with an instinct is risky. Instead, people should seriously consider why they feel drawn to taking a particular action.
| A．However, peer pressure is not always negative. |
| B．Being self-aware is at the root of managing peer pressure. |
| C．This influence can be negative or positive in any group size. |
| D．Giving in to peer pressure can have emotional consequences. |
| E．They should also question if they are just following the crowd. |
| F．Some individuals become addicted to seeking social acceptance. |
| G．Consequently, their self-esteem often comes from others’ approval. |
7 . The United Nations announced on April 19 that India is going to become the most populous country in the world by the end of June. India’s population by the middle of this year is estimated to come in at.1.4286 billion, compared to 1.4257 billion for China, in the State of World Population Report 2023 by the United Nations Population Fund. The data showed the United States at a distant third, with an estimated population of 340 million.
One of the main reasons for this rapid population growth is India’s high birth rate, said Time magazine. In 2022, there were about 23 million newborns in India. That’s more than any other country.
This big population has both good and bad effects on India. The Associated Press noted that having a lot of people who are of working age can help the economy. It means that there are more people who can work and earn money, which can lead to economic growth. It can also attract foreign investment, meaning companies from other countries and regions might want to invest in India.
However, there are also some challenges that come with having such a big population. One challenge is that there might not be enough resources such as food, health care and education-for everyone.
CNN stated that it can also be hard for people to find jobs because so many people are looking for work. According to a 2021 report from the World Bank, India’s labor force participation rate, which is the proportion (比例) of the active labor force in the working-age population, is 46 percent the lowest in Asia.
Online news magazine The Diplomat said that, despite these challenges, India is still a country with many opportunities for growth. Many manufacturing companies are choosing to set up factories in. India, especially for making things like mobile phones and semiconductors (半导体).
Morgan Stanley, a US investment bank, said that India is on track “for unprecedented (空前的) economic growth” that will allow it to overtake Japan and Germany to become the world’s third-biggest economy by 2027.
1. What is one of the main reasons for India’s rapid population growth mentioned in the text?| A．Birth boom. | B．Birth decline. |
| C．High immigration rates. | D．Improved living conditions. |
| A．Lower unemployment rates. | B．A higher labor force participation rate. |
| C．Increased levels of education. | D．More opportunities for foreign investment. |
| A．Higher poverty rates. | B．Higher levels of pollution. |
| C．Lack of access to resources. | D．Decreased economic growth. |
| A．Control. | B．Exceed. | C．Overestimate. | D．Compare. |
8 . 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. |
| A．A normal-sized dog is eating bones. |
| B．A white cat is quietly lying next to its owner. |
| C．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby. |
| D．A parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing. |
| A．It will change the animals’ nature. |
| B．It may make the animals not so cute. |
| C．It may cause health problems to the animals. |
| D．It will result in a decline in animal population. |
| A．The Cute Economy and Its Price | B．Share Pictures or Not |
| C．Happiness from Pets | D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness |
9 . Nowadays, people are increasingly interacting with others in social media environments where algorithms control the flow of social information they see. People’s interactions with online algorithms may affect how they learn from others, with negative consequences including social misperceptions, conflict and the spread of misinformation.
On social media platforms, algorithms are mainly designed to amplify (放大) information that sustains engagement, meaning they keep people clicking on content and coming back to the platforms. There is evidence suggesting that a side effect of this design is that algorithms amplify information people are strongly biased (偏向的) to learn from. We call this information “PRIME”, for prestigious, in-group, moral and emotional information.
In our evolutionary past, biases to learn from PRIME information were very advantageous: Learning from prestigious individuals is efficient because these people are successful and their behavior can be copied. Paying attention to people who violate moral norms is important because punishing them helps the community maintain cooperation. But what happens when PRIME information becomes amplified by algorithms and some people exploit (利用) algorithm amplification to promote themselves? Prestige becomes a poor signal of success because people can fake prestige on social media. News become filled with negative and moral information so that there is conflict rather than cooperation.
The interaction of human psychology and algorithm amplification leads to disfunction because social learning supports cooperation and problem-solving, but social media algorithms are designed to increase engagement. We call it functional mismatch. One of the key outcomes of functional mismatch is that people start to form incorrect perceptions of their social world, which often occurs in the field of politics. Recent research suggests that when algorithms selectively amplify more extreme political views, people begin to think that their political in-group and out-group are more sharply divided than they really are. Such “false polarization” might be an important source of greater political conflict.
So what’s next? A key question is what can be done to make algorithms facilitate accurate human social learning rather than exploit social learning biases. Some research team is working on new algorithm designs that increase engagement while also punishing PRIME information. This may maintain user activity that social media platforms seek, but also make people’s social perceptions more accurate.
1. What are social media algorithms targeted at?| A．Improving social environment. | B．Generating PRIME information. |
| C．Avoiding side effects of social media. | D．Raising the media platform click rate. |
| A．To make an assumption. | B．To illustrate a conclusion. |
| C．To explain a political issue. | D．To present an extreme case. |
| A．boost engagement and regulate amplification |
| B．strengthen social learning and delete biases |
| C．identify biases and punish PRIME information |
| D．monitor media platforms and guarantee users’ privacy |
| A．PRIME information meets with misperceptions |
| B．Algorithms control the flow of social information |
| C．Social media algorithms twist human social learning |
| D．Online algorithm designs face unexpected challenges |
10 . Over the past few decades, technology has profoundly transformed the way we live and work. The digital revolution has brought about
In the realm of employment, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping job markets. Routine tasks that were once carried out by humans are now
The education sector has not been immune to technological advancements either. Online learning platforms and digital resources have
Communication has been revolutionized by technology as well. Social media platforms enable instantaneous global
Healthcare has witnessed the integration of technology through telemedicine and remote monitoring. While these innovations improve access to medical services, they also raise questions about the
In the realm of creativity, technology has opened new avenues for artistic expression. Digital art, virtual reality experiences, and interactive storytelling have
The environment benefits from technology through innovations in renewable energy and resource management. Yet, the
In conclusion, technology’s far-reaching influence touches every aspect of our lives. Its
| A．incremental | B．revolutionary | C．gradual | D．minimal |
| A．profound | B．superficial | C．theoretical | D．casual |
| A．substituted | B．enhanced | C．abandoned | D．detected |
| A．suppressed | B．triggered | C．alleviated | D．sparked |
| A．surpassed | B．preserved | C．substituted | D．revived |
| A．digital | B．analytical | C．cognitive | D．interpersonal |
| A．correspondence | B．connectivity | C．isolation | D．suspension |
| A．solved | B．raised | C．suppressed | D．established |
| A．protection | B．vulnerability | C．anticipation | D．interpretation |
| A．extended | B．imposed | C．enforced | D．dissolved |
| A．preservation | B．authenticity | C．distortion | D．manipulation |
| A．insignificant | B．extensive | C．marginal | D．deliberate |
| A．beneficial | B．detrimental | C．ambiguous | D．prevalent |
| A．implications | B．consequences | C．limitations | D．requirements |
| A．promising | B．potential | C．evident | D．underlying |
