1 . As new data from Famileo reveals the loneliness issue in the UK, its founder looks at the reality of social isolation in today’s digital age.
A consumer survey conducted by Famileo has revealed that nearly half of British adults feel disconnected from their loved ones nowadays. The past few years have been unquestionably tough. The isolation of the pandemic has led to many of us experiencing prolonged feelings of loneliness and seclusion (隐居), even long after any restrictions were lifted. Pair this with the ongoing cost of living crisis, and people are socializing with others far less than before. The way we interact with others has become dominated by digital channels, social media exactly. While social media have proven an incredibly useful tool, most of Brits believe that our growing reliance on technology to interact has impacted the frequency of in-person social interaction, leading to increased isolation.
Another contributing factor to social isolation is physical distance. Combined with the demands of our increasingly busy lives, the physical distance between family members often prevents us from keeping in contact with our loved ones as often as we would like.
Talking of social isolation, our minds often spring straight to the older generations who regularly find themselves left out, owing to their declining physical capacity and a gap in digital literacy. Interestingly though, despite effortlessly navigating the digital landscape, it is younger generations who report feeling the most isolated, 41 per cent of people aged from 16 to 24 feeling the rise of social media causing increased isolation.
While digital platforms like Facebook serve as a means to send photos and life updates quickly and easily, the majority of Brits still love the tangible (可触摸的、可感知的) experience of receiving personal post. Considered a dying art, it is clear snail mail, still has its place. Whether it be a letter, birthday card, or family newsletter, I have seen how enriching the touchable experience of sending and receiving personal post can be, to people of all ages. Nurturing relationships and fostering a profound sense of being loved and better connected to loved ones, it is a vital tool that we should employ as a means to not only relieve the effects of social isolation, but simply brighten someone else’s day.
1. What does the word “lifted” underlined in the second paragraph refer to?| A．Removed. | B．Placed. | C．Ignored. | D．Raised. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Indifferent. | C．Favorable. | D．Critical. |
| A．Make someone else’s day. | B．Turn to snail mail in the digital age. |
| C．Bridge the gap in digital literacy. | D．Foster a: sense of loving and being loved. |
| A．The Hardship of the Past Few Years | B．Exchanging Touchable Personal Post |
| C．Social Isolation in the Digital Age | D．Older Generations’ Gap in Digital Landscape |
1. What is the woman mainly talking about?
| A．A foreigner. | B．A hobby. | C．A report. |
| A．Around 15%. | B．Around 21%. | C．Around 35%. |
3 . The Chinese people have developed the habit of ordering more dishes than they can eat when inviting guests for dinner in a restaurant, because if all the plates are empty at the end of the dinner, it would be considered a matter of shame to the host. Surveys show that as much as 35 million tons of food is wasted in China every year.
To solve this problem, the “Clean Your Plate” campaign was launched in 2013 and got a positive response from restaurant owners, the public, and governments at different levels. More and more waiters are now reminding diners to stop ordering more if they have ordered enough to make them full. Also, most restaurant owners nowadays provide free boxes with which the diners can carry the leftovers (剩菜) home.
The “Clean Your Plate” campaign has become popular along with the “save water” and “go green” activities. However, since it takes generations for people to change their bad habits, it’s too early to celebrate its success. Instead, more attention should be paid to preventing food waste at home.
Almost every Chinese family has a “waste bin”. Unfortunately, I happen to be the “waste bin” of my family. I used to enjoy eating leftovers until I heard an expert on TV saying that it causes cancer. Many doctors say the same thing. But later, I saw other experts doing experiments and concluding that food cooked hours ago or even a day ago shows no obvious increase in carcinogenic particles(致癌颗粒) if stored properly. Their disagreement has left me confused. I have no idea who is right, but I am clear that if all the leftovers are thrown away as suggested by some experts, it would be a big waste of food.
1. Why was the “Clean Your Plate” campaign launched?| A．To invite guests for dinner. | B．To save people’s face. |
| C．To reduce food waste. | D．To stop unbalanced diet. |
| A．Waiters are reminded to stop ordering more. |
| B．Free boxes are provided by most restaurant owners. |
| C．People are eager to change their bad habits earlier. |
| D．People pay more attention to preventing food waste at home. |
| A．Eating leftovers causes cancer. |
| B．Leftovers should be thrown into the waste bin. |
| C．Throwing all the leftovers would be a big waste of food. |
| D．Properly stored leftovers won’t cause damage to health. |
| A．An introduction to a campaign. | B．The ways to deal with leftovers. |
| C．An explanation of food waste. | D．The eating habits of Chinese. |
4 . There’s a song in your head. You keep hearing it repeatedly. You can’t make it stop, and it’s driving you crazy! Has this happened to you? Maybe you have suffered from an earworm, which is a memory of a song.
Earworms are common. A study showed that 90 percent of people experience them. Why do we get earworms? According to neurologist Oliver Sacks, music affects us whether we pay attention to it or not. We’re surrounded by music all the time in our everyday lives. Sacks wonders if there is a higher incidence of earworms today because of all this music in our environment.
Research on the primary auditory cortex supports Sack’s ideas. The auditory cortex is the part of the brain that processes sound. It’s a short-term storage system for small amounts of auditory information. Some of this auditory information is forgotten, and some of it goes into long-term memory. However, songs appear to stay in the auditory cortex for a long time.
James Kellaris, a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati, thinks that only certain types of songs become earworms. These songs are repetitive, simple, and incongruous — something unexpected such as uneven rhythm. Your brain pays a lot of attention to a song like this, Kellaris says. Because it is repetitive and unusual, it stays longer in the auditory cortex. At that point, Kellaris believes, it becomes an annoying earworm.
Advertisers often use jingles — short songs that are easy to remember to promote sales. Advertisers want jingles to stick in people’s minds to keep them thinking about their products. It seems that advertisers have learned what Kellaris has found out in his research.
Is there any way to get rid of an earworm? Here are some tips Kellaris collected: replace the earworm song with another song, try to distract yourself by doing an intense activity such as exercising, or tell someone about your earworm. What if none of these strategies work? Then perhaps you should just sit back and try to enjoy the music in your head!
1. How does the author lead to the topic?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By describing a phenomenon. |
| C．By drawing a conclusion. | D．By clarifying a question. |
| A．The mechanism of earworms. | B．The lasting effect of memory. |
| C．The necessity of the research. | D．The significance of music. |
| A．Paragraph 2. | B．Paragraph 3. | C．Paragraph 4. | D．Paragraph 5. |
| A．Earworms — the Songs in Your Head | B．Jingles — the Typical Earworms |
| C．How Do Earworms Change Our Life? | D．How Do We Live with Earworms? |
5 . Angus Neish dared to hope that his fine-looking cattle, bred at Rodmead Farm in Wilt-shire, would nab a prize at the Royal Bath and West Show last month. The annual fair, held near Shepton Mallet, in Somerset, is England’s oldest and grandest. As well as a fiercely competitive livestock parade, it features Morris dancing, sheep-shearing and a vintage fairground. Its pony-chariot races are second to none. Many contestants performed vigorously before a large crowd. 100,000 turned out for some of the three-day show.
Britons love a fair. No one is sure exactly how many shows there are across the country, but at least 400 days of such rural events happen annually across the country. Roughly one in ten Britons attend them each year. It appears their popularity is rising.
In late June, it was the turn of the Royal Highland Show, near Edinburgh, where 217,000 people—breaking a record set in 2019—rolled up. It is estimated that the event last year boosted nearby businesses by almost £40m ($51m).
Why do people go? Nostalgia (怀旧) is evidently a draw. At Bath and West, as colored flags flapped, visitors formed queues, bought cream teas and listened as a military band played wartime hits. Rural shows also have a purpose. Many fairs were founded to spread the knowledge of new farming technology among rural populations. Some of that mission lives on.
A secondary goal is to better educate those who flood in from towns and cities—urban folk make up a decent share of those who pack the grounds. Some consumers also come armed with powerful knowledge of food supply chains—as well as sometimes picky personal preferences for organic, local, animal-friendly and environmentally sound products. Laura Williams, of the Royal Welsh Show, notes that visitors are “much more invested in farming and interested in where their food comes from” than in years past.
A last purpose, naturally, is for farmers to excel against their rivals in friendly competition. In this respect, Mr. Neish enjoyed an utterly successful day. In a first for Bath and West, his cattle scooped all four of the top prizes on offer in their categories. Such victories do not bring immediate, large financial rewards, but should boost the reputation of his breeding program.
1. What do we know about the fair last month?| A．It saw high attendances. |
| B．It was a monthly show. |
| C．It was a fierce art competition. |
| D．It conveyed British moral values. |
| A．To narrow the urban-rural gap. |
| B．To promote wartime hit records. |
| C．To offer an insight into farming. |
| D．To erase competition among farmers. |
| A．An instant profit. |
| B．Marketing strategies. |
| C．A chance to advertise. |
| D．An academic reputation. |
| A．Rural shows: Victors’ stage |
| B．Masses of farmers: True winners |
| C．Farm products: Sweeping British |
| D．Fun of the fair: Gaining popularity |
6 . Cyberbullying (网络欺凌) is the use of electronic communication to threaten or insult someone. A child can be involved in cyberbullying in different ways. They can bully, be bullied, or witness the bullying of others. The more digital forms of communication a child uses, the more exposure he or she may get to cyberbullying. Parents, teachers and other adults need to be aware of children’s online usage. Some warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying are:
●Spending much more or less time on electronic devices, including texting
●Hiding their screen when others are near, and avoiding discussion about what they are doing on their device
●Closing social media accounts and opening new ones
●Avoiding social situations, even ones that were enjoyed in the past
●Becoming depressed, or losing interest in people and activities
Cyberbullying is like other forms of bullying and should be handled in a similar way. If a child is being cyberbullied, adults should support the child being bullied and tell the child doing the bullying that cyberbullying is something serious that should be stopped.
If a child sees hateful content online, there are a few easy ways they can deal with it. The child could report the content anonymously (化名地), as hateful speech goes against most websites’ principles of service. They can also block the person from posting abusive content. While ignoring posts might seem easier than blocking someone, it will not make the problem go away.
Adults can try to make their kids put themselves in the others’ shoes and consider how other people feel. They should see whether more help is needed for those involved, like speaking to a guidance counselor or mental health professional.
Cyberbullying may be impossible to stop completely, but parents could watch their child’s behavior and Internet time.
1. In which situation is cyberbullying most likely to happen?| A．A lady is doing online shopping. |
| B．A child is chatting on the Internet. |
| C．A student is attending a lesson online. |
| D．A teenager is watching a film on the Internet. |
| A．Get away from his or her cellphone. |
| B．Share his or her social media accounts online. |
| C．Start bullying other kids on the Internet. |
| D．Avoid taking part in activities and meeting people. |
| A．Post the content of cyberbullying online. |
| B．Ignore the person doing the cyberbullying. |
| C．Show mercy and close their social media accounts. |
| D．Pay attention to their behavior and online time. |
| A．To explain what cyberbullying actually is. |
| B．To warn some children to stop cyberbullying. |
| C．To give some advice on how to handle cyberbullying. |
| D．To persuade parents to care more for their children. |
7 . Culdesac, which describes itself as “the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US”, admitted its first 36 residents in Tempe, Arizona, US, earlier this year. In a country as car-dependent as the US, Culdesac is nothing short of visionary. The $170 million (about 1.24 billion yuan) neighborhood, with its white buildings and narrow walkways, is expected to hold around 1,000 people when the full 760 units are completed by 2025, according to The Guardian. Similar projects in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston, Texas, are also underway, said Bloomberg.
Although some densely populated coastal US cities like Boston and New York City are walkable and have adequate public transportation options like bus and light rail, the vast majority of Americans are entirely dependent on cars to get around. In the 2018 US Census, it was found that roughly 85 percent of Americans relied on a car to get to work.
This reliance on cars doesn’t come cheap, unfortunately. In a 2023 study, the American Automobile Association said that it costs an average of about 89,000 yuan per year to own and maintain a car in the US.
So, what is stopping Americans from deserting cars and embracing relatively cheaper alternatives like e-bikes? In a word, unsafe roads that prioritize cars over people. According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization, the US traffic death rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000. At the same time, pedestrians and cyclists in the US are often blamed for being hit by drivers rather than the other way around.
Still, there’s hope. By embracing a new car-free way of living, US projects like Culdesac can provide an alternative way of living that’s both healthier and more affordable and, in turn, influence others to live a better way as well. As Vanessa Fox, a 32-year-old resident of Culdesac, said, “For some, cars equal freedom, but for me, it’s a restriction. Freedom is being able to just simply walk out and access places.”
1. What can we learn about Culdesac from paragraph 1?| A．It will be put into use soon. |
| B．It is thought to be forward-thinking. |
| C．It follows several successful projects. |
| D．It is the world’s largest car-free neighborhood. |
| A．Maintaining a car is cheap. |
| B．Roads conditions are unsafe. |
| C．E-bikes are not widely available. |
| D．Public transportation is inadequate. |
| A．Restricting freedom of movement. |
| B．Increasing residents’ sense of responsibility. |
| C．Encouraging people to explore their communities. |
| D．Promoting a healthier and more cost-effective lifestyle. |
| A．Living Car-free in the US |
| B．Improving US Road Conditions |
| C．A New Trend: Energy-efficient Cars |
| D．A Dilemma: Car-free or Car-dependent |
8 . Social media can lead to mental exhaustion (疲惫). And when mentally exhausted, you are more likely to be influenced by a high number of likes on posts—even to the point of clicking on ads for products you don't need or want.
As a professor of advertising, I have studied social media behaviors for years. In late 2022, my colleague Eric Haley and I conducted three online studies on Americans aged 18—65 to test how people under various mental loads respond to ads differently.
The control group in each study were given no introductory task—we just had them look at an ad. A second group had to memorize a nine-digit number and then look at the ad. The third group looked through the Internet for 30 seconds and then looked at the ad. Participants randomly saw an ad with a few hundred likes or tens of thousands of likes. After viewing the ad, each participant rated how willing they would be to buy the product, and how much mental effort it took to think about the information.
The group that used the Internet first were the most likely to want to buy the featured product when there were lots of likes or comments, and they also reported using the most mental effort to assess the ad. Researchers refer to this mentally exhausted state as “cognitive (认知的) overload”. Using social media puts them in this state because they are constantly evaluating different types of texts, photos and video posts from so many different people. In the span of several seconds, they can see a text from their husband or wife, a photo from a co-worker, a video from a celebrity and an emoji from their brother. All of this evaluating leaves them feeling frazzled.
Imagine asking your roommate if they want to go get pizza. Under normal conditions, the roommate might consider several factors such as cost, hunger, timing or their schedule. Now imagine asking your roommate the same question while they are on the phone with a sick relative. They no longer have the mental energy to logically consider whether pizza for dinner is a good idea.
By understanding how social media influences them, consumers can be more thoughtful in regulating their use—and hopefully not buy yet another water bottle they don’t need.
1. Why did the author conduct three online studies on Americans aged 18-65?| A．To investigate their online habits. |
| B．To test their reactions to advertisements. |
| C．To research what kind of advertising is effective. |
| D．To discover why people suffer great mental stress. |
| A．Its purpose. | B．Its process. | C．Its finding. | D．Its significance. |
| A．Interested. | B．Depressed. | C．Annoyed. | D．Tired. |
| A．To further explain cognitive overload. |
| B．To stress the importance of. relationships. |
| C．To strongly call on people to eat healthily. |
| D．To remind people not to rely on mobile phones. |
9 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.
Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.
Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”
Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.
Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”
Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”
1. What can we say about the new research?| A．It started in 2013. | B．It is the first of its kind. |
| C．It was carried out by AIS. | D．It covers the whole Atlantic. |
| A．Rapid population growth. |
| B．Rising global temperatures. |
| C．The huge increase in shipping. |
| D．The disappearance of marine life. |
| A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy. |
| B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment. |
| C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity. |
| D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully. |
| A．New waterways across the Atlantic |
| B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic |
| C．New research opens windows into life under the water |
| D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping |
10 . Santosh Jadhav, a 28-year-old farmer from Maharashtra’s Sangli district, had never dreamed he would be trending on YouTube tending to his land. But as you watch his videos on Indian Farmer—the channel he runs with his friend, Akash Jadhav, 27—you quickly understand why he is attracting millions of views.
Set up in 2018, Indian Farmer was a result of the two friends’ love of farming, technology and filmmaking. Their videos offer tips, advice and information on various aspects of agriculture, including direct-farming techniques, agriculture-related activities, new farming tools, and agricultural apps. In addition to explaining how agricultural markets function, the channel shares success stories from across the country. A section that draws the most attention features workable solutions to everyday problems and do-it-yourself mechanical quick-fixes.
“We were looking to do something together. Agriculture was something we had in common. Plus, we were young and idealistic—we wanted to do something with a social impact,” says Santosh.
The channel has certainly made a mark, as the numbers show. Since 2018, their channel has built a user base of 21.5 million, thanks to the affordable mobile data revolution and the increasing popularity of smartphones in India. While Akash takes charge of the production side of things, Santosh offers his hands-on knowledge obtained from running his family farm. According to them, the Indian Farmer channel adds an average of 60,000 subscribers and earns between 70,000 and 100,000 in revenue every month.
“Knowledge in this sector is often inter-generational: a farmer is limited to what the others nearby know and do. There was very little by way of books or culture channels that addressed the needs, mistakes and scarcities of farmers. Social media has changed things, enabling cross-sharing of knowledge, all for free,” Akash says.
1. What’s the channel’s most popular section?| A．Inspiring stories. | B．Advanced tools. |
| C．Practical solutions. | D．Agricultural activities. |
| A．Experienced and sociable. | B．Cooperative and devoted. |
| C．Conservative and diligent. | D．Courageous and humorous. |
| A．To show the economic gains. | B．To imply the cooperation relationship. |
| C．To highlight social media engagement. | D．To indicate the success of the channel. |
| A．Resources were available to address farmers’ needs. |
| B．Farming knowledge relies on books and the Internet. |
| C．Agricultural modernization is dependent on technology. |
| D．Social media facilitates free knowledge exchange in agriculture. |
