1 . For a place with a reputation for bottling up feelings, Britain is remarkably honest about mental health problems. The British are more likely than people in any other rich country to think that mental illness is a disease like any other and that support should be sought. Only the Swedes hold the idea that a history of mental health problems should not disqualify someone from public office.

Much of the rich world has struggled with rising rates of self-reported mental health problems. But the numbers in Britain are frightening. Around 4.5 million Britons were in contact with mental health services in 2021-2022, which was almost 1 million higher than five years ago. A National Health Service (NHS) survey in 2023 found that one in five 8-to 16-year-olds in England had a probable mental disorder, up from one in eight in 2017. In 17-to 19-year-olds the figure had increased from one in ten to one in four.

It is good that people do not feel they must bottle things up. Awareness of mental health has raised public knowledge of mental health disorders and revealed that many Britons’ needs are not met, but it has caused damage, too.

Despite the best intentions, campaigns intended to raise awareness are leading some people to combine normal responses to life’s difficulties with mental health disorders. Special treatment creates motivations for people to seek diagnoses (诊断) and to medicalise problems unnecessarily. The need to treat people with milder conditions competes with care for those who have the most severe ones. Medicalising mild worry may not benefit patients; instead, normal teaching is just as good for mental health. But the great harm from over diagnosis is to those who most need help.

Britons’ approaches to mental health require several changes. More money should go on research so that individuals are treated appropriately. More time and effort should be given to those most in need of help. All suffering should be taken seriously, but a diagnosis is not always in someone’s best interests.

1. What is Britons’ attitude towards mental health problems?

A．Conservative.

B．Uncaring.

C．Critical.

D．Open.

2. How does the author describe the mental health problems in Britain in paragraph 2?

A．By listing examples.	B．By analyzing the causes.
C．By presenting the statistics.	D．By referring to professionals’ views.

3. What is the side-effect of increased awareness of mental health?

A．Ignorance of milder mental cases.	B．Over-medicalisation of normal stress.
C．The lack of teaching in mental health.	D．Unnecessary treatment for most diseases.

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

A．Britain’s Mental Health Mess	B．New Social Crisis in Britain
C．Reform in Britons’ Mental Health	D．Britons’ Rising Mental Disorders

2 . In much of the western United States, drought and access to fresh water is a critical issue. However, recently California came up with a novel solution. The state approved regulations that allow agencies to purify wastewater for drinking. This recycled wastewater may be consumed in homes, schools, and businesses.

As the population in California has exploded in recent decades, the state has struggled to meet demands for fresh water. Recycled wastewater will allow the state to increase access to the precious resource.

Recycled wastewater is not new to the state. It has previously been used in ice hockey rinks (冰球场), for crops, and to generate artificial snow. But now, water agencies will have the option to put recycled wastewater back into pipes for drinking. California is only the second state to allow purified wastewater to be consumed. The first was Colorado in 2022.

While the idea of drinking recycled wastewater may be off-putting, regulators spent more than a decade developing rules and regulations to ensure safety. Independent panels of scientists also reviewed the state’s rules around recycled wastewater consumption. All water will be treated for pathogens (病原体) and viruses before being available for consumption.

So far, the state’s plan has been met with approval from large water agencies. Many of them have plans to construct wastewater recycling plans over the next few years. In Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has set a goal aiming to produce 150 million gallons of direct and indirect recycled water per day. This water will be in the pipes of the 19 million people throughout the six counties that the agency serves.

Officials are aware that a certain amount of public convincing may still be necessary. However, they remain optimistic about the future of the project, reminding consumers that the water is safe, and that recycled water is already in use in California.

1. Why does California pass new regulations about recycled wastewater?

A．To ease the pressure of drought.	B．To increase the supply of fresh water.
C．To recycle the wastewater for industry.	D．To reduce the pollution of the wastewater.

2. What does the underlined word “off-putting” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Surprising.

B．Necessary.

C．Funny.

D．Awful.

3. What can we learn from paragraph 5?

A．The goal of wastewater recycling is hard to achieve.

B．The state’s plan will be conducted by water agencies.

C．Southern California will reduce its water production.

D．People in California tend to prefer recycled water.

4. What do the public think of the recycled water project?

A．Many people still disapprove of the project.

B．The public are optimistic about the project.

C．It will never be suitable to use recycled water.

D．The project is the only solution to water shortage.

3 . Feel like you’re trying to keep pace with your friends? Envious of the classmates who have got progress in math?     1    . Comparison has been hardwired in our DNA for thousands of years.

When used in a positive way, comparison can actually help us become better.     2    . We may wonder why we are unable to do the same as those who appear to have it all, which will lead to anxiety and low self-esteem. But we have ways to help prevent unhealthy comparisons.

You may start with staying in your lane. Focus on your own goals and work on achieving them in your own time.     3    , as this can be demotivating and you’ll be less likely to achieve your targets.

    4    . People often only share positive highlights, which are what you may be comparing yourself to. So, if you’re feeling discouraged by the fantastic lives of others, remember that you’re not seeing the full picture. Everybody has a “behind the scenes” version of their life, complete with good and bad days.

Do you often dig for information on social media about your old school friends to see how they are going?     5    . Therefore, unfollow unhelpful social media accounts, and question your motivation when being curious about others.

A．Sometimes, you should also be realistic

B．Comparing yourself to others is something that we all do

C．This behavior often involves you into comparison-led self-pity

D．It is advisable to be true to yourself both in person and online

E．Avoid getting distracted by the “noise” of what others are doing

F．There’s no doubt that social media exposure plays a big part in it

G．However, the damage happens when we use it to determine how we fall short

4 . If sales generally feel hard to resist, the sale in front of Arron Schurevich was the ultimate test: a new car just like the one he’d loved. And it was more than a 20% discount. “I figured that I would be a fool not to take advantage of that,” says Schurevich. After he drove the car off the lot, the deal turned sour. The brand-new car quickly needed repairs. Schurevich now jokes that he paid a tax for being a fool.

Why is it so hard for the human brain to resist a discount? Spotting something you’d like to buy activates your brain’s reward circuitry (奖赏回路). It gets especially heightened if it’s something you’ve been fascinated by — say, the same car you’ve enjoyed for years. Additionally, the discount itself often registers as a win, delivering its own kind of joy, says Jorge Barraza, a consumer psychologist at the University of Southern California.

“Not only are we getting the product,” Barraza says, “but we’re also getting that reward that we discovered something; we’ve earned this extra thing.”

Stores, of course, know all this and try to push our buttons. “Limited-quantity, limited-time, scarcity-marketing promotions—they get people’s blood pumping,” says Kelly Goldsmith, who studies this as a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University.

It’s really hard to always approach sales rationally. One buying strategy experts recommend is to make a shopping list in advance and then, stick to it. Another is to research items — beforehand or on the spot, checking online — to weigh whether the sale is really a good deal.

“The human brain has essentially evolved to feel first and think next, which is why you need to give yourself time to cool off from your instant reaction when in front of a sale,” says Goldsmith.

1. What is the purpose of telling Arron Schurevich’s story?

A．To explain the way to promote sale.	B．To inform readers of an important test.
C．To introduce the topic of the passage.	D．To show the advantage of products on sale.

2. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?

A．Brain’s reward circuitry needs activating.	B．It’s hard to resist a discount for some reasons.
C．Buying discounted products has consequences.	D．It’s worthwhile to approach sales rationally.

3. What does the underlined sentence probably mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Stores are good at pushing buttons.	B．Stores tend to affect people’s health.
C．Stores help consumers earn extra things.	D．Stores know how to attract consumers with sales.

4. According to Goldsmith, what can you do when facing a sale?

A．Calm down in front of a sale.	B．Make a shopping list ahead of time.
C．Research items on the spot or online.	D．Avoid buying any discounted items.

5 . Depending on which late-model vehicle you own, your car might be watching you — literally and figuratively — as you drive down the road. It’s watching you with cameras that monitor the cabin and track where you’re looking, and with sensors that track your speed, lane positions and rates of acceleration.

In addition to providing these functions, this data collection is a potential privacy nightmare. The information can reveal your identity, your habits when you’re in your car, how safely you drive, where you’ve been and where you regularly go.

There is a trade-off (权衡) between the quality of the driving experience and the privacy of drivers, depending on the level of services and features. Some drivers may prefer to share their biometric data to facilitate accessing a car’s functions and automating a major part of their driving experience. Others may prefer to manually control the car’s systems, sharing less personally identifiable information or none at all.

At first glance, it seems the trade-off between privacy and driver comfort cannot be avoided. Car manufacturers tend to take measures to protect drivers’ data against data thieves, but they collect a lot of data themselves. And as the Mozill a Foundation report showed, most car companies reserve the right to sell your data.

Researchers are now working on developing data analytics tools that better protect privacy and make progress on eliminating the trade-off. For instance, over the past seven years, the concept of federated machine learning has attracted attention because it allows algorithms (算法) to learn from the data on your local device without copying the data to a central server. Google’s Gboard keyboard benefits from federated learning to better guess the next word you are likely to type without sharing your private data with a server. There are other techniques to preserve privacy as well, such as location obfuscation, which alters the user’s location data to prevent the location from being revealed.

While there is still a trade-off between user privacy and quality of service, privacy-preserving data analytics techniques could pave the way for using data without leaking drivers’ and passengers’ personally identifiable information. This way, drivers could benefit from a wide range of modern cars’ services and features without paying the high cost of losing privacy.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To explain the benefits of your car.

B．To bring in the topic of privacy problems.

C．To point out the bright future of car industry.

D．To stress the advanced technology applied in cars.

2. What do drivers’ attitudes in Paragraph 3 show us?

A．A good medicine tastes bitter.	B．Knowledge starts with practice.
C．A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.	D．One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

3. What is special about federated machine learning?

A．It can protect user privacy.	B．It makes algorithms learn fast.
C．It is yet to be put into application.	D．It copies local data to a central server.

4. How does the author feel about the privacy problem in the last paragraph?

A．Hesitant.

B．Indifferent.

C．Positive.

D．Objective.

6 . Proper questioning has become a lost art. The curious four-year-old asks a lot of questions-incessant streams of “Why?” and “Why not?“ might sound familiar-but as we grow older, our questioning decreases. In a recent survey of more than 200 of our clients, we found that those with children estimated that 70-80% of their kids’ dialogues with others were comprised of questions. But those same clients said that only 15-25% of their own interactions consisted of questions. Why the drop of?

Think back to your time growing up and in school. Chances are you received the most recognition or reward when you got the correct answers. Later in life, that motivator continues. At work, we often reward those who answer questions, not those who ask them. Questioning conventional wisdom can even lead to being distanced, or considered a threat.

Because expectations for decision-making have gone from ”get it done soon“ to ”get it done now“ to ”it should have been done yesterday, “ we tend to jump to conclusions instead of asking more questions. And the unfortunate side effect of not asking enough questions is poor decision-making. That’s why it’s vital that we slow down and take the time to ask more and better questions. At best, we’ll arrive at better conclusions. At worst we’ll avoid a lot of rework later on.

Aside from not speaking up enough, many professionals don’t think about how different types of questions can lead to different outcomes. We should lead a conversation by asking the right kinds of questions, based on the problem we’re trying to solve. In some cases, we’ll want to expand our view of the problem rather than keeping it narrowly focused. In others, we may want to challenge basic assumptions or confirm our understanding in order to feel more confident in our conclusions. Therefore, asking the right kinds of questions is what counts in achieving a goal.

1. What does the underlined word ”incessant“ in paragraph 1 most probably mean?

A．Constant.

B．Random.

C．Noisy.

D．Innocent.

2. What accounts for the decline of questioning in adulthood?

A．One poses a threat to the company if they ask questions.

B．Those who ask questions don’t necessarily get positive feedback.

C．One doesn’t have as many opportunities as they did in childhood.

D．Those who question popular beliefs don’t have interpersonal skills.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．Redoing is unavoidable despite thoughtful questions.

B．Better questions can surely result in desirable outcomes.

C．Some people think it can’t be too fast to make a decision.

D．We’ll make reasonable decisions as long as we ask questions.

4. What might the author continue talking about?

A．Proper questions that should be raised.

B．Important goals that we are to achieve.

C．Right kinds of answers to the questions.

D．The reasons for the loss of questioning art.

7 . Halloween candy could be in for a California big change. State lawmakers last month passed the California Food Safety Act, which bans four materials found in popular snacks and packaged foods - including candy corm and other Halloween treats. Set to take effect in 2027, the ban will lead candy and food producers to change their formulas for products sold both in California and elsewhere around the country.

The law bans the production and sale of some materials, which are used in processed foods including kinds of instant potatoes and sodas, as well as candies. The additives (添加剂) have been linked to increased risks of cancer and nervous system problems, according to the Environmental Working Group, which started the act, and are already banned in many other countries.

Food producers and their lobbyists (说客) opposed the law, arguing the conclusion that the four additives are unhealthy should be made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They thought that evaluating the safety of food materials and additives should rely on the scientific accuracy of the FDA. But food safety advocates say the FDA has moved far too slowly in regulating food chemicals. It’s unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety.

California’s act made headlines this year as a “Skittles (彩虹糖) ban” that would wipe popular candies off California shelves. But supporters of the act said the intention is simply to require changes in the materials, as has already happened in Europe. Perhaps the most standing-out material on California’s banned list is red dye No. 3. It is allowed only in candied and cocktail cherries in the European Union but more than 3,000 products contain the chemical in the U. S. The list includes items like frosted pretzels and scores of brand-name candies such as Peeps and Pez. It also includes items like fruit cocktail cups, protein drinks, and yogurts.

1. How will Halloween candy in California change?

A．It will change its recipes.	B．It will transform its shapes.
C．It will move out of California.	D．It will disappear completely.

2. What idea do food producers have against the act?

A．FDA’s conclusion on the materials is wrong.

B．Four materials are allowed all over the world.

C．The materials’ safety needs to be reassessed.

D．FDA moves too fast in regulating food chemicals.

3. What can we infer about the act supporters’ request about Skittles?

A．They demand a complete ban on Skittles.

B．They wish the “Skittles ban” to be headlines.

C．They want to apply European policies to Skittles.

D．They hope more red dye No. 3 is used in Skittles.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．California candy ban.	B．Food safety in California.
C．The responsibility of FDA.	D．Change of Halloween Candy.

8 . Journalists are looking out for news stories that attract a significant audience. By applying a set of guidelines or criteria, they can recognize what material will make the best stories.     1     They are central to this process because they identify the ingredients (因素) of a story that will draw people’ s attention.

Timeliness

News gets out of date quickly; it’s timely if it happened recently. But how recently?     2     On a television news channel events that have happened during the past half hour are timely. By contrast, in the monthly magazine events that have taken place over the past 30 days are timely.

Unexpectedness

    3     For instance, it is not a newsworthy event that boats travel through the Suez Canal daily. However, a boat getting stuck in the canal and blocking the passageway could be so unexpected and surprising that it makes the headlines.

Currency

Topics that are already under the public spotlight are more likely to be newsworthy. Thus, growing public awareness of global warming has generated more stories about companies producing environmentally friendly products.     4     Journalists can capitalize on the current conversations on different social media platforms to find out what is holding people’s interest.

Human interest

People like to know people. Certain events make people feel strong emotions. Both a dying child receiving a donated organ and families reuniting after fifty years are good examples. People’s everyday concerns make them feel interested, for instance, stories about food, health and housing.     5    

A．We call these “news values”.

B．But this is not enough to make a story newsworthy.

C．Strange stories are likely to find their way into the news.

D．It depends on the publication cycle of the news medium.

E．Information about schools and work also catches the public’s eye.

F．An unfolding story has strong news value on 24-hour news channels.

G．Social media has enabled people to share opinions with a far wider audience.

9 . Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased over the past 20 years. UPFs contain few or no whole foods, are industrially produced, are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat, and include additives. The ultra-processing of food lessens its nutritional value. It has been known that higher UPF consumption is associated with overweight and heart disease. Now, research has been extended to examine its impact on mental health.

In a new study, over 72,000 participants who were at least 55 years old and didn’t have dementia (痴呆) at the start of the study were followed for an average of 10 years, during which they filled out questionnaires regarding their diet. By the end of the study, 518 people were diagnosed (诊断) with dementia. After adjusting for other factors that could affect risk of dementia such as age, gender, and heart disease, researchers found every 10 percent increase in daily intake of UPFs was associated with a 25 percent higher risk of dementia. They also found replacing 10 percent of UPFs with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of dementia.

In another study, researchers found individuals who consumed the most UPFs had statistically significant increases in the symptoms (症状) of mild depression, “mentally unhealthy days”, and “anxious days”. Eric Hecht, Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Etiological Research, said, “More than 70 percent of packaged foods in the US are classified as UPFs and represent about 60 percent of all calories consumed by Americans. Given the degree of exposure to and effects of UPF consumption, this study has great significance in clinical practice and public health. It might help improve future development of dietary guidelines.”

Facing such alarming data, maybe it’s time for Americans to reconsider their food options. Researchers recommend taxes on UPFs and carrying out policies to reduce the consumption. They also support programs and policies to increase the availability and affordability of whole foods, especially among disadvantaged populations.

1. What do we know about UPFs?

A．They have no nutritional value.	B．They are ready-made and instant foods.
C．They are cheap and mass-produced.	D．They serve as additions to our daily diets.

2. What’s Eric Hecht’s attitude toward the new study?

A．Positive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Mixed.

D．Conservative.

3. What do researchers suggest doing?

A．Collecting higher taxes on UPFs.	B．Decreasing UPFs’ share in diet.
C．Focusing on the nutrient content of foods.	D．Increasing public awareness of whole foods.

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

A．Public Health Response to UPFs	B．Physical Disorders Linked to UPFs
C．Rising Consumption of UPFs in the US	D．Negative Effects of UPFs on Mental Health

10 . About ten years ago, logging into Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram would mostly show posts from friends and family in the order they were posted. Today, these platforms present a mix of content, tailored by algorithms (算法) to match users’ interests, whether it’s plants, sports, cats, or politics.

Kyle Chayka, a writer for The New Yorker, discusses this topic in his book, Filterworld. He explains that algorithms analyze user data to predict and influence what they will likely engage with. This means that instead of a simple, chronological feed, users encounter a dynamic stream, constantly adapting to their preferences. Chayka examines how these algorithmic recommendations control what we consume, from music and movies to food and travel destinations. He argues that this machine-driven selection process has turned us into passive consumers, making our preferences and tastes more similar.

Chayka points out that algorithms make us passive by always showing us content that we’re unlikely to click away from but won’t find too unexpected or challenging. This constant stream of recommendations reduces our exposure to diverse or challenging content, subtly shaping our preferences and behaviors.

Moreover, Chayka points out that algorithms also pressure content creators, like musicians and artists, to tailor their work to fit these digital platforms. For instance, musicians on Spotify or TikTok might focus on creating catchy hooks at the beginning of their songs to grab the listener’s attention.

Despite the strong presence of these algorithms, Chayka believes that regulation could reduce their influence. He suggests that if Meta, the parent company of Facebook, were required to separate its various services, like Instagram or WhatsApp, and make them compete with each other, it could give users more control and choice over their digital consumption.

In summary, the change from simple, time-ordered social. media posts to algorithm-driven content has a big impact on both the viewers and the creators, influencing what we see, hear, and even think. Chayka’s insights highlight the need for greater awareness and potentially more regulation in our increasingly digital world.

1. According to the text, how have social media platforms changed in the past ten years?

A．They show posts in a time-based order.

B．They prioritize posts from friends and family.

C．They make adjustments to satisfy users’ needs.

D．They provide more content to meet different needs.

2. What does Kyle Chayka think of algorithmic recommendations?

A．They make users more active consumers.

B．They shape users’ preferences and behaviors.

C．They reduce the influence of content creators.

D．They expose users to diverse and challenging content.

3. How do algorithms influence musicians’ work on digital platforms?

A．By encouraging musicians to create longer songs.

B．By discouraging musicians from using catchy hooks.

C．By giving musicians more control and choice over their music.

D．By requiring musicians to create their work to fit the platforms.

4. What can be concluded from the text?

A．Tech companies should have more departments.

B．Social media algorithms give content creators less opportunities.

C．Social media algorithms flatten our culture by making decisions for us.

D．Network platforms have increased the common recommendations for 10 years.