1 . The Stanford marshmallow (棉花糖) test was originally conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel in the late 1960s. Children aged four to six at a nursery school were placed in a room. A single sugary treat, selected by the child, was placed on a table. Each child was told if they waited for 15 minutes before eating the treat, they would be given a second treat. Then they were left alone in the room. Follow-up studies with the children later in life showed a connect ion between an ability to wait long enough to obtain a second treat and various forms of success.
As adults, we face a version(版本) of the marshmallow test every day. We’re not tempted (诱惑) by sugary treats, but by our computers, phones, and tablets — all the devices that connect us to the global delivery system for various types of information that do to us what marshmallows do to preschoolers.
We are tempted by sugary treats because our ancestors lived in a calorie-poor world, and our brains developed a response mechanism(机制) to these treats that reflected their value — a feeling of reward and satisfaction. But as we’ve reshaped the world around us, dramatically reducing the cost and effort involved in obtaining (获取) calories, we still have the same brains we had thousands of years ago, and this mismatch(不匹配) is at the heart of why so many of us struggle to resist (抵抗) tempting foods that we know we shouldn’t eat.
A similar process is at work in our response to information. Our formative (有重大影响的) environment as a species was information-poor, so our brains developed a mechanism that prized (高度重视) new information. But global connectivity has greatly changed our information environment. We are now endlessly bombarded (轰炸) with new information. Therefore, just as we need to be more thoughtful (深思熟虑的) about our caloric consumption (热量消耗), we also need to be more thoughtful about our information consumption, resisting the temptation of the mental “junk food” in order to manage our time most effectively.
1. What did the children need to do to get a second treat in Mischel’s test?| A．Take an examination alone. | B．Show respect for the researchers. |
| C．Share their treats with others. | D．Delay eating for fifteen minutes. |
| A．the calorie-poor world and our good appetites | B．the shortage of sugar and our nutritional needs |
| C．the rich food supply and our unchanged brains | D．the tempting foods and our efforts to keep fit |
| A．Absorb new information readily (欣然地). | B．Use diverse information sources. |
| C．Be selective information consumers. | D．Protect the information environment. |
| A．Eat Less, Read More | B．The Bitter Truth about Early Humans |
| C．The Marshmallow Test for Grownups | D．The Marshmallow Test for Children. |
2 . When I was seven, my father gave me a watch, Timex. It was my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped clicking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t
This is
Watches are now categorized as “investments”. A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £350,000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15,000 to £30,000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It’s a(n)
| A．own | B．wear | C．choose | D．need |
| A．devices | B．phones | C．watches | D．friends |
| A．minds | B．wrists | C．bags | D．hands |
| A．young | B．sensitive | C．proud | D．wise |
| A．regularly | B． apparently | C．generously | D．usually |
| A．prices | B．salaries | C．operations | D．applications |
| A．unexpected | B．fashionable | C．silly | D．reasonable |
| A．functions | B．charges | C．operations | D．applications |
| A．interest | B．direction | C．courage | D．fortune |
| A．come up | B．brightened up | C．closed down | D．moved on |
| A．appreciate | B．set | C．promote | D．make |
| A．toy | B．memory | C．reward | D．invention |
| A．designer | B．admirer | C．producer | D．owner |
| A．originally | B．suddenly | C．particularly | D．constantly |
| A．priceless | B．pocket | C．childhood | D．poor |
3 . In the age of the selfie, taking photos of yourself has become a daily activity. Half of all teenagers regularly post selfies. But what happens when the desire for the best selfie starts damaging nature—or even ourselves?
Social media tourism is dramatically changing who visits natural places like Figure Eight Pools in Sydney’s Royal National Park. Many people are now drawn to these places for the best selfie background. These new tourists, motivated to seek out photos and selfies, sometimes ignore warning signs or bans on drones (无人机). Thus, many people have been severely injured or killed by taking risky selfies and photos in dangerous locations. Additionally, drone use can cause environmental harm if drones catch fire or batteries leak.
The search for the perfect selfie can also harm animals, protected plants and even First Nations rock art. In some cases, selfies have become a long-term threat to ecosystems.
But for land managers, perhaps the biggest challenge is satisfying increased interest while keeping people safe. They are working to assist this new demand by reshaping nature to make better scenery—and keep visitors safer. At Moran Falls in Queensland’s Lamington National Park, a famous view had been blocked by plants, driving some visitors to jump the fence at the viewing platform and stand directly on top of a very tall cliff (悬崖). As a solution, land managers have the trees trimmed (修剪) and then use the fallen branches to hide the track made by selfie-seekers.
These land managers are wondering why traditional measures like signs and warnings often prove ineffective? The answer may lie in social recognition For many, the risk seems worth the reward if it means gaining admiration on social media. Nature-based content on popular social media platforms like TikTok often performs very well, giving other would-be influencers the motive to seek out new locations. This problem has been created by the combination of social media and human psychology. To solve it, we might look at how these two factors interact. Responsible selfie and tourism campaigns on popular social media platforms could be a start.
1. Why are many people attracted to visit places like Figure Eight Pools?| A．To appreciate the natural beauty. | B．To seek adventure and excitement. |
| C．To search for the ideal selfie setting. | D．To test the use of drones for photography. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Risks are often ignored by people | B．Rules are rarely followed by people. |
| C．Exploring new attractions is preferred. | D．Social media attention is valued more. |
| A．Launching tourism campaigns | B．Promoting proper behaviors online |
| C．Banning selfies in natural landscape. | D．Restricting access to social media platforms. |
4 . A new trend has popped up in China with many young people abandoning brand (品牌) names to create makeshift handbags out of things like reusable grocery bags and other materials. One example is the Shenzhen bag, which includes canvas (帆布) bags, paper bags, milk tea packages that people carry around in Guangdong Province.
Makeshift handbags like the “Shenzhen bag” are also common among young people in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. People find the bags practical, wearable and fashionable, and they can be carried on the shoulder or the back. This emerging trend reveals a new attitude to consumption as young people in China begin to pursue a simple and shared life, with consumers no longer blindly pursuing brand names as a status (身份) symbol, but advocating a simple and low-carbon lifestyle. In addition to the handbags, and regardless of their monthly incomes, many young people are living more casually, in line with a “good enough mentality”. Loose T-shirts, Crocs, and canvas bags are basically standard mode.
“Consumers today are becoming more mature and rational. They are pursuing smarter consumption through careful consideration and calculation to find the cheapest; most practical, cost-effective way of shopping,” says. Wang Ning, a sociology professor at Nanjing’s Southeast University.
Economists believe that China’s Generation Z no longer blindly pursues brands and luxury goods or buys things for brand name and status. Instead, they pay more attention to their actual needs, quality, and experience of buying, and prefer sharing and secondhand purchases. They also advocate environmental protection and sustainable consumption.
Price-aware Chinese consumers have also begun to place a greater emphasis on their inner selves. Driven by rational consumption, many young people no longer save to buy a brand-name bag, but for self-improvement.
The new handbag trend has also created business opportunities. Reusing packaging used for food brands as handbags results in mobile advertising for the associated brands, and the phenomenon of the “Shenzhen Bag” has also benefited paper bag companies.
1. What is the feature of “Shenzhen bag”?| A．A popular luxury brand of handbag. |
| B．A makeshift handbag symbolizing status. |
| C．A traditional handbag designed for specific people. |
| D．A temporary handbag that was once for another use. |
| A．Conservative. | B．Reliable. |
| C．Sensible. | D．Considerate. |
| A．A belief for a plain and green lifestyle. |
| B．A neglect of environmental protection. |
| C．Blind pursuit of brand names and luxury goods. |
| D．Focus on outer appearance rather than inner selves. |
| A．A book review. | B．A news report. |
| C．A business plan. | D．A research article. |
5 . 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 parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing. |
| D．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby. |
| A．It will change the animals' nature. |
| B．It may make the animals not so cute. |
| C．It will result in a decline in animal population. |
| D．It may cause health problems to the animals. |
| A．Attractive Pictures of Animals | B．Happiness From Pets |
| C．The "Cute Economy" and Its Price | D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness |
6 . Do you have a suit or dress in the closet that you haven’t worn for years but are reluctant to get rid of? Maybe you say, “I can’t throw that away because I paid good money for it”. If you recognize this in yourself, then you are suffering from commitment to the sunk cost fallacy (谬论). It occurs when we feel that we have invested too much to quit. This psychological trap causes us to stick with a plan even if it no longer serves us and the costs clearly outweigh the benefits.
Arkes and Blumer conducted a survey showing that people are influenced by sunk cost fallacy in their decisions. Participants imagined spending $100 on a ski trip to Michigan and $50 on Wisconsin, realizing later they were for the same weekend. They were told Wisconsin would be more enjoyable. When asked which trip to take, 54% chose Michigan despite the reasonable choice being Wisconsin, because they had made a greater initial investment.
Sunk cost fallacy takes place when we let emotions cloud our decisions. Once we’ve invested in a choice, we feel guilt or regret if we don’t follow through. We fail to realize that past costs won’t be recovered. Instead, we base decisions on past costs, ignoring present and future costs and benefits. It might be because the pain of losing outweighs the joy of winning for us. We avoid losses, making choices based on avoiding the “loss” of our past investment instead of considering the benefits gained if we don’t continue our commitment.
No one can deny the fact that we benefit a lot from perseverance. So our society loves to emphasize perseverance. Never give up! Don’t waste. But only you know the right path for you. Sometimes walking away is the hardest choice of all. You might realize a path you’re on is no longer the right one or never was. That’s a painful realization.
1. What phenomenon does the author describe in the first paragraph?| A．People benefit from sticking with a plan. |
| B．People’s consumption view has changed. |
| C．People refuse to give up the past commitment. |
| D．People’s clothes are becoming more expensive. |
| A．To save more of the loss. | B．To appear more reasonable. |
| C．To make a greater investment. | D．To enjoy more of themselves. |
| A．When we don’t continue our commitment. |
| B．When we stop feeling guilty and regretful. |
| C．When we don’t follow through our choices. |
| D．When we make decisions based on past costs. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Rational. | C．Dismissive. | D．Unclear. |
7 . In a normal year, Dayna Reber, a business analyst for a technology consulting firm in Camp Hill, Penn., would finish reading around three books. Thanks to the way Covid-19 has completely changed her daily routine, however, Ms. Reber, 30— who now works from home and rarely socializes offline — has polished off 46 volumes so far in 2020. And that count doesn’t include the bedtime stories she reads to her 4-year-old.
For Ms. Reber and others, lockdown has brought back a passion for reading, both as beneficial time-filler when stuck at home and as a trusty escape. “When the coronavirus hit, I just felt a need to get away from TV and screens.”
If binge (放纵地) reading hasn’t fully replaced binge-watching Netflix shows quite yet, the trend is certainly making strides. In August 2020, year-over-year sales of print books in the U.S. were up 13%, according to NPD BookScan, which tracks book sales across the U.S. Publishers also report a notable increase in purchases of e-books, as well as all books about politics or related to civil rights, racism and diversity.
Independent booksellers, as well as publishers and authors, deserve considerable credit for fueling the page-turning trend. In March, Octavia Books introduced free shipping or delivery within New Orleans on orders of $25 or more. The bookstore also hosts author events via Zoom. And in Illinois, Page 1 Books established a subscription service, where customers fill out an online profile, noting their literary tastes, and then receive a package each month, a mix of hardcovers and paperbacks.
Jamie Miller, 34, a book blogger and “book-stagrammer” who lives in Harleysville, Penn, has long been a committed reader, but she says the hobby has meant far more importance this year. She now schedules a block of time every morning to read, typically a love or vivid novel. “Everything became so chaotic around me that it was just like what can I control?” said Ms. Miller. “My brain just wants something guaranteed to be a happy ending.”
1. What was a cause of Reber’s achievement in book reading?| A．Work requirement. | B．Pandemic lockdown. |
| C．Parenting experience. | D．Online recommendation. |
| A．On the way. | B．Keeping pace. |
| C．In great progress. | D．Drawing attention. |
| A．Opening new branches. | B．Offering sales promotions. |
| C．Mailing books for free. | D．Providing lending service. |
| A．Reasons behind a book reading hit. | B．Influence of lockdown on people. |
| C．Trend of video watching on Netflix. | D．Secret to offline bookstore success. |
8 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?
One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.
Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.
The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.
Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.
It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.
1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?| A．The need to produce results. | B．The selection of research areas. |
| C．The lack of financial support. | D．The desire to solve research problem. |
| A．To show how influential the mass media can be. |
| B．To show how effective environmental groups can be. |
| C．To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds. |
| D．To show how environmental groups overstate their claims. |
| A．educate readers | B．mislead readers |
| C．meet readers’ expectations | D．encourage readers’ feedback |
| A．Making decisions based on reality. | B．Balancing optimism and pessimism. |
| C．Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes. | D．Addressing the environmental crisis gradually. |
9 . Is art boring? It’s not, really. I don’t think so, at least. But there’s a problem with how we look at art, how we approach it.
Museums are formal and strangely dry. There’s no embrace. Barriers prevent us from leaving the path set by the curator (馆长). Glass traps the paintings permanently in their frames – an invisible barrier that prevents us from ever getting close to the art, from touching it, feeling it. Guides and guards are constantly observing us, stopping us from taking photos, or using selfie sticks, or talking too loud. Museums have too many rules. And they’ve made our art boring.
We should be able to see art, to sometimes touch it. How can we feel any connection to the world? Art is a way to connect to the world, and yet so much of our art (and it is our art, not theirs, not yours — but ours) is unreachable.
Why can’t we laugh in museums? Why can’t we take silly selfies in front of art, our tongues sticking out, our hands in the air? Art is not boring and yet, we as a society, have made it so. We’ve trapped incredible artists behind glass boxes, with random rules governing noise levels, lights, flashes, sounds, photos, selfies, pens & pencils.
I love art. I think it has this incredible power to change our world. It can move us — as individuals, or as a collective society. Art is so often a window to something else. And yet we’ve allowed museums and galleries and collectors to prevent us from ever opening those windows.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy art museums. There are many fantastic ones around the world. And without so many wonderful curators and collectors, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy much of the art that is created -the masterpieces and the newer, more contemporary (and sometimes crazy) art. But at the same time, we’ ve allowed museums too much control.
They’ve taken our art. They’ve controlled our world. And our world, our art — it’s not meant to be controlled. It’s meant to be experienced — however that may be. It’s an individual, personal choice. Let’s take back our art, our museums. And take some selfies.
1. According to the writer, how may visitors to museums feel?| A．Interested. | B．Unwelcome. | C．Excited. | D．Ashamed. |
| A．The writer believes that art should never be kept in museums. |
| B．The writer is losing his love of art due to museums’ policies. |
| C．The writer believes museums are taking away the power of art. |
| D．The writer believes that art should be replaced by something else. |
| A．Help me. | B．Control me. | C．Misunderstand me. | D．Frighten me. |
| A．All of us can create art. | B．Museums are of little use. |
| C．Admission to museums should be free. | D．Museums should give visitors more freedom. |
10 . For most of history, people lived in small groups of up to 150 people. Then villages and small towns developed, offering safety and support through the sharing of resources. As time passed, urban living brought additional advantages such as better jobs, schools and healthcare. Larger towns also gave people more chances to meet and interact. This is important.
Today, over half of the world’s population currently lives in towns and cities. But this has resulted in a strange paradox (悖论). Although social opportunities are one reason people choose to live in large cities, research suggests that city life can be lonely.
The development of virtual communities can be traced back to the 1860s. Back then, telegraph operators exchanged messages and gradually formed friendships over long distances.
These days, there are thousands of virtual communities and that number keeps growing. Many people believe they will become more important.
| A．This trend, however, is not likely to continue. |
| B．As Aristotle said, the nature of humans is to be social. |
| C．That may explain why virtual communities are so popular. |
| D．The first popular online communities developed in the 1980s. |
| E．Before cell phones existed, radio was an easy way to communicate. |
| F．Nevertheless, others worry about problems with these communities. |
| G．This is among the earliest examples of virtual community interactions. |
