1 . There’s a part of your brain that processes faces. It’s located, according to scientist Nancy Austen, in the area “just behind and underneath, and a bit from your right ear.” It’s called the fusiform gyrus (梭状回).
There are people who may see a particular person’s face every day of their lives and still not recognize it. They see a nose, teeth, and cheeks, but when these are put together, they cannot keep a memory of it.
Sufferers of face blindness must develop other ways of recognizing coworkers, friends, and family.
| A．But what happens |
| B．So what can people do |
| C．Whenever you see someone you know, it tells you who he is |
| D．Jane Goodall has spent all her time in studying chimps in the wild |
| E．Jane Goodall, the world’s leading expert on chimps (黑猩猩), has it |
| F．The medical term for this condition is prosopagnosia, more commonly called face blindness |
| G．They remember single feature s instead, such as a specific style of clothing, or an extra toothy smile |
2 . 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 connection between an ability to wait long enough to obtain a second treat and various forms of success.
As adults we face a version of the marshmallow test every day. We’re not tempted 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 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 calories, we still have the same brains we had thousands of years ago, and this mismatch is at the heart of why so many of us struggle to resist tempting foods that we know we shouldn’t eat.
A similar process is at work in our response to information. Our formative environment as a species was information-poor, so our brains developed a mechanism that prized new information. But global connectivity has greatly changed our information environment. We are now ceaselessly bombarded (轰炸) with new information. Therefore, just as we need to be more thoughtful about our caloric consumption, 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．Share their treats with others. |
| C．Delay eating for fifteen minutes. | D．Show respect for the researchers. |
| A．the calorie-poor world and our good appetites | B．the shortage of sugar and our nutritional needs |
| C．the tempting foods and our efforts to keep fit | D．the rich food supply and our unchanged brains |
| A．Be selective information consumers. | B．Absorb new information readily. |
| C．Use diverse information sources. | D．Protect the information environment. |
| A．Eat Less, Read More | B．The Later, the Better |
| C．The Marshmallow Test for Grownups | D．The Bitter Truth about Early Humans |
3 . With growing awareness of the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, where women hold only 27% of jobs, Chinese researchers have explored a cause influencing women’s participation in STEM careers. They studied how teen girls can be influenced by their own peers who believe the inaccurate stereotype (刻板印象) that boys are better at math.
The study found that when surrounded by peers holding this stereotype, middle-school girls scored lower on math tests. This influence even persisted into college, impacting women’s math performance and self-confidence. The researchers suggest dealing with this issue during the middle school period to reduce the negative impact on women’s long-term STEM engagement.
Middle school is considered a critical developmental stage where teens are forming a stronger sense of self separate from their parents. This change often makes teens more likely to be influenced by the opinions of their peers. It’s also a period when, objectively measured by standardized tests, girls on average have better math skills than boys. However, teens may not realize it.
In some middle schools in China, the researchers studied the potential role of peer-pressure beliefs of the gendered math stereotype. In classrooms where the belief that “boys” natural ability in studying math is greater than that of girls” was significantly higher than the standard, girls’ later performance on math tests was lower than the results for boys. Moreover, girls in these classrooms were less likely to participate in math-related out-of-class activities. They were also less likely to feel that their teachers paid attention to them and offered praise, leading to lower math-related self-confidence.
The researchers conclude that preventing the harm from gender math stereotyping requires a change of the social environment for children and young adults, in addition to focusing on changing girls’ attitudes and choices.
1. What is the focus of the study?| A．Inaccurate stereotype of STEM. |
| B．Women’s participation in STEM. |
| C．Teen girls’ academic performance. |
| D．Gender stereotype’s influence on girls. |
| A．Girls do better in math than boys. |
| B．Teens have strong self-confidence. |
| C．Teens are experiencing a key stage. |
| D．Girls are easily affected by their peers. |
| A．score high in standardized tests |
| B．be often praised by math teachers |
| C．show low confidence in math tests |
| D．take an active part in school’s math club |
4 . Fewer dings, please!
I have some important information. The average American—oh, wait. <ding!> New notification(通知). CNN: something about Taylor and Travis. Hmmm. <ding!> And our dog food is out for delivery. Whew. Why do they always send me such messages?
The average American gets about 70 smartphone notifications a day. And according to a new study, the number is far higher for teenagers, whose phones ding and vibrate with hundreds or even thousands of daily notifications. This constantly distracts us from work, life, and each other.
“Humans are not good at doing so many things at the same time,” Professor Smith, a behavioral scientist, reminded us. “It takes extra time and efforts to switch our attention. We feel more tired and get interrupted so many times a day that these effects can lead to a decrease in our happiness and social connection.”
I am grateful to get the latest news that my favorite basketball team has won. I’m eager for messages from my family. But I wonder why The New York Times feels it is urgent to remind me, as they did this week, about “The 6 Best Men’s and Women’s Cashmere Sweaters.”
This is, of course, a circumstance created by ourselves. It is true that instant communication has brought us too much information. So many urgent notifications, not many of which are truly urgent; and only a few are interesting. So many hours spent looking at the light of a small screen, while so often being unaware of the world all around us. So why not choose to check notifications just several times a day?
<ding!> Hey! My Cashmere Sweater is here!
1. What does the underlined word “This” in paragraph 3 refer to?| A．The result of a new study. | B．The important information. |
| C．Receiving too many notifications. | D．Getting messages from teenagers. |
| A．Messages from his grandparents. | B．The delivery news about dog food. |
| C．Something about Taylor and Travis. | D．The Best Men’s Cashmere Sweaters. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Supportive. |
5 . People in Paris, France are growing concerned about a problem that has worried people for centuries: bedbugs, which are small, flat insects that live in beds and other places.
With more and more reports of bedbugs being found, the French government is worried about the problem. Millions of people will be traveling to Paris this summer for the 2024 Olympics. France doesn’t want the country to leave a bad impression by letting its visitors get bitten by bedbugs. No one likes bedbugs, but it’s important to remember that they can be upsetting and leave itchy bites behind, but they do not spread diseases. They’ve been around for thousands of years, and even found in old Egyptian tombs.
After World War II, people began using dangerous chemicals to kill them, which caused bedbugs and many other pests to become much less common. But in the past 20 or 30 years, bedbugs have become common again. For one thing, now many bedbugs aren’t affected by most of the chemicals that used to kill them. Some people think that the bedbugs that are left may be ones that the chemicals don’t work on. For another, people are traveling more these days. Bedbugs can hide in tiny spaces, including inside suitcases. When people bring their suitcases to new places, bedbugs can spread to new areas — or from those areas back home.
In France, bedbugs are a long-standing problem. Jean-Michel Berenger, a scientist who studies insects in Marseille, says, “Every late summer we see a big increase in bedbugs.” That’s mainly from people returning after traveling. And now, in addition to reports of bedbugs in hotels and apartments, there’re also reports of them being found in other places: on seats at movie theaters, on long-distance trains, on the Paris subway, and at the country’s busiest airport. French officials are making sure Paris’ apartments, along with hotels and other places where tourists stay, are safe and clean.
1. Why does the French government start dealing with bedbugs?| A．They are spreading diseases. | B．They may affect a big event. |
| C．They bite more and more people. | D．They exist in France for too long. |
| A．The places where bedbugs often live. | B．The ways that bedbugs travel globally. |
| C．The reasons why bedbugs come back. | D．The fact that bedbugs beat chemicals. |
| A．Bedbugs can be easily got rid of. |
| B．The bedbug problem is getting worse and worse. |
| C．Bedbugs live mainly in hotels and apartments. |
| D．The number of bedbugs decreases sharply in late summer. |
| A．A local newspaper. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A sports magazine. | D．A research report. |
6 . The needs of plus-size consumers have long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted the slogan that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This size-inclusive trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to extend their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.
Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie Southard Ospina, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”
Researchers also criticize that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Tom Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real commitment to the community.”
The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a particular range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body-diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion options,” says Ludovica Cesareo, professor of marketing at the College of Business in the US.
1. What do the underlined words “the elephant in the room” mean in the first paragraph?| A．The hot issue that is valued. | B．The obvious truth that is ignored. |
| C．The important principle that is recognized. | D．The common phenomenon that is criticized. |
| A．they pick sizes randomly | B．they offer limited plus sizes |
| C．they treat designers disrespectfully | D．they haven’t broadened standard sizes |
| A．Their designs. | B．Their quality. |
| C．Their motivations. | D．Their advertisements. |
| A．Buyers deserve fashion that respects their values. |
| B．Consumers prefer brands with personalized styles. |
| C．Brands should catch up with the size-inclusive trend. |
| D．A good brand image is critical in the fashion industry. |
7 . Is my article mid or valid? If you can answer this question, you already are used to what we term “algospeak.” As more and more online users join social media platforms such as TikTok (抖音), algospeak continues to grow. But what is it, what do these words mean?
Algospeak is a coded language or slang used online. For some communities it is the only way to talk safely about sensitive subjects. Due to the rise of algorithmic censorship (算法筛查) in media, algospeak developed as a way to prevent robot from deleting their videos and messages. Users had to get creative to avoid deletion. This means that as long as there is censorship, there will be a new language to avoid it.
Further, new slang created on social media platforms fits itself into everyday life. Even if you are not writing a message on TikTok, you may have caught yourself using phrases from the app in your daily life. This connection between people all over the globe allows for shared vocabulary. It also has the potential to completely change the way we as English speakers speak. Here is some new slang popularized by TikTok.
Bussin’ (adj.) — something is really good, usually referring to food
Mid (adj.) — ordinary, not good or bad
Sheesh (ex.) — response either meaning disbelief or surprise, can be positive or negative
Valid (adj.) — something very good or meets a very high standard; a respectable opinion
No one would have expected artificial intelligence (AI) would be the catalyst (催化剂) for change but it is. The combination of not only censorship but also high connectivity birthed a new language. Some older generations can’t even understand what the youngest generation says because of the lack of access to the new language. The gap between English before social media and English as it is now is huge, and it continues to grow.
So, what should we expect for the future? Will censorship loosen or will the English language continue to develop from digital media? Time can only tell.
1. What contributed to the appearance of algospeak?| A．The need for netizens to escape censorship. |
| B．The desire for a shared vocabulary around the world. |
| C．The authority’s demand for creating a new language. |
| D．The social media’s intention to catch public attention. |
| A．AI needs catalyst to develop. |
| B．Social media birthed a new language. |
| C．Algospeak may cause communication obstacles. |
| D．Strict censorship is a barrier to interpersonal relationships. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Indifferent. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．It offers a new outlook on life. |
| B．It has reshaped the digital media. |
| C．Its development is associated with AI. |
| D．It has won popularity among all ages. |
8 . How would you feel if moving to a new town meant losing track of your friends? What if the only way of getting news from far away friends was writing letters that took ages to be delivered?
Nowadays, we can move around the world and still stay in touch with the people that we want to remain friends with.
This doesn’t mean that we should throw the baby out with the bath water, though. Technology has changed the way we make friends, but the meaning of friendship and our longing for friends remain the same.
| A．The Internet helps us make more friends. |
| B．But smiling photos can hide real problems. |
| C．This was how things worked not very long ago. |
| D．However, does the Internet really bring people closer? |
| E．However, are the “friends” you make online really your friends? |
| F．No one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other good things. |
| G．Social media lets us see what our friends are busy with and maintains our friendships. |
9 . Janet, now 37, was playing with her new pet dog, Stitch, who jumped up, grabbed her sleeve, and tore several holes in her sweater with its sharp teeth. Instead of throwing the sweater away, Janet decided to repair it.
She turned to “visible repairing,” an idea of repairing clothes that leaves an obvious fix. She added bright flowers and other small designs to damaged clothes. “Every time you do a repair, it’s like having bought a new piece of clothes,” says Janet.
Actually, repairing is a great opportunity to realize the urgent (迫切的) need to reduce waste. Sadly, we have become used to replacing things instead of repairing them — and the rubbish is piling up. Worldwide, we throw away 92 million tons of cloth every year. Electronic waste is another growing problem: About 50 million tons of it is created each year around the world.
The good news is that fixing things can help deal with the waste problem. There are some solutions. Due to information online, the popular how-to site iFixit.com , a database (数据库) with nearly 100,000 repair brochures for everything from electronics to clothing, has promoted more than 100 million repairs. In addition, since the first Repair Café opened in2009 in Amsterdam, more than 2,700 cafés have been set up to offer in-person fix-it help in various countries. Organizers set up events, and volunteers with repair knowledge bring their tools. They will try to fix whatever people bring in, for free, and teach visitors how to do repairs themselves.
Fixing things is part of a larger change toward a circular economy —the idea that instead of throwing away things once they are broken or out of date, we reuse or repair them, keeping them out of the landfill (垃圾填埋场) for as long as possible. According to a 2023 report from Circle Economy, a Netherlands-based NGO, if the world changed to a circular economy, we could lower the amount of waste by a third.
1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Janet?| A．To praise her way of protecting pets. |
| B．To introduce special clothing designs. |
| C．To call for attention to repairing things. |
| D．To market the products of fixed clothes. |
| A．The action of replacing things is wise. |
| B．The behaviour of repairing things is popular. |
| C．The need for reducing clothes is urgent. |
| D．The problem of producing waste is serious. |
| A．By teaching volunteers repair knowledge. |
| B．By sharing tips on opening repair cafés. |
| C．By providing information to the repair database. |
| D．By offering online and off line help to encourage repairs. |
| A．Jim threw away a used bike. | B．Jackson mended a torn sofa. |
| C．Sue replaced a worn carpet. | D．Windy removed a broken vase. |
10 . The need of plus-size consumers has long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to expand their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.
Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive (包容的). “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie North, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”
Researchers also criticize (批评) that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Michael Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real devotion to the community.”
The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body-diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion choices,” says Ludovica Ospina, professor of marketing at the College of Business.
1. What do the underlined words “the elephant in the room” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Hardly satisfied. | B．Socially accepted. |
| C．Widely promoted. | D．Obvious but ignored. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Negative. | C．Puzzled. | D．Cautious. |
| A．Their motivation. | B．Their promotion. |
| C．Their devotion. | D．Their advertisement. |
| A．Provide more fashion choices. |
| B．Show respect to the consumers. |
| C．Produce clothes in various sizes. |
| D．Build private relationships with customers. |
