1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To tell about true friends. | B．To start a discussion. |
| C．To encourage online friendships. | D．To summarize(总结) the text. |
| A．In any case. | B．In public. | C．In person. | D．In advance. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
| C．It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
2 . Are you happy with your appearance?
“Almost all the girls with single-fold eyelids (单眼皮) in our class have had double eyelid operations,” Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer.
From popular photo-editing apps to plastic surgery (整形手术), it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves?
“Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty,” experts say.
However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our “imperfect” looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.
| A．Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. |
| B．Body image anxiety is common among teenagers. |
| C．Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image. |
| D．Some teenagers might feel negative about their appearance. |
| E．It’s common for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance. |
| F．She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful. |
| G．Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising, TV shows and social media. |
3 . I recently spent half a weekend sitting on the sofa watching the Davis Cup. I thought about going for a run, but I did not want to miss the rest of the match. Soon it was starting to get dark, so I did not bother (费神). Whenever I watch tennis, I think how nice it would be to play it regularly. But I have been thinking that for almost 20 years without actually setting foot on a court. The evidence would suggest that I’m not the only one.
When a country or city competes to host an international sporting event, it often promises that more people will take up sports as a result. London was no exception. Tessa Jowell, who helped to bid for (申办) the 2012 Olympics for London, said that by 2012 two million more people would be physically active. And 60 percent of young people would be doing at least five hours of sports per week.
In the end, just over one-third of people in Britain take part in sports once a week. A report on Olympic and Paralympic influences has said that a big change in participation levels simply has not happened.
Why isn’t there a big increase in people taking part in sports after most sporting events? Perhaps it is a mistake to assume a definite link between watching sports and playing it. While the games are on, they actually encourage people to do just the opposite — to spend whole sunny days not out playing sports, but inside sitting on the sofa with the curtains shut to stop the sun shining on the TV screen. We don’t expect half the audience of a hit musical to apply to drama school the next day, yet we seem to expect it of sporting events.
The high-level performances on show only remind people that they could never match the excellent athletes in their sporting achievements even if they trained full time.
Maybe participation in sports is not the right thing to expect after a major sporting event. The Olympics can do many things, but maybe this cannot necessarily be one of them.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By sharing experiences. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By listing figures. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Watching sports is closely linked with playing it. |
| B．Watching games discourages people from going out. |
| C．Watching games encourages people to take part in sports. |
| D．Half the audience of a hit musical will take part in drama soon. |
| A．Do people like participating in sporting events? |
| B．Do people prefer watching big sporting events? |
| C．Do the Olympics encourage people to match athletes? |
| D．Do big sporting events make us do more sport? |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Objective. |
4 . People these days are posting about their lives on social media. But what if you’re a private and introverted person like me? What if you want to live in the moment instead of sharing every bit of your life? To be honest, it’s nobody’s business but your own.
Escaping stalkers (跟踪者).
I’ve been a public person as a jazz vocalist for years. It exposed me to stalkers who felt they knew me, just because I was present everywhere. Needless to say, it brought me much anxiety and stress. At some point I asked myself-is being visible more important than my peace of mind?
Protecting privacy
Another reason I keep my life private is that I prefer to be in the present moment and appreciate it fully. To be on your phone constantly, or to film everything you do, can be quite disrespectful to the people you spend your time with. You lose out on those spontaneous(自发的) moments and a deeper connection. I choose what I share and when I share it, and the rest is for experiencing life without expectations.
Live your life fully, regardless of whether the world knows it or not!
| A．Experiencing life |
| B．Living in the moment |
| C．Don’t I really care about privacy? |
| D．Are my followers more important than my friends and family? |
| E．If you feel like sharing your life openly without hesitation, go for it. |
| F．Here are my reasons for not sharing my personal life on social media. |
| G．It can be quite challenging to go through tough moments with everyone watching. |
5 . Aren’t mobile phones, QQ, e-mails and WeChat supposed to help us communicate more easily? Sadly, that’s not always. One day, for example, when I was walking through the park with my friend, suddenly his mobile phone rang and he answered it—leaving me alone and cutting our conversation dead! In fact, the park was filled with such people talking on their mobile phones. They talked with other people without even looking at them, or stopping to walk their dogs. Clearly, people preferred talking on the phone to face-to-face contacting.
Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? New communication technology seems to keep people away from each other. With e-mail over the Internet, we can communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With WeChat or QQ, you can have conversations without even meeting that person. Even some food stores are using self-scanner (自助扫描仪) so that you can check yourself out. As the contact between human beings becomes automated (自动化的), my feeling of being disconnected gets stronger. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against machines. I also own a mobile phone, a QQ, a WeChat and an e-mail account. Giving them up isn’t a good idea, because they are useful to have around. It’s just that when they keep us away from human contact, I begin to feel sad. More and more, I find myself answering e-mail instead of talking to people. The technology that helps keep us contact with each other is, in fact, making me feel more lonely.
What is to be done? Well, try to use less technology: no e-mailing people who live nearby, and no letting QQ and WeChat catch you all the time.
1. The purpose of the example in paragraph 1 is to show that people_________.| A．communicate more easily | B．dislike talking face to face |
| C．prefer talking on phones | D．are good at using phones |
| A．lonely | B．satisfied | C．stupid | D．interested |
| A．technology keeps people busier than before | B．technology is always useful to have around |
| C．the writer is going to give up phones | D．the writer would like to contact face to face |
| A．Technology and Human Life | B．The Importance of Technology |
| C．Technology and Human Contact | D．The Development of Technology |
6 . Nowadays, for many people, buying a house or flat is just too expensive. However, the total amount of rent paid by tenants in Britain in 2017 rose to more than 50 billion-more than double the level of ten years prior. Consequently, a lot choose to share the flat.
The pros? People rent a room and share the kitchen, living room and bathroom to save money.
Now the cons.
| A．Lastly, there’s the emotional support. |
| B．Those flat-sharing can share the secrets. |
| C．To start with, do you lack private space? |
| D．There’s limited storage space, for a start. |
| E．Whether the pros outweigh the cons depends. |
| F．Then what are the pros and cons of flat-sharing? |
| G．Also, living with others means that you can pool your resources. |
7 . If you expect to work in the future in the travel industry, you should begin learning Chinese.
That’s because Chinese people spent nearly $258 billion in total on international travel last year. That’s more than twice the combined amount spent on international travel by people from the United States and Germany, the next two biggest-spending nations. The Chinese are relative (相对的) newcomers when it comes to traveling beyond their nation’s borders and only a small percentage of them travel outside of China each year. Given the size of that nation’s population, even that small percentage represents well over 100 million Chinese travelers to foreign destinations.
Yet Chinese citizens flew, on average, just 65milcs last year vs. the 227 miles flown on average by US residents (居民), the 285 miles flown on average by Germans, the 271 miles flown on average by those from the United Kingdom, and the 632 miles flown by the average Canadian last year.
China’s high total spending on international travel and its low average number of miles flown on international travel may show that while only a small percentage of China’s residents actually travel outside their homeland, those who do spend a lot of money don’t go that far. But there are reasons for China’s low average of miles travel on international trips. A small percentage of Chinese now have enough money to travel internationally, while the number of people who do travel outside of China is growing fast every year. Besides, a large percentage of Chinese people traveling abroad stay close to home.
However, as more and more Chinese gain the financial ability to travel internationally and as Chinese become more and more interested in visiting destinations farther and farther away from home, their spending on international travel and the average distances flown will both rise rapidly.
1. Why is it important to learn Chinese for the future work in travel industry?| A．Because being good at Chinese is a must for future work. |
| B．Because Chinese is most commonly used in travel industry. |
| C．Because.travel industry requires employees to learn Chinese. |
| D．Because China will probably be a big-spending nation in international travel. |
| A．There is indeed great potential in Chinese travel market. |
| B．People from different countries have different preferred destinations. |
| C．Chinese people are more willing to travel abroad compared with Canadians. |
| D．People going on a journey around the world hate taking international planes. |
| A．North America. | B．Developing countries. |
| C．Southeast Asia. | D．European countries. |
| A．Hopeless. | B．Bright. |
| C．Confusing. | D．Unclear. |
8 . Even though we may believe that it’s important to say thank you, sometimes expressing gratitude is easier said than done. We might find ourselves getting confused about the details of what to say or the best way to deliver the message. As a result, many times, we do not express our gratitude.
According to new research, however, it’s possible we might be making our thanks more complicated than it needs to be. In a paper published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, researchers compared the effects of expressing thanks in person, over a video call, and by text. And, while people generally expect an in-person thank-you to be most impactful, what happened in reality was quite different: sending a thank-you by text was almost as impactful as delivering the message in person. Additionally, texting maybe especially well-suited for situations where we feel embarrassed about expressing our appreciation.
In one study, 219 college students from the United States and China participated in a gratitude activity in which they wrote about three things they were grateful for over a two-week period. After writing, the students were asked to actually thank the person involved. Some connected with the gratitude recipient (接受者) in person, others via video call, and others via text. At the beginning and end of the two weeks, participants completed surveys measuring their feelings of well-being, connections with others, depression, loneliness, and happiness.
The researchers found that people who expressed gratitude increased their well-being, with only a few differences between the different methods of gratitude expression. Overall, video calls were just as beneficial as meeting in person. Texting was slightly less effective than video calling -- it didn’t make people feel more connected and happy. However, participants who sent their thanks by text still experienced benefits: texting boosted their well-being and reduced their loneliness.
Overall, the message is that we shouldn’t worry about finding just the “right” way to express our gratitude. In fact, you’re probably better off sending a quick thank-you today than waiting for the right time to schedule an in-person visit. You can be sure that many of gratitude’s benefits can be attained regardless of how you send the message.
1. How do people make expressing gratitude complex?| A．They think it is useless to express gratitude. |
| B．They feel ashamed to express gratitude. |
| C．They think too much about the best way to do it. |
| D．They waste too much time before saying it. |
| A．Video chats. | B．Face to face visits. |
| C．Sending messages. | D．Making phone calls. |
| A．Learning to be grateful can give us a lot of benefits. |
| B．We need to put saying thank-you into our daily routine. |
| C．We should learn how to express appreciation to others. |
| D．We shouldn’t be bothered by how to express our gratitude. |
9 . Does it ever seem like something is going on with our attention spans? Gloria Mark, an attention researcher at the university of California, says there is scientific evidence that attention spans have shrunk considerably. “We started studying attention span length over 20 years ago,” Mark said. “In 2003, we found that attention spans averaged about two-and-a-half minutes on any screen before people switched, In the past five, six years, they are averaging 47 seconds on the screen.”
Mark maintains that a shorter attention span has three downsides: The first is that people make more errors when they do attention shifting; second downside is that it takes longer to do something, because we have to adjust to every new task every time we shift; the third downside — maybe this is the worst of all — is that stress increases. When people are working on multiple tasks and they have to shift their attention, their blood pressure rises.
You don’t have to be a professor to guess at the cause of our great distract ability: It’s technology, of course-phones, social media, texting. It might be hard to think of the last time you even had a tech-free hour. So she offered a couple of tips for staying focused: First, when you feel the itch to change tasks, analyze why. If it’s just boredom or procrastination (拖延症), make a deal with yourself to work another 20 minutes, and then treat yourself to a reward.
Second, picture yourself at the end of the day. What do you want to have accomplished? What do you want to feel? “A concrete visualization of yourself sitting on the couch, you know, watching your favourite show is really good motivation,” she said.
The internet has this incredible resource available to us, so rather than be upset by it because it distracts us, how can we turn that around and instead find value from it? And how can we utilize our time best when we use the resources from the Internet without getting exhausted from it? These questions are what Gloria Mark will focus on in her subsequent research.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．Negative effects of short attention spans. | B．Benefits of long attention spans. |
| C．Causes of short attention spans. | D．Ways to deal with short attention spans. |
| A．Necessity. | B．Courage. | C．Desire | D．Choice |
| A．Imagining what you will accomplish at the end of the day is a waste of time. |
| B．Multitasking is a good way to extend our attention span. |
| C．It is necessary to think twice before shifting your tasks. |
| D．We’d better say no to the internet sometimes as it distracts us. |
| A．Are Our Attention Spans Getting Shorter? | B．How Do We Live with the Internet? |
| C．Is Multitasking Possible? | D．What Can We Do to Make Our Attention Spans Longer? |
10 . Mark Bertram lost the tips of two fingers at work in 2018 when his hand became trapped in a fan belt. “It’s life-changing but it’s not life-ending,” he says. “Doing work is harder now. Everything is just a little different.”
After two surgeries and occupational therapy, Bertram decided to make light of his condition by asking Eric Catalano, a tattoo (纹身) artist, to create fingernail (手指甲) tattoos. The idea made everyone in the studio laugh — until they saw the final result. “The mood changed,” Catalano recalls from his Eternal Ink Tattoo Studio in Hecker, Illinois. “Everything turned from ridiculous to wow.”
When Catalano posted a photo of the tattoos, a pair of fingernails looking so real that no one could believe their eyes, he had no idea the image would eventually be viewed by millions of people around the world.
The photo pushed Catalano, 40, further into the world of paramedical tattooing. Now people with life-altering scars come from as far away as Ireland to visit his shop. Using flesh-toned inks and a needle, Catalano transforms his clients’ view of themselves.
Leslie Pollan, 32, a dog breeder in Oxford, Mississippi, was bitten on the face by a puppy in 2014. After undergoing countless surgeries to correct a scar on her lip but in vain, she ultimately turned to Catalano, who covered her lip scar, giving her back a piece of her confidence. Pollan says, “It made me have a different outlook on life.”
“Every time I see that emotion from my customers, I’m 100 percent sure this is something that I can’t stop doing.”
1. At first, what did people think of the idea of creating the first fingernail tattoos?| A．Inspiring. | B．Life-changing. | C．Funny. | D．Amazing. |
| A．No one believed it was real. |
| B．It enjoyed great popularity. |
| C．It brought Catalano fame and money overnight. |
| D．It discouraged Catalano from furthering on in that field. |
| A．To warn people to stay away from puppies. |
| B．To prove that plastic surgeries are not so effective. |
| C．To show Catalano helps change clients’ view of themselves. |
| D．To highlight that tattooing is very important in our daily life. |
| A．Magical Tattoos | B．A Tattoo Artist | C．Popularity of Tattoos | D．Development of Tattoos |
