1 . 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. |
2 . Most children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones.
Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can cause problems, such as bullying (恃强凌弱) or arguments.
| A．Going online is great fun. |
| B．Computer studies are part of schoolwork now. |
| C．The language of chat is strange to many parents, too. |
| D．There are some websites that are not suitable for the children. |
| E．To keep children safe, your management must cover the family computer. |
| F．They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. |
| G．Surfing the Internet takes up too much of the time that should be spent on lessons. |
1.理由；
2.具体措施；
3.表达期许。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入词数。
Dear fellow students,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
4 . Humans are no strangers to widespread viruses, and each time a vaccine (疫苗) is developed, it gives us hope for the future. Now, the world is waiting for a vaccine to fight COVID-19.
Scientists worldwide have been rolling up their sleeves to work to ward an effective novel coronavirus vaccine.
Under the coordination (协调) of the World Health Organization(WHO), up to 172 countries have been engaging with the “largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio”, a plan known as the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility.
COVAX is a system for joint purchasing and balancing the risks of multiple vaccines. When a vaccine proves to be safe and effective, all countries within the facility will be able to access it, according to Xinhua.
The plan is aimed to ensure that all countries, no matter their economic status, can get the vaccine in a timely manner when one is available. It also makes sure that prices will be kept as low as possible.
“A number of vaccines are now in the final stage of clinical trials,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Aug. 24th, adding that the goal of COVAX is to deliver at least 2billion doses of a vaccine by the end of 2021. According to the WHO, at present, nine potential vaccines are part of the portfolio.
To guarantee the equal access and fair assignment of COVID-19 vaccines, the WHO has said that the world needs to prevent vaccine nationalism — countries putting their own interests ahead of others in trying to secure supplies of a possible vaccine.
“Vaccine nationalism only helps the virus,” Tedros said, warning that it would lead to a prolonged pandemic (疫情) if only a small number of countries got most of the supply.
“Like an orchestra, we need all instruments to be played in harmony to create music that everyone enjoys,” he said.
Vaccine development looks promising, as several countries have made great progress. Russia began production of its first batch of a COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 15th, according to its health ministry. It’s the world’s first registered vaccine. Four Chinese vaccine candidates have started international stage-3 clinical trials.
1. What’s the author’s attitude towards vaccine nationalism?| A．Supportive. | B．Critical. | C．Optimistic. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．To show his deep love for music. | B．To make the passage more interesting. |
| C．To explain the critical role that the orchestra plays. | D．To stress the importance of cooperation. |
| A．Russia is the first country to have made progress in fighting COVID-19. |
| B．COVAX ensures all the countries get the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. |
| C．WHO plays an important role in fighting COVID-19. |
| D．Scientists have produced 2 billion doses of vaccines. |
| A．United for vaccine. | B．Vaccine on the way. |
| C．Fighting against COVID-19. | D．Saying goodbye to COVID-19. |
5 . The “selfie” is not new; many people have always produced self-portraits (自画像). Personally I didn’t enjoy art at school, but I did remember that we were always drawing pictures of our faces. However, I think this shows just how old the self-portrait is. The only thing that has really changed is the technology which we use to create self-portraits. We have gone from pencil to the digital camera. The digital version has now become “selfie” (a word now so popular that it is named the Oxford English Dictionary Online’s “Word of the Year”).
Traditionally, the best way to take a selfie was to stand in front of a mirror. This was fine though it did look a little silly as, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t hide the camera. Of course, phones now have cameras on both the back and the front so you don’t need a mirror to guide you. The drawback (缺点) to this more modern method is that you can usually see the photographer’s arm in the photo.
I don’t really understand the attraction of the selfie. Taking a photo of yourself in the bathroom doesn’t provide the best scenery (especially if you forget to put the toilet seat down, gentlemen).At famous tourist attractions, it always saddens me to see people take selfies; travelling on your own is fine, but are you so mistrustful of strangers that you cannot ask a passer-by to take the photo for you?
However, there have been a lot of arguments over the selfie. Recently, one New York tourist took a selfie with a man threatening to commit suicide (自杀) on the edge of a bridge behind her; and, even more recently, Barack Obama, along with David Cameron and the Danish prime minister, Thorning Schmidt, took a “group selfie at Nelson Mandela’s funeral.
1. Why is the word “selfie” named the Oxford English Dictionary Online’s “Word of the Year”?| A．It can be written in pencil easily. |
| B．It is very important in the dictionary. |
| C．It means the development of technology. |
| D．It is a new word used widely and popularly. |
| A．There are arms in the picture. |
| B．The camera is always in the picture. |
| C．The picture is often not very clear. |
| D．The mirror can hardly be avoided. |
| A．may lead to commit suicide |
| B．may bring unlucky things to us |
| C．is not suitable at some moments |
| D．is popular on the ledge of a bridge |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Negative. |
| C．Objective. |
| D．Optimistic. |
6 . Contrary to the impression that grandmothers are delighted to help their grown daughters and care for their grandchildren, a study of multigenerational families shows that many older women hate the frequent demands that the younger generations make on their time and energy.
“Young women with children are under a lot of pressure these days, and they expect their mothers to help them pick up the pieces,” noted Dr. Bertram J. Cohler, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago. “This is often the strongest source of complaint on the part of Grandmother, who has finished with child caring and now has her own life to live. Grandmothers like to see their children and grandchildren, but on their own time.”
Dr. Cohler is director of a study, sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, of 150 working class families that live in a Midwestern suburb. He and Dr. Henry U. Gruebaum of Harvard Medical School, have already completed their study of four such families in New England.
Dr. Cohler tells of a middle-aged Boston woman who works as a cook all week and for her parish (教区) on Sundays. Every Saturday, her one day off, her daughter and family visit, expecting mother to make lunch, shop, and visit. “That’s not how she wants to grow old,” said Dr. Cohler, who was told by the older woman, “My daughter would never speak to me if she knew how angry and unhappy I get.”
In all the four New England families studied, the older women disliked the numerous phone calls and visits from their grown daughters, who often turned to the mothers for advice, physical resources, love, and companionship as well as baby-sitting services. “American society keeps increasing the burdens for older people, particularly those in their 50s and 60s,” Dr. Cohler said in an interview here. “They’re still working and they’re taking care of their grown children and maybe also their aged parents. Sometimes life gets to be too much.”
1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the expression “pick up the pieces” in the second paragraph?| A．Save a bad situation. | B．Put children’s toys in their proper places. |
| C．Gather up pieces of clothing. | D．Keep the room in good order. |
| A．expects her mother to cook lunch for her | B．enjoys the room in good order |
| C．visits an older woman every Saturday | D．works six days a week |
| A．young women’s inability to look after their children |
| B．Grandmothers’ attitudes toward helping their grown daughters |
| C．average American women’s family life |
| D．grandmother should give more help to their daughters |
| A．daughters should be independent of their old grandmothers |
| B．grandmother should give more help to their daughters |
| C．mothers and daughters should support each other |
| D．daughters should be more considerate toward their mothers |
7 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee’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 platforms (平台).
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 words, 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 someone 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 summarize the text. | B．To tell about true friends. |
| C．To bring up a discussion. | D．To encourage online friendship. |
| A．In person. | B．In advance. | C．In any case. | D．In full measure. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Confused. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It’s wise to turn to friends online. |
| B．It’s easier to develop friendships in reality. |
| C．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
| D．Teenagers need focus on real-world friendships. |
8 . The other day, my sister and I were sitting in a restaurant, trying to have a conversation, but her children, four-year-old Willow and seven-year-old Luca, would not stop fighting. The arguments—over a fork, or who had more water in a glass—never stopped.
Then my sister reached into her handbag, produced two shiny iPads, and handed one to each child. Suddenly, the two were quiet. They sat playing games and watching videos, and we continued with our conversation.
After our meal, as my sister stuffed the iPads back into her bag, she said, “I don’t want to give them the iPads at the dinner table, but if they keep them occupied for an hour so we can eat in peace, I often just hand them over. I’m afraid it’s bad for them. I do worry that it makes them think it’s OK to use electronics at the dinner table in the future.”
Dr. Gary Small, director of the Longevity Center at the University of California, Los Angeles says that the brain is highly sensitive to stimuli (刺激物), like iPads and smartphone screens, and if people spend too much time on one technology, and less time interacting (互动) with people like parents at the dinner table, that could prevent the development of certain communication skills.
“Conversations with each other are the way children learn to have conversations with themselves, and learn how to be alone,” said Sherry Turkle, a professor of science, technology and society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She fears that children who do not learn real interactions, which often have imperfections, will come to know a world where perfect, shiny screens give them a false sense of intimacy (亲密) without risk. However, they need to be able to gather themselves and know who they are. So someday they can form a relationship with another person without a panic of being alone. “If you don’t teach your children to be alone, they’ll only know how to be lonely,” she said.
1. What did Willow and Luca fight about?| A．iPads. | B．Little things. | C．Delicious food. | D．Interesting things. |
| A．She was critical of it. | B．She felt it was worth a try. |
| C．She was uncertain about it. | D．She felt surprised at its effect. |
| A．Provide their children with various technologies. | B．Teach their children communication skills. |
| C．Talk to their children at the dinner table. | D．Limit their children’s screen time. |
| A．Children are afraid of taking risks. | B．Children try to escape from the real world. |
| C．Children can’t live without electronic devices. | D．Children can’t deal with companion—less situations. |
| A．To tell a true story. | B．To discuss a phenomenon. |
| C．To give practical suggestions. | D．To compare different opinions. |
9 . A new study suggests that science role-playing may help tighten the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math(STEM)education and careers for women simply by improving their identity as scientists.
Frustrated by the gender gap in STEM, in which some fields employ at least three times more men than women, Cornell graduate student Reut Shachnai wanted to do something about it. Reut said the idea to help foster young girls’ interest in science came to her during a lecture in a class she was taking on Psychology of Imagination.
Reut designed an experiment to test if assuming the role of a successful scientist would improve girls’ persistence in a “sink or float” science game. The game itself was simple yet challenging: a computer screen projected a slide with an object in the center above a pool of water. Kids then had to predict whether the object would sink or float.
She studied 240 four -to -seven -year -olds, because this is around the time kids first develop their sense of identity and capabilities. They were divided into two groups. Children in the “story” group learned about the successes and struggles of a gender -matched scientist before playing the game. Boys heard about Isaac Newton and girls were told about Marie Curie. Children in the “pretend” group were told to assume the identity of the scientist they just learned about.
All kids played at least one round of the game. No matter what group they were in, girls got the answers right just as often as boys -nearly 70% of the time. Boys, however, didn’t really benefit from the stories or make-believe. Besides, girls pretending to be Dr. Marie persisted twice as long at the sink-or-float game, playing just as much as the boys did.
Reut’s teacher Tamar Kushnir said, “Rather than merely hearing about role models, children may benefit from actively performing the type of actions they see role models perform. In other words, taking a few steps in the role model’s shoes, instead of merely observing her walk.”
1. Why did Reut design a “sink or float” science game?| A．To handle the gender gap in STEM. | B．To attach importance to STEM. |
| C．To draw kids’ attention to STEM. | D．To compare boys’ and girls’ persistence. |
| A．Kids enjoyed listening to scientists’ stories. | B．Boys avoided playing make-believe games. |
| C．Girls performed as well as boys in science. | D．Children followed Dr. Marie to explore science. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Negative. |
| A．Girls should get recognition like boys | B．A fine example has boundless power for kids |
| C．Girls can work on more science games | D．Make-believe exercises benefit girls in STEM |
10 . People enjoy giving to others. Generosity is a form of giving freely without the expectation of receiving anything in return. Not only does it make one feel happy and fulfilled, a recent study shows that generosity can actually lengthen one’s life.
A study from the University of California researched giving from one generation to another. Previous studies have measured giving on an individual level, but these researchers aimed to compare cultural differences around the world. They took data from 34 countries on six continents and measured the total transfers of private gifts from relatives, as well as health care and retirement benefits.
They concluded that both giving and receiving are beneficial. The researchers quoted a study on “warm-glow giving,” which shows how altruistic givers may not receive anything in return, yet their happiness and health improves 120.
People who volunteer, share and offer support benefit from their actions. They have improved mental health, physical health, sense of happiness and enjoy longevity (长寿) across all societies studied and in all ages. Another benefit of giving is the release of oxytocin, a hormone that produces feelings of love and generosity.
As for myself, in an interview for New York Times on March 20, I stated that due to our high levels of trust in Finland, people are willing to follow instructions and trust that everyone will do their part… and feeling that we are in this together.
The report suggests that since living in a trusting society benefits individuals’ health, it results in lower health care costs. A trusting social environment also promotes wellbeing, leading to an improvement in the length of life for all. Those who are generous become less isolated, less self-critical and less self-centered. They develop confidence, become more familiar and gain a sense of purpose. According to the generosity study, they tend to live longer and happier lives.
1. What was the aim of the recent study?| A．To encourage giving to next generation. |
| B．To measure giving on an individual level. |
| C．To compare cultural differences in giving worldwide. |
| D．To gather happiness of giving to others. |
| A．Selfless. | B．Selfish. | C．Passive. | D．Serious. |
| A．Effects of longevity. | B．Sense of happiness. |
| C．Strengths of volunteering. | D．Advantages of giving. |
| A．He is easy to cheat. | B．He must work in New York Times. |
| C．He loves being interviewed. | D．He might be from Finland. |
