1 . The sharing economy is an economic model known as a peer-to-peer(P2P)based activity of getting, providing, or sharing goods and services that is often promoted by on-line platforms (平台) It allows persons and groups to make money from the assets (资产) which is not
Concerns about the sharing economy often includes the uncertainty about
Another
There is also a fear that lots of information shared on online platforms can create racial or sex bias (偏见) among users. This can happen when users are allowed to
| A．in danger | B．in use | C．in order | D．in hand |
| A．taken out | B．picked out | C．rented out | D．sold out |
| A．services | B．supplies | C．gifts | D．goals |
| A．values | B．customers | C．markets | D．rules |
| A．managed | B．punished | C．provided | D．judged |
| A．offer | B．order | C．accept | D．stop |
| A．higher | B．lower | C．full | D．right |
| A．case | B．opinion | C．topic | D．concern |
| A．impolite | B．impatient | C．improper | D．impossible |
| A．highly | B．widely | C．narrowly | D．deeply |
| A．official | B．special | C．unfair | D．equal |
| A．which | B．who | C．where | D．when |
| A．formal | B．unique | C．dishonest | D．specific |
| A．cheat | B．choose | C．impress | D．recognize |
| A．errors | B．styles | C．details | D．records |
2 . The evidence for harmony (和睦) may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents.
An important new study into teenage attitudes shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” says one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious (叛逆的) but actually they have other things in their minds; they want a car and other material goods, and they worry whether school is serving them well. There’re more negotiations (协商) between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decisionmaking process.”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17 year old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiations. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
One of the researchers comments, “Our astonishment that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. Now, the situation has changed.”
1. What does the new study show?| A．Teenagers are more rebellious. |
| B．Teenagers worry more about studies. |
| C．Teenagers dislike making family decisions. |
| D．Teenagers have more negotiations with families. |
| A．They are stricter than before. |
| B．They are more independent. |
| C．They give their children more freedom. |
| D．They care less about their children’s life. |
| A．Surprise. | B．Aim. |
| C．Memory. | D．Option. |
| A．Discussion in family. |
| B．Harmony in family. |
| C．Teenage trouble in family. |
| D．Teenage education in family. |
3 . In recent years, the number of young adults returning to their parents’ homes after leaving has risen. This is the Boomerang Generation, becoming independent only to return to their parents’ homes like boomerangs. A boomerang is a curved(呈弯曲状的) stick that, when thrown in a particular way, comes back to the person who threw it.
One of our family members had a college roommate who dropped out(辍学) and went back to her parents because she was unable to wash her clothes. This is quite a funny example, but stories like these are plentiful. The dropout and many other young adults are often short of basic life skills, so they move out of the family home for a time and then boomerang right back.
We believe having more real-life learning in high school may solve young adults’ inability to become independent. This can be achieved through simply including extra Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements for life skills. The TEKS would include learning about taxes(税), banking, health, voting(选举), job interviews, cooking, and many other important skills.
These areas of study happen to go with required courses. For learning how to do taxes, we would want to include a TEKS in math classes. In an economics class, we would require students to learn about banking and housing. In history class, students would have to learn about the importance of voting. In English class, students could learn about jobs. Cooking would be added to health class.
If in high school we can teach these skills, graduates going to college or trade school won’t need to worry about their living skills and can focus on their education. More students can finish their studies and get degrees. And once out of college or trade school, young people can focus on their jobs and responsibilities as adults. Thus jobs will be done better, people will better understand their role in society and be better rounded as both students and individuals(个人).
1. Which of the following best describes the Boomerang Generation?| A．They depend on their parents. | B．They show great interest in sports. |
| C．They like to take on new challenges. | D．They want to leave their parents’ homes. |
| A．To attract readers with a funny story. |
| B．To offer some advice for college dropouts. |
| C．To explain the cause of boomeranging back. |
| D．To show the Boomerang Generation’s influence. |
| A．It is easy for students to learn the TEKS. |
| B．They can be included in required courses. |
| C．More life skills should be added to the TEKS. |
| D．The TEKS proves to be important to students. |
| A．Teach students life skills. | B．Work together with parents. |
| C．Accept the Boomerang Generation. | D．Offer more support to trade schools. |
4 . You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. “They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. “They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing (内化) your victimization (受害). The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred (神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish (沉溺) in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims, too. Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
1. In what way is a creator different from a victim?| A．A creator is given more challenges. |
| B．Failure seldom comes to a creator. |
| C．Storms are beneficial in a creator’s eyes. |
| D．A victim hardly blames others for their own faults. |
| A．They seldom make careless mistakes. |
| B．The world seems a cold and difficult place. |
| C．Life is blessed with fewer opportunities than expected. |
| D．They don’t care what happens to them but think positively. |
| A．Tim failed his exam and thought he would never pass it. |
| B．Sam lost his job and abandoned himself to drinking for months. |
| C．J. K. Rowling was rejected by a publisher and yet went on writing. |
| D．Jessica broke up with her husband and chose to give up her own life. |
| A．Benefits Of Being A Creator | B．Creators: Act Now Or Never |
| C．Creator Or Victim: Up To You | D．Ways To Transform A Victim Into A Creator |
5 . Talking to an adult about feelings can be an uncomfortable experience for children and adolescents. While a mental health professional can provide a confidential(私密的)space, the first few interactions can still bring them a sense of uneasiness. But what if they could share how they honestly feel without interacting directly with another human? With this in mind, a recent study from the University of Cambridge tested a robot’s effectiveness in determining children’s well-being.
The study involved 28 children between the ages of 8 and 13 and their parents or guardians completing a well-being questionnaire focused on the young individuals. Then a human-like robot asked the young participants open-ended questions about happy and sad memories over the last week and had them respond to prompts(提示)around pictures. The parents or guardians and research team members observed the interaction from a separate room.
Children with mental well-being issues were likelier to divulge the extent of these problems while talking to the robot. Researchers also found they felt more negative than stated in the initial questionnaire. On the other hand, children without previously stated mental well-being concerns presented an even more positive image to the robot.
Actually, the idea that children would share more with a robot than parents or mental health professionals is easy to understand. “Not all children have a secure attachment style, meaning they feel safe and connected to their caregivers,” says Dr. Katherine Grill, a behavioral scientist. “Children without secure attachments often find comfort in companions like imaginary friends, In this instance, a robot may serve as a viable option for children to open up about their well-being. Even in cases where children have secure attachment styles, a robot may provide them with a non-judgmental relationship where they’ re willing to share their feelings.”
“While this study demonstrates the benefit of robots, it doesn’t remove the need for human interaction in the mental health field. Technology-enabled services mean digital support and even enhanced care, but they don’t replace work with a human being,” says Dr. Aaron Haddock, associate professor of Clark University. “After all, the relationship between clients and providers is a key driver of positive treatment outcomes.”
1. What were the children arranged to do in the study?| A．Share secrets with the other children. |
| B．Finish a questionnaire about their parents. |
| C．Interact with a human-like robot alone. |
| D．Draw pictures about their happy memories. |
| A．Reveal. | B．Assess. | C．Control. | D．Ignore. |
| A．Explain the results of the study. | B．Draw conclusions from the study. |
| C．Make evaluations about kids’ well-being. | D．Analyze the issues with health care. |
| A．Generally unconcerned. | B．Particularly disapproving. |
| C．Totally positive. | D．Relatively objective. |
6 . Managers across nearly every industry believe distraction soars as the temperature rises.
Absences naturally impact productivity
Sure, people travel and do other fun activities year-round, but many people have more going on between May and September than they do any other period.
During these months, you’re far more likely to stay up later, meaning you feel sleepy when it’s time to clock in. It’s not too different than the decline in productivity that follows the Super Bowl or St. Patrick’s Day.
| A．Here are the real reasons |
| B．Temperature is part of the reason |
| C．Here are some tips on how to deal with it |
| D．Your sleep (or lack of sleep) can be a factor |
| E．More vacation time means less progress |
| F．This is really why you’re less product vein the summer |
| G．But in summer, it could be a more frequent occurrence |
1.简要评论现状； 2.你的观点及建议。
注意:1.词数100左右；
2.题目已为你写好。
Score and Ability
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8 . Quantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.
For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of dollars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”
As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.
After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.
The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”
Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.
1. Regarding Johnson’s concerns, the author feels ________.| A．sympathetic | B．unconcerned | C．doubtful | D．excited |
| A．His dominance in physics. | B．The competition in the field. |
| C．His confidence in PyQuantum. | D．The investment of tech companies. |
| A．Open. | B．Cool. | C．Useful. | D．Resistant. |
| A．Is Johnson More Competent Than Taylor? |
| B．Is Quantum Computing Redefining Technology? |
| C．Will Quantum Computers Ever Come into Being? |
| D．Will Quantum Computing Ever Live Up to Its Hype? |
原因 | |
赞成 | 帮助他人是美德； 帮助他人就是帮助自己； |
反对 | 怕陷入麻烦； 怕被误解； |
你的观点？（至少两点） |
1.表达清楚，语法正确，上下文连贯；
2.必须包括表格中所有的相关信息，并适当发挥；
3.词数：100左右（正文的开头已给出，不计入总词数）；
4.不得使用真实姓名、校名和地名等。
参考词汇：美德virtue
Should We Help Strangers?
Recently our class had a discussion about whether we should help strangers. Different students have different opinions.
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写作要点：随着世界太空技术的发展，人类的太空梦不再是梦。但是也有人觉得耗费大量的人力和财力来研究和开发太空资源不切实际，不如将这些人力和财力用来着重解决人类当前面临的重大问题，改善地球的生存环境。对此，你有何看法？
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Developing space technology, worthwhile or not?
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