1 . Why is there a shortage of HGV drivers?
The UK needs 100,000 more HGV drivers if it is to meet demand, according to the Road Haulage Association (BHA).
Hod McKenzie, from the organisation, told Sky News it was a “critical situation” and a “cocktail of chaos” had led to the crisis.
Retiring drivers
It says around 2,000 drivers are leaving the industry every week, often due to retirement, with only 1,000 new recruits joining over the same period. Mr McKenzie told Sky News, “
Cost of training and pay
“We want younger people to want to be truckers, and it’s expensive—at least £4,000, possibly £7,000—to train to be a trucker and that’s beyond the pockets of most young people,” he told Sky News. “So we’ve got to make it easier to take that financial burden away from them and make it easier for them to gel in and stay in.
Working conditions
A change to rules on how people pay tax has been blamed for some HGV drivers leaving the industry. The reform of the IR 35 rules were designed to prevent workers from setting up limited companies through which they pay less tax and National Insurance while working, in effect, as an employee.
| A．Tax changes |
| B．HGV driving tests |
| C．So what are the causes |
| D．What will be done to fix the problem |
| E．We’ve got an ageing population of lorry drivers |
| F．One of the problems we've had has been low pay and that’s now being addressed |
| G．Conditions at roadside services in the UK are “far worse” than in mainland Europe |
2 . While waiting in bus stations, airports or parks, some people are busy with a friendly conversation, and others read newspapers, comics (漫画), novels and pocket books. That was many years ago.
Today everyone uses smartphones, tablets and laptops at home, work and school. Exactly, it improves our communication, social media, entertainment and provides convenience to work. The computers, Interweb, and smartphones have become part of our everyday life.
However, the publishing houses suffer terrible losses, and the comics industry is out of business, for everyone goes digital and gadget (小玩意) dependent.
Especially in the COVID-19 times, the sales (销售) of PC, laptops and gadgets suddenly went up quickly. Because of health safety problems, people chose to shop online. Moreover, education happens through Online Distance Learning, which forced parents to buy desktops and smartphones. Yet behind the benefits and use of these modern gadgets is a sad reality. Many students lose the face-to-face conversation power. skills in public speaking, and social skills.
Another problem is health. The young generation today spends so much time on gadgets inside homes. They don’t live the traditional healthy outdoor life. The result is eyesight problems and enjoying very little sunlight.
For workers, too much exposure (暴露) to video call meetings has damaged their health. What’s more, many of us are expected to continue working at home.
Modern information technology (IT) has really-affected our way of life. In the COVID-19 times, these products of modern technology have protected us from public exposure and direct interaction with people. However, its continuous use can also harm people’s health and interest. Thus, we should take control of IT application in our life and not allow IT to endanger our health and safety.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To give tips on how to make good use of our time. | B．To draw readers’ interest in traditional ways of life. |
| C．To serve as the background information of the text. | D．To provide readers with a typical life scene many years ago. |
| A．A smartphone is more useful than a computer. | B．Without information technology, we can’t communicate |
| C．We are not able to work or study with no computers. | D．Information technology brings people many benefits. |
| A．Many students talk little face to face. | B．Many publishing houses turn to IT business. |
| C．Many parents are forced to learn to use IT gadgets. | D．Many workers are out of work and have to stay inside. |
| A．How did COVID-19 affect information technology? |
| B．How does modern information technology affect us? |
| C．How did modern technology become part of our everyday life? |
| D．How do people make use of modern technology? |
3 . Professor Paul Hughes says the way we talk to ourselves and about ourselves to other people can affect our life in many ways, from our career to our family life. He saw this firsthand while teaching at a community college.
He noticed that some students who studied hard and came to class every day still did poorly in exams. They are filled with angst about taking a test. Hughes used one of his students as an example. Lindsay was a good student. She came to class early, took part in discussions and did all of her homework. However, she did poorly in exams. When Hughes asked her how she felt before a test, she told him she was very nervous. She wondered why she had trouble remembering what she had learned. She said she did not trust that she knew the right answers.
Hughes took Lindsay’s negative statements and turned them into positive questions. Before a test, he told Lindsay to say to herself: Why am I so relaxed when I take an exam? Why am I so focused during my exam? Why do I remember everything I study for an exam? Why do I trust my answers?
Lindsay took his advice. Two weeks later, she took an exam and scored 15 points higher than she had in an earlier exam. Four weeks later, she got a “B” in the final exam.
After Lindsay left the community college and went to a four-year university, she continued to use the method of positive self-talk. She got straight A’s in all of her exams. Hughes saw student after student succeed with his method. They got more than just good test scores. They got their selfconfidence back.
Hughes does not just help his students. He also uses his positive self-talk method to help his friends and neighbors. In a television interview, he summed it up this way, “We can program ourselves for failure in class or in life, but we can also program ourselves for success.”
1. What does the underlined word “angst” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Tiredness. | B．Concern. | C．Dislike. | D．Satisfaction. |
| A．Review her lessons carefully. |
| B．Join in more group discussions. |
| C．Encourage herself by thinking positively. |
| D．Write her thoughts down to remove stress. |
| A．It helps students get smarter during the exam. |
| B．It can’t lead to success until used for a long period. |
| C．It is designed for students who do poorly in school. |
| D．It can help increase students’ scores and confidence. |
| A．Thoughts influence actions. |
| B．Sometimes hard work doesn’t work. |
| C．It’s easy to improve self-confidence. |
| D．All things are hard before they are easy. |
In December, 2021, a draft revision (修正草案) to the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests
Over the past 30 years, the law,
The revision adds a definition
5 . Clean Driving Record: What It Is and How It Benefits You
What is a clean driving record?
A clean driving record is one of those unclear phrases people throw around — like good credit or stable employment history. We know we’re supposed to have these things.
That’s the black-and-white interpretation, but the real-world answer is less clear. In certain situations, a driving record can have minor traffic violations and still be considered “clean”.
Three benefits of a clean driving record.
● Lower premiums (保险费)
Even just one violation on your driving record can raise your premiums.
● Less wear and tear on your car
Follow safe, legal driving practices and you’re less likely to damage your car.
● More job opportunities
A clean driving record is a standard requirement for any job that involves driving, including bus drivers, delivery drivers, truckers, ambulance drivers, etc.
| A．What “clean” means may surprise you. |
| B．That means less money spent on repairs. |
| C．However, we’re not sure what they mean exactly. |
| D．Most of these jobs will be rigid on their requirements. |
| E．It all depends on who is looking into your driving history. |
| F．Many drivers struggle to keep their driving records free from violations. |
| G．Experienced drivers can see their premiums go up 10% after a minor speeding ticket. |
6 . Across the fashion industry, many top designers have faced accusations of cultural appropriation (挪用).
Designer Jane Kellock, who has worked with brands such as Topshop, said she doesn’t believe designers deliberately go out to rip off (剽窃) cultures. “Design is a mish-mash (大杂烩) of different styles, cultures, ideas — and that’s what makes it interesting,” she said. “I really, genuinely don’t think that designers look at other cultures and think ‘I’m just going to copy that and I’m going to rip off that culture’.”
Dr Serkan Delice, a lecturer in cultural and historical studies at the London College of Fashion, is currently researching the debate over fashion and cultural appropriation. He said that fashion designers are often accused of cultural appropriation because of the speed at which the industry moves. “In most cases, unfortunately, designers don’t even have time to undertake proper research and appreciate a culture.”
One question that often comes up when the chat around cultural appropriation happens is: “What about people of color wearing clothes designed by white people?”
In 2016, designer Marc Jacobs appeared to defend his decision to style white models in dreadlocks (细发辫). Responding to the criticism, a comment from his official account said: “Funny how you don’t criticize women of color for straightening their hair.”
Dr Delice said cultural appropriation only “happens when there are power inequalities between different cultures”. “We are still living in a world where white people and institutions are much more powerful than black and brown people and their institutions. So it wouldn’t be cultural appropriation because cultural appropriation implies that a more powerful culture is using another less powerful culture.”
So what should designers do? Dr Delice believes that designers should make sure people from different cultures take part in producing the clothes that are inspired by them. “That’s the only solution. In other words, if you’re doing a runway show (时装秀), then you need to use the original inhabitants of that region, or in the production process.”
1. What does Jane Kellock think makes design interesting?| A．The cultures it reflects. | B．Its impact on culture. |
| C．The mixture of various elements. | D．Its focus on cultural exchange. |
| A．They deliberately copy different cultures. |
| B．They show little respect for certain cultures. |
| C．They lay emphasis on powerful cultures. |
| D．They don’t have time to fully appreciate other cultures. |
| A．cultural appropriation shouldn’t be criticized |
| B．the powerful cultures are more valued by designers |
| C．using elements from other cultures isn’t cultural appropriation |
| D．cultural appropriation occurs when inequality exists between cultures |
| A．Get inspiration from different cultures. |
| B．Get the source of their inspirations involved in the production process. |
| C．Organize more runway shows with local elements. |
| D．Learn about the origins of cultures from local residents. |
7 . Growing up as kids we are told to share our toys and not to be selfish. We also live in an age when discussing our feelings is encouraged. But when does it all become too much? With new crazes trending all the time, such as dance challenges and wearing a carpet as a dress, the question is: when can sharing become oversharing on social media?
“Oversharing” has become associated with social media, but it isn’t exclusive to this platform. Imagine you head to a party and meet someone. Within five minutes they have revealed private details about their life. While some of us may try to escape these people, according to marriage advisor Carolyn Cole, this form of oversharing could come from a strong desire to connect with someone. But how does this translate to social media?
Dr. Christopher Hand, a lecturer in cyberpsychology (网络心理学), says the more details people disclose, the less sympathy we express when things go wrong. It seems that searching for sympathy by oversharing is generally considered as negative rather than the cry for help it could really be.
However, Dr. Hand’s research also seems to suggest that the more we post on a platform, the more socially attractive we become — if the posts that we bang out are positive. Even back in 2015, Gwendolyn Seidman PhD said that we should avoid complaining and being negative online. We should also avoid showing off, especially about our love lives. It makes sense — if your date is going “that well”, would you really have time to share a photo with text?
So, how can you know if you are oversharing? Well, why not ask your friends in real life. They would probably be happy to tell you if your posts about your breakfast or your complaints about your lack of money really are too much.
1. What does the underlined word “exclusive” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Unique. | B．Similar. | C．Relevant. | D．Fundamental. |
| A．Sharing more details online can attract more sympathy. |
| B．Oversharing negative experiences is equal to crying for help. |
| C．Sharing negative posts can’t help one become socially attractive. |
| D．Oversharing isn’t likely to happen online when things go wrong. |
| A．Reflecting on past bad manners. | B．Showing a great many expensive goods. |
| C．Writing a recipe for a balanced breakfast. | D．Recording unforgettable moments with friends. |
| A．Developing good relationships by oversharing | B．The “oversharing” phenomenon on social media |
| C．Sharing with friends in real life | D．How to avoid oversharing |
8 . Former Irish President Mary Robinson was just making a polite conversation with an Ethiopian teenager about her wedding day. The 16yearold had already been married for a year. “She looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, ‘I had to drop out of school.’ ” Robinson said in a telephone interview. “That conveyed to me the reality.” said Robinson, the first woman to serve as Ireland’s president and former U. N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Her life, as far as she is concerned, had more or less ended.”
Robinson said keeping girls in school was one of the most important things policymakers could do to address the coming challenges of an everincreasing population, predicted by the United Nations to reach 7 billion soon. “European countries are concerned about aging populations, but this is much less of an issue than the huge number of people which we are going to see over the next 40 years when the population goes from 7 billion to 9 billion,” she said. “Almost all of that increase will be in poor developing countries, so that we have a very big challenge.”
Family planning experts worry in particular about the future population explosion in SubSaharan Africa. In May, the United Nations projected the world population would reach 9.3 billion in 2050 and 10.1 billion by 2100. Much of that growth will come from Africa, where the population is growing at 2.3 percent a year—more than double Asia’s 1 percent growth rate. If that rate stays consistent, which is not certain, Africa’s population will reach 3.6 billion by 2100 from the present 1 billion.
Joel Cohen, a professor of population studies at Rockefeller University and Columbia University in New York, said universal secondary education offered a way to reduce population in high birth rate regions. In addition to providing information about birth control, a secondary education teaches women to reduce their own fertility, improve the health of their children and allows them to move from a mindset of having many children in the hope that some will survive to improve the quality of each child’s life, Cohen wrote in the journal Nature.
1. In the first paragraph, the author introduces his topic by________.| A．explaining the author’s opinions |
| B．giving an example |
| C．describing the poor education system |
| D．coming straight to the topic |
| A．Robinson is happy after talking to the Ethiopian girl. |
| B．Robinson is a successful expert in population studies. |
| C．Robinson encourages female education. |
| D．Robinson is worried about the population growth. |
| A．It can change people’s parenting ideas. |
| B．It reduces aging population. |
| C．It makes people pay more attention to education. |
| D．It provides basic knowledge of health. |
| A．let girls go away from Africa |
| B．keep girls in families |
| C．let young girls remain single |
| D．keep girls in school |
9 . Two parents in very different circumstances (境况) told me their worries. One was a Google executive in New York City, who said, “I’m worried that my kids are growing up with too much money. How do I keep them from throwing their money around?” The second was a single mom from Los Angeles. She explained that her son was asking her for $150 jeans so that he could fit in with the cool crowd, and she didn’t know what to do.
To both parents I gave the same answer: Start talking about the value of money, the same way you’d teach your kid to tell the truth or be kind to others. Make sure they know what matters most to your family when it comes to money. Yes, we could afford fancy jeans, but they're not a priority for us.
When it comes to day-to-day lessons, the best way to teach your kids the value of a dollar is to give them actual dollars. When my daughter was 13, she wanted to go shopping with friends for back-to-school clothes. The other parents gave their girls a credit card or a debit card (借记卡) with a spending limit. Me? I embarrassed my daughter by handing her $50 … in cash. The reason: I knew that when she got to the checkout line with more than $50 worth of goods, she’d have to make hard choices and put something back.
Additionally, sometimes it’s what you don’t do for your kid that counts. I will never forget the brave audience member at an event who asked me the question: “Should I get my son an Amex Platinum card? All his friends use theirs to get into first-class airport lounges (等候室)when they travel.” “No,” I said. Always remember, you’ re the parent. You set the rules. And the rules will determine how your kid values money in the future.
1. What worried the first two parents?| A．How to instruct their kids to make money. |
| B．How to teach their kids the value of money. |
| C．How to refuse their kids’ requests for more money. |
| D．How to raise their kids with small amounts of money. |
| A．The most valuable gift. |
| B．A way to hide the truth. |
| C．The most important thing. |
| D．An excuse to please others. |
| A．Letting their kids pay in cash. |
| B．Limiting their kids’ pocket money. |
| C．Asking their kids to report their spending. |
| D．Reminding their kids to make a shopping list. |
| A．Parents should protect their kids’ self-respect. |
| B．Parents should be strict about their kids’ spending. |
| C．Parents should help their kids fit in with their friends. |
| D．Parents should spend money wisely to influence their kids |
10 . While parents, particularly mothers, have always been attached to their infants, societal conditions frequently made this attachment difficult to maintain. Firstly the high infant death rate in the premodern times meant that such attachments often ended in hopelessness. Perhaps to prevent the sadness that infant death caused, a number of societal practices developed which worked against early attachment of mother and child.
One of these premodern attachment-discouraging practices was to leave infants unnamed until they had survived into the second year. Another practice that discouraged maternal (母亲的) attachment was tightly wrapping infants. Wrapping effectively prevented the close physical interactions like stroking (抚摸) and kissing that are so much a part of modern mothers’ and fathers’ affection for their infants.
A third practice which had the same distancing effect was wet nursing. Breast-feeding was not popular among the well-to-do in the early modern times; infants were often fed by wet nurses hired for the purpose. In some places, such as nineteenth-century France, city infants were sent to wet nurses in the country. Often a wet nurse would feed her own child first, leaving little for the city infant— who, in many cases, died. In Rouen, the death rate for children sent to a wet nurse was 35 percent.
1. Babies were unnamed until they were two so that ________.| A．an old social custom could be kept up |
| B．maternal attachment could be maintained |
| C．they could have better chances to survive |
| D．their parents would not be too sad if they died |
| A．To protect them from the cold. |
| B．To distance their mothers from them. |
| C．To make them feel more comfortable. |
| D．To make it easy for their mothers to hold them. |
| A．babysat city infants | B．fed babies of other families |
| C．sent their babies to the country | D．failed to look after their babies |
| A．Differences between parents at different times. |
| B．Societal Conditions in Premodern Times. |
| C．Poor Health Service and High Infant Death Rate. |
| D．Practices of Reducing Maternal Attachment. |
