Rising sea levels are threatening coastlines in China, for example in
2 . The American company Walmart is offering something new to its employees: help with earning a college degree. Walmart said the program is open to both full-time and part-time workers who have been with the company for at least 90 days.
Walmart is the largest private employer in the United States. In the past, the company has helped its workers finish high school or pass the General Educational Development, or GED exam, which is designed to show one’s knowledge of high school-level skills.
Walmart hopes the new chance to earn a college degree will help it find and keep higher quality entry-level (最底层的) employees in a competitive market. Walmart is partnering with a company called Guild Education to offer employees the chance to get a bachelor’s degree (学士学位) in business or supply-chain management. The program will cost a dollar a day at one of the three schools: the University of Florida, Brandman University and Bellevue University. All three universities have had success in working with adult learners and offer programs through the Internet.
Walmart plans to develop its program further to other degrees in the future. It will also offer college-preparation classes for workers who need extra help. The company is paying for the cost of classes, books and other school-related costs so students will not need to borrow money.
This new partnership is an example of how large retail (零售) businesses are under stress and have to improve the skills of their entry-level workers. It comes at a time when the jobs of entry-level workers are getting more difficult to do partly because of the growing popularity of online sales. Two other reasons are competition from online retailer Amazon and more picky buyers.
The company also trains managers at its Walmart Training Academy, and has a program for entry-level workers.
1. What requirements you must meet to take part in Walmart’s program?| A．Passing the GED exam. | B．Being able to use computers. |
| C．Paying a dollar a day for the program. | D．Working for it for at least three months. |
| A．How the program runs. |
| B．What employees will learn. |
| C．Why Walmart carries out the program. |
| D．Where the entry-level employees are from. |
| A．Risky. | B．Difficult. | C．Necessary. | D．Puzzling. |
| A．Walmart works with three universities. |
| B．Walmart pays for employees’ college degree. |
| C．You need a college degree to work for Walmart. |
| D．You can receive college education while working. |
3 . After years of talking too much, I’ve come to realise that if one never listens to others. Well, he is limiting his access to lot of knowledge and information. Recently, after much consideration, thought I’d check out what the world of chat rooms is like.
I expect there are many chat rooms where people with similar interests get to know other and share their views on various aspects of life. These are great, much cheaper than telephones, and people can chat to one another freely. It seems some people are just very bored, and want to insult others, giving this area of information technology a bad name. I think lot of people are using the rooms simply for personal conversation that no one else can understand.
I guess it’s good that bored people in our technological society have others to talk to. It means teens may feel more connected to others and not so alone in the world, maybe even having a positive effect on their growth. I’m a true believer of the concept technology is here to further the consciousness of humanity. Computer and the internet can help bring all of us in the world together, thus improving our society to higher level. Having the technology is great to make the Internet work properly, I think we need to improve the quality of what communicate about when we are on the net.
1. According to the author, many people go to chat rooms simply to ________.| A．have private conversations | B．insult others |
| C．exchange views and ideas | D．develop personal interests |
| A．people should not spend too much time chatting |
| B．only bored people can go to chat rooms |
| C．people should respect each other when chatting with others |
| D．people should further the consciousness of humanity through chatting |
| A．give us a general idea of what the world of chat rooms is like |
| B．tell us the importance of computers and the Internet |
| C．tell us why people go to chat rooms |
| D．advise us to be more sensible (理性的) in using chat rooms |
Perhaps the most exotic fruits in China, the lychee is not only full of flavour and nutrition, but it’s also full of history.
Low in calories and rich in fibre, lychees are
Today, lychees are available across the globe, making
5 . In the UK, there is one car for every 5 people. In the USA there is one for every 2.5 people. So Americans sometimes have one car for every member of the family.
The family, with whom Liz, a student from Britain, is staying, have got four cars: a Mercedes-Benz for father, who drives it to work, a Chevrolet for mother, who uses it for shopping and visiting her friends, and Alex and his sister both have Fords. All the four cars are less than two years old, but none of them are as large as Liz has imagined.
“Smaller Cars have been made for a long time now,” Alex explained.“Partly because large cars burn up too much gas, and partly because of competition from smaller foreign cars, mostly Japanese and German.”
“I’ve noticed,” Liz said, “that your sidewalks don’t go as far as the suburbs, and yet you’re not supposed to walk along the highway.”
“That’s because nobody walks to work here,” Alex explained. “We do as little walking downtown as possible. We can’t do without our cars. We can do almost everything by using cars.”
“Did your father give you and June your cars?”
“Sure! But he won’t have money for gas or repairs or license. That’s why we both have part-time jobs three times a week. June waits table. I’m a teaboy.”
“But June’s just 17. At home we can’t get a learner’s license till we’re 17.” “We get one at 16 here. So all we have to do is to take a road test and get a driver ‘s license the moment we’re 17.”
1. June’s mother________.| A．is a housewife | B．is a teacher | C．is visiting her friends | D．doesn’t know Liz |
| A．are new and larger than Liz has bought |
| B．were made in Japan and Germany |
| C．aren’t old and they aren’t allowed to go to the suburbs |
| D．were bought less than two years ago and smaller than Liz has imagined |
| A．because they are poor |
| B．because they want to buy cars |
| C．to pay for gas and repairs and license |
| D．to pay for education |
| A．Nearly every American citizen has two cars. |
| B．A family has more cars in the USA than in the UK on average. |
| C．Both in the USA and the UK, people are allowed to get the license at the same age. |
| D．There will be no sidewalks at all in the near future in the USA. |
| A. willing B. educated C. pushing D. generation E. teenagers F. volunteer |
Does the face-down
7 . Procrastination (拖延症) gets people into trouble--leaving tasks until the very last moment is a Pandora’ s box of anxiety, uncertainty, and panic, but it’s still a popular way of planning our time. The healthier opposite would be to get tasks done as soon as possible, right? Wrong. It’s called precrastination (提前症) and it can be just as unhealthy.
Precrastination is not an uncommon phenomenon, driven by the desire to check things off one’s to-do list, in order not to keep in mind those tasks which fill up headspace and become a source of stress. While this tendency might seem positive, it often leads to similar negative results as procrastination. In a 2014 study, college students were asked to carry a bucket (桶) to a finish line in the easiest way possible. They had two choices-- carry the bucket placed halfway down the path, or carry the bucket that was close to the finish line. To the researchers’ surprise, most of the participants chose the bucket closest to them and carried it for a longer time, other than the one closest to the finish line to save themselves some effort.
Those college students chose to get started on a task earlier, even if it meant spending more energy in the longer term. And that’s the main problem with precrastination--it enables people to pay attention to urgent, easy-to-do tasks and get them out of the way quickly. But in doing so, people often leave important, more time-and-energy-consuming tasks for later, which they actually should have been saving their efforts for. Another shortcoming to precrastinating is the frenzy (疯狂) that accompanies the satisfaction of getting tasks done early. This hurried frenzy can replace careful planning and thought, ending in the rushed completion of a task often with mistakes.
Compared to procrastinators’ low efficiency, hyper-diligence (过度勤奋) is commonly seen in precrastinators. However, the only practice that can actually help people better organize their tasks and lives is careful, strategic planning. Meanwhile, they should get better at saying no, and above all, keep in mind that quality is better than quantity.
1. What do we know about precrastination according to the text?| A．It’s as unhealthy as procrastination. |
| B．It makes people try to think logically. |
| C．It’s a popular way people use to plan their time. |
| D．It encourages people to do several tasks at the same time. |
| A．They were difficult to satisfy. |
| B．They failed to understand the lecture. |
| C．They avoided carrying the heavier buckets. |
| D．They chose to work hard rather than work cleverly. |
| A．Their carelessness. |
| B．Their low interest. |
| C．Their overconfidence. |
| D．Their unnecessary competition. |
| A．Working at their own rate. |
| B．Valuing quality over quantity. |
| C．Trying to live a productive life. |
| D．Weighing gains and losses wisely. |
8 . If someone were to ask me what it is like to be a student now, I would probably answer them like this: being a student in today’s society is not always easy.
Adults often tell us that we don’t know what stress is. But we have our own levels of stress. Many students in their high school years start their first job, so now you have school in the mornings, followed by responsibilities at home and work. By the time you are done there, you are too tired to finish your school work, but you stay up late to finish and return to school feeling sleepy the next day. What good is that?
Let’s not forget about peer (同龄人) pressure. All high school students meet with it at some point in their lives. High school can be a place where students are made fun of, singled out and pointed at.
My point is: it is a whole lot more stressful to be a student in high school than adults believe. Our stress may not include paying bills, but I’m sure if the adults in our lives could go back to school today, they would be surprised at how much it has changed.
I admit that there aren’t good moments and memories while we are students. My mum always tells me to enjoy it while I can. I know that the world outside of school is often hard and that the responsibilities are serious. That’s exactly why I know that the focus I give to my future is important in leading me to a career that will allow me to contribute (贡献) to society.
1. What is the author’s attitude to high school students’ working part-time?| A．He is against it. | B．He feels proud of it. |
| C．He considers it worth a try. | D．He thinks it does them good. |
| A．They are proud of high school students. |
| B．They expect too much of high school students. |
| C．They are more stressed than high school students. |
| D．They don’t fully understand high school students. |
| A．Stress. | B．Schoolwork. | C．Part-time job. | D．School life. |
| A．The roles of the youth in today’s society. |
| B．The stressful life of high school students. |
| C．The way to deal with stress of school life. |
| D．The differences between parents and high school students. |
9 . When Christopher Moore isn’t jumping rope, shooting baskets or playing the board game Chutes and Ladders, the 8-year-old can often be found at home using his fighting skills, protecting the world from would-be enemies. “I’m trying to save the other people from being hurt,” he said of his Avatar video game adventures.
The Moore household, in Birmingham, Alabama, enjoys a good mix of at-home entertainment, something they are doing more and more during these precarious financial times, “They’re always in competition,” the boys’ mother, Lisa Moore, said with a laugh. “It keeps them busy. It keeps them occupied.”
Numbers show that at-home entertainment is doing better than ever, flying in the financial face of so many industries that are struggling in this difficult time.
The gaming experience, too, has changed with the years. Five years ago, online gaming was considered a one-person activity. And although games can still be played alone, the social factor is growing quickly. “Over a third of families will play games together online.” said David Williams, who heads up the Kids and Family Games Group. “They’re staying home more, and they’re using games to connect with one another.”
When it comes to the games children play, many parents such as Lisa Moore may choose to sit it out. But Christina Vercelletto, a senior editor at Parenting magazine, says that engaging in the games with them can do a family good. “It can be an opportunity to bond with your kids,” she said. If parents express interest, kids “will probably be heated. And you’ll get a little window into what has them so excited.” Plus, by playing the games, parents can determine how comfortable they are with what their kids are doing.
For those who want to get the opinions of others, Christina Vercelletto points out that the Entertainment Software Rating Board provides feedback and that parents are always learning from one another on discussion boards.
1. What does the underlined word “precarious” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Appropriate. | B．Precious. | C．Stable. | D．Tough. |
| A．Controlling children’s behavior. | B．Helping solve financial trouble. |
| C．Making a good family relationship. | D．Forming a sense of independence. |
| A．Join in. | B．Sit out. | C．Watch out. | D．Walk around. |
| A．Family relationship. | B．At-home entertainment. |
| C．Benefits of playing games. | D．Ways to connect with kids. |
10 . Before you worry about bacon and how much it may cost when new animal welfare laws go into effect next year, let’s talk about the pigs that gave their lives for it.
California has been on the forefront of protecting animals who live short lives on factory farms either to produce food for us or to be slaughtered and sold as food. The latest advance came in November 2018, when 62.7% of the state’s voters supported Proposition 12, the Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act. The law began going into effect last year, requiring hens and veal calves to be given more space to live in. Starting on Jan. 1st, the law will require that all eggs sold in California come from cage-free hens and that pork sold in the state come from breeding pigs that are not held in cages. These are humane steps designed to lift these animals out of structures that barely allow them to move.
Pork producers have had the longest time to comply (遵守). Some big companies like Hormel Foods have pledged to do so fully, but others have spent the last few years fighting the law rather than figuring out how to put it into practice. They say that the law will significantly raise the price of pork and that it violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, which gives Congress sole power over interstate business activity. So far, that fight has been a waste of time that pork producers could have better spent figuring out how to retrofit (翻新)their farms.
They also complain that the regulations on the law are not set. But the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which has yet to finalize the regulations, says that the delay should not have prevented producers from retrofitting their housing for breeding pigs. The agency has publicly posted draft regulations, which mostly concern record-keeping, certification and definitions of terms.
For fans of bacon and other pork, any rise in cost is the price of not having a pig suffer before it’s killed for food. It’s a price the animals shouldn’t have to pay.
1. What do we know about Proposition 12?| A．The law will come into force next year. |
| B．More space is required for raising hens and pigs. |
| C．Raising hens and pigs in limited space is humane. |
| D．Half of the state’s voters subscribed to Proposition 12. |
| A．Suspect. | B．Refuse. | C．Promise. | D．Hesitate. |
| A．Some pork producers have raised the price of pork. |
| B．All the pork producers don’t comply with the law. |
| C．Pork producers have wasted a lot of time retrofitting their farms. |
| D．Pork producers resist the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Conservative | C．Tolerant. | D．Favorable. |
