1 . In Chinese cities, food deliverymen are often seen riding at full speed through busy traffic. They rushed from restaurants to different destinations, even under bad weather conditions.
The article The Food Deliverymen Are Trapped in the App pointed out that on food delivery service platforms, Eleme and Meituan, the time limit and the route for each delivery order is calculated by an algorithm（算法）.But the algorithm doesn't consider real-life situations, such as red lights, speed limits and fully occupied elevators.
The time limit for a delivery order within 2 kilometers is 30 minutes, even shorter in recent years. Delay could mean a fine. So deliverymen rev up, often breaking traffic rules, putting their own lives at risk.
Many people asked the platforms to improve the regulations imposed(强加) on the deliverymen. In response to this demand, Eleme announced it would add a button to the app, which allowed customers to extend the time limits for their orders, and encouraged customers to show more respect for deliverymen. But some people felt that the company was staying away from the problem and changing people’s attention. Some held the view that the company was putting the responsibility on the customers rather than solving the problem itself.
As to delivery delays, solutions are far from enough. As a matter of fact, when a delivery delay happens and the company can’t reach an agreement with the customer on the responsibility, the deliveryman is usually the final one responsible for the delay. The Shanghai Customer Council commented that it was unfair for the deliveryman to be the only side responsible for a delay and problems should be solved between the companies and their employees. Besides, market regulatory departments should stop companies from setting tight schedules for their deliverymen and keep them safe on the roads.
1. What does the underlined expression “rev up” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Run away. | B．Speed up. |
| C．Wander around. | D．Slow down. |
| A．The Customer Council. | B．The customer. |
| C．The company. | D．The deliveryman. |
| A．Set tight schedules for more orders. |
| B．Solve the problems of delivery delays with the customers. |
| C．Stop companies from setting tight schedules for their employees. |
| D．Employ more deliverymen for the delivery companies. |
| A．The customers’ rights should be protected. |
| B．Food delivery regulations need improvement. |
| C．Food deliverymen take risks on their way. |
| D．Delivery platforms earn more than before. |
2 . Are you the only child in your family? If so, do you enjoy it or do you want more siblings（兄弟姐妹）?
On May 31, a key meeting of the Communist Party of China unveiled a policy that would allow all couples to have up to three children.
The move is expected to maximize the population's role in driving economic and social growth, since this is a critical time for China to transform the world's most populous country into a powerhouse（强国）with a quality workforce, according to the National Health Commission.
The three-child policy is also expected to prevent the decline in the nation's birthrate and address the challenge of a rapidly aging population, China Daily reported.
China's annual number of newborns has fallen for four years in a row. The country's total birthrate—the average number of children born to each woman—stood at 1.3 in 2020. The number is below the rate of 2.1 that would maintain a stable population, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The declining birthrate has also brought a sharp increase in the proportion of the population aged 60 or above, rising from 10.3 percent to 18.7 percent in the past decade. An increasingly elderly population will increase the cost of labor and the pressure on the social security net. It also means there will be a lack of young labor force. Therefore, it's not good for economic growth, according to Chen Youhua, a professor at Nanjing University.
In fact, the new birth policy is a step to further relax the family planning policy. The one-child policy was introduced in the 1970s and aimed to control the fast-growing population. Then in 2013, China allowed couples to have a second child if either parent was an only child, and in 2016, all couples were allowed to have two children.
However, not all people have shown their support for this latest policy. Many couples complained about the rising costs of raising a child. A netizen named Qinfeng commented, "High cost of education and both the physical and mental exhaustion stopped me from having more than one child." Also, many women are reluctant（不情愿的）to give birth because that could mean sacrificing their career prospects, according to Mu Guangzong, a professor at Peking University.
In that case, Mu noted that it is better to implement supporting measures with the three-child policy, such as more preferential（优惠的）policies for couples that would ease their parental burden.
1. What might NOT be the main cause for the new policy?| A．To increase the population's role. |
| B．To stop the declining birthrate. |
| C．To improve the child- care service system. |
| D．To address the challenge of the aging population. |
| A．China's annual number of newborns has fallen for decades. |
| B．The government will protect the legal rights of women in employment. |
| C．Measures will be taken to improve the high-quality education. |
| D．The new policy allows couples to have up to three children. |
| A．To carry out. | B．To get along with. |
| C．To make use of. | D．To have a command of. |
| A．To show his love of children healthcare. |
| B．To introduce the new family size policy. |
| C．To share his concerns about birthrate. |
| D．To emphasize the physical and mental exhaustion. |
1、上海率先实施； 2、垃圾须分四类（干、湿、可循环、有害）； 3、社会反响。
参考词汇：垃圾分类 trash sorting
注意：词数 120 左右；可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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4 . Imagine on your way out of class today you trip (绊倒) on a loose piece of carpet and twist your ankle. As a result of the injury, you lose your place in the local sports team, and have to miss an important job interview. Bad luck? Or an opportunity to get rich quick?
Perhaps it's not surprising that Roslyn Darch of Houston, Texas, USA felt annoyed when she tripped over a toddler (学步的儿童) running around a furniture store, and broke her ankle. But a few months later, she was $780,000 richer after she successfully sued (起诉) the shop. The owners were clearly surprised at the size of Roslyn's payout, particularly since the toddler she tripped over was her own son.
And it's not only claims for physical injuries that are keeping the lawyers busy. A group of overweight New York teenagers sued a giant fast-food company claiming that they had not had enough warning that a diet of burgers, fries and milk shakes would make them fat. The parents of one nineteen-year-old English schoolgirl successfully sued her school for 42,000 compensation when she failed to get a top grade in a university entrance exam. Sandra York received $113,000 from a Washington D.C. restaurant after slipping on a spilt soft drink.
Who knows where it will end? Some say there should be penalties (处罚) for excessive (过度的) claims, or that there should be a limit on payouts. But one thing's for sure—in the end, the only certain winner is the lawyer!
1. Roslyn sued a furniture store because ________| A．she tripped over by furniture in the store. | B．she bought chairs of poor quality. |
| C．she was affected by the compensation culture. | D．she tripped over her son. |
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
| A．supportive | B．neutral | C．disapproving | D．unconcerned |
| A．To Sue or Not to Sue? | B．The Best Way to Get Rich. |
| C．The Decline of the Compensation Culture. | D．Who Wins in the Lawsuits(诉讼)? |
A student, Evalthus, heard of this famous teacher and asked him to give him lessons. However, Evalthus didn’t want to pay for his lessons at once, and after some discussion it was finally agreed between them that Evalthus should pay only if he won his first case in the court. For if he won, it would prove that he had been taught well.
The lessons began and Evalthus proved himself to be a good student. But he refused to pay Protagoras anything at the end of his studies.
Protagoras therefore took Evalthus to the court and told the judges that he wanted his money. He explained that he must be paid whether he won or lost the case. “Whatever you decide,” he declared(宣称)to the judges, “ I must be paid. For if you decide in my fovor , then I win the case, and so I must be paid . But If you decide against me, then Evalthus has won his first case in the court; according to our agreement, he must pay his lessons. Therefore I shall get my money whatever happens.”
The Athenian judges found no fault in it, so they asked Evalthus to reply.
“No, it’s quite clear,” said Evalthus, “ that I need not pay. If the judged decide in my favor, then I have won the case, and I need not to pay. But if Protagoras wins, then I have lost my first case. Therefore, according to our agreement, I do not have to pay. So I need not pay in any event.”
As both arguments appeared to be faultless, the judges were unable to come to a decision. They therefore ordered the two men to appear before them again one hundred years later.
1. Evalthus would pay Protagoras _______________.
| A．before he started his lessons |
| B．after he finished his lessons |
| C．after the court decided against him |
| D．after the court proved that he was taught well |
| A．He won the judges’ favor in the end and got his money. |
| B．He was probably the first teacher to accept money for his lessons. |
| C．He didn’t teach Evalthus well because Evalthus didn’t pay. |
| D．He was not confident of his winning the case in the court. |
| A．They couldn’t make a decision. |
| B．They needed to think it over again. |
| C．They wanted to make fun of them. |
| D．They wanted more money from them. |
| A．A Smart Student---- Evalthus |
| B．A Great Teacher---Protagoras |
| C．Come Here One Hundred Years Later |
| D．A Fight Between Teacher and Student |
