SectionⅠUse of English
Directions:
Read the following text.Choose the best word(s)for each numbered blank and mark A,B,C or D on the ANSWER SHEET.(10points)
Harlan Coben believes that if you’re a writer,you'll find the time;and that if you can’t find the time,then writing isn’t a priority and you’re not a writer.For him,writing is1job—a job like any other.He has2it with plumbing,pointing out that a plumber doesn’t wake up and say that he can’t work with pipes today.
3,like most writers these days,you’re holding down a job to pay the bills,it’s not4to find the time to write.But it’s not impossible.It requires determination and single-mindedness.5that most bestselling authors began writing when they were doing other things to earn a living.And today,even writers who are fairly6often have to do other work to7their writing income.
As Harlan Coben has suggested,it’s a8of priorities.To make writing a priority,you’ll have to9some of your day-to-day activities and some things you really enjoy.Depending on your10and your lifestyle,that
might mean spending less time watching television or listening to music,though some people can write11they listen to music.You might have to12the amount of exercise or sport you do.You'll have to make social media an 13activity rather than a daily,time-consuming14.There’ll probably have to be less socializing with your friends and less time with your family.It’s a15learning curve,and it won’t always make you popular.
There’s just one thing you should try to keep at least some time for,16your writing—and that’s reading. Any writer needs to read as much and as widely as they can;it’s the one17supporter—something you can’t do without.
Time is finite,the older you get,the18it seems to go.We need to use it as carefully and as19as we can. That means prioritizing out activities so that we spend most time on the things we really want to do.If you are a writer,that means—20—writing.
1.[A]difficult[B]normal[C]steady[D]pleasant
2.[A]combined[B]compared[C]confused[D]confronted
3.[A]If[B]Through[C]Once[D]Unless
4.[A]enough[B]strange[C]wrong[D]easy
5.[A]Accept[B]Explain[C]Remember[D]Suppose
6.[A]well-known[B]well-advised[C]well-informed[D]well-chosen
7.[A]donate[B]generate[C]supplement[D]calculate
8.[A]cause[B]purpose[C]question[D]condition
9.[A]highlight[B]sacrifice[C]continue[D]explore
10.[A]relations[B]interests[C]memories[D]skills
11.[A]until[B]because[C]while[D]before
12.[A]put up with[B]make up for[C]hang on to[D]cut down on
13.[A]intelligent[B]occasional[C]intensive[D]emotional
14.[A]habit[B]test[C]decision[D]plan
15.[A]tough[B]gentle[C]rapid[D]funny
16.[A]in place of[B]in charge of[C]in response to[D]in addition to
17.[A]indispensable[B]innovative[C]invisible[D]instant
18.[A]duller[B]harder[C]quieter[D]quicker
19.[A]peacefully[B]generously[C]productively[D]gratefully
20.[A]at most[B]in turn[C]on average[D]above all
SectionⅡReading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:Read the following four texts.Answer the questions below each text by choosing A,B,C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(40points)
TEXT1
On a recent sunny day,13,000chickens roam over Larry Brown’s40windswept acres in Shiner,Texas. Some rest in the shade of a parked car.Others drink water with the cows.This all seems random,but it’s by design, part of what the$6.1billion industry bets will be its next big thing:climate-friendly eggs.
These eggs,which are making their debut now on shelves for as much as$8a dozen,are still labeled organic and animal-friendly,but they’re also from birds that live on farms using regenerative agriculture-special techniques to cultivate rich soils that can trap greenhouse gases.Such eggs could be marketed as helping to fight climate change.
“I’m excited about our progress,”says Brown,who harvests eggs for Denver-based NestFresh Eggs and is adding more cover crops that draw worms and crickets for the chickens to eat.The birds’waste then fertilizes fields.Such improvements“allow our hens to forage for higher-quality natural feed that will be good for the land, the hens,and the eggs that we supply to our customers.”
The egg industry’s push is the first major test of whether animal products from regenerative farms can become the next premium offering.In barely more than a decade,organic eggs went from being dismissed as a niche product in natural foods stores to being sold at Walmart.More recently there were
similar doubts about probiotics and plant-based meats,but both have exploded into major supermarket categories.If the sustainable-egg rollout is successful,it could open the floodgates for regenerative beef,broccoli,and beyond.
Regenerative products could be a hard sell,because the concept is tough to define quickly,says Julie Stanton, associate professor of agricultural economics at Pennsylvania State University Brandywine.Such farming also brings minimal,if any,improvement to the food products(though some producers say their eggs have more protein).
The industry is betting that the same consumers paying more for premium attributes such as free-range,non-GMO,and pasture-raised eggs will embrace sustainability.Surveys show that younger generations are more
concerned about climate change,and some of the success of plant-based meat can be chalked up to shoppers wanting to signal their desire to protect the environment.Young adults“really care about the planet,”says John Brunnquell,president of Egg Innovations.“They are absolutely altering the food chain beyond what I think even they understand what they’re doing.”
21.The climate-friendly eggs are produced.
[A]at a considerably low cost
[B]at the demand of regular shoppers
[C]as a replacement for organic eggs
[D]on specially designed farms
22.Larry Brown is excited about his progress in.
[A]reducing the damage of worms
[B]accelerating the disposal of uses
[C]creating a sustainable system.
[D]attracting customers to his products
23.The example of organic eggs is used in the paragraph4to suggest.
[A]the doubts to over natural feeds
[B]the setbacks in the eggs industry
[C]the potential of regenerative products
[D]the promotional success of super markets
24.It can be learned from the last paragraph that young people.
[A]are reluctant to change their diet
[B]are likely to buy climate-friendly eggs
[C]are curious about new food
[D]are amazed at agricultural advances
25.John Brunnquell would disagree with Julie Stanton over regenerative products’.
[A]markets prospects
[B]standard definition
[C]market prospect
[D]moral implication
TEXT2
More Americans are opting to work well into the retirement,a growing trend that threatens to upend the old workforce model.
One in three Americans who are at least40have or plan to have a job in retirement to prepare for a longer life,according to a survey conducted by Harris Poll for TD Ameritrade.Even more surprising is that more than half of unretirees—those who plan to work in retirement or went back to work after retiring—said they would be employed in their later years even if they had enough money to settle down,the survey showed.
Financial needs aren’t the only culprit for the“unretirement”trend.Other reasons,according to the study,
include personal fulfillment such as staying mentally fit,preventing boredom or avoiding depression.About72% of“unretire”respondents said that they would return to work once retired to keep mentally fit while59%said it would be tied to making ends meet.Can Congress save the economy?Fed
chair says“US debt is‘on unsustainable path’”.Auto industry is still a boys’club at the top despite GM CEO Mary Barrassuccess.
“The concept of retirement is evolving,”said Christine Russell senior manager of retirement at TD Ameritrade.“It’s not just about finances.The value of work is also driving folks to continue working past retirement.”
One reason for the change in retirement patterns:Americans are living longer.The share of the population65 and older was16%in2018,up3.2%from the prior year,according to the U.S.Census Bureau.That’s also up 30.2%since2010.Older Americans are also the fastest-growing segment of the U.S workforce,and boomers are expected to live longer than previous generations.The percentage of retirement-age people in the labor force has doubled over the past three decades.About20%of people65and older were in the workforce in February,up from an all-time low of10%in January1985,according to money manager United Income.
Because of longer life spans,Americans are also boosting their savings to preserve their nest eggs,the TD Ameritrade study showed which surveyed2,000adults between40to79.Six in10“unretires'"are increasing their savings in anticipation of a longer life,according to the survey.Among the most popular
ways they are doing this, the company said,is by reducing their overall expenses,securing life insurance or maximizing their contributions to retirement accounts.Seniors are living longer,but planning for the extended years is key.
Unfortunately,many people who are opting to work in retirement are preparing to do so because they are worried about making ends meet in their later years,said Brent Weiss,a co-founder at Baltimore-based financial-planning firm Facet Wealth.He suggested that preretiree should speak with a financial adviser to set long-term financial goals.
“The most challenging moments in life are getting married,starting a family and ultimately retiring.”Weiss said.“It’s not just a financial decision,but an emotional one.Many people believe they can’t retire.＂
26.The survey conducted by Harris Poll indicates that.
[A]over half of the retirees are physically fit for work
[B]the old workforce is as active as the younger one
[C]one in three Americans enjoy earlier retirement
[D]more Americans are willing to work in retirement
27.It can be inferred from Paragraph3that Americans tend to think that.
[A]retirement may cause problems for them
[B]boredom can be relieved after retirement
[C]the mental health of retirees is overlooked
[D]“unretirement”contributes to the economy
28.Retirement patterns are changing partly due to.
[A]labor shortage
[B]population growth
[C]longer life expectancy
[D]rising living costs
29.Many retirees are increasing their savings by.
[A]investing more in stocks
[B]taking up odd jobs
[C]getting well-paid work
[D]spending less
30.With regard to retirement,Brent Weiss thinks that many people are.
[A]unprepared
[B]unafraid
[C]disappointed
[D]enthusiastic
TEXT3
We have all encountered them,in both our personal and professional lives.Think about the times you felt tricked or frustrated by a membership or subscription that had a seamless sign-up process but was later difficult to cancel.Something that should be simple and transparent can be complicated,intentionally or unintentionally,in ways that impair consumer choice.These are examples of dark patterns.
First coined in2010by user experience expert Harry Brignull,”dark patterns”is a catch-all term for practices that manipulate user interfaces to influence the decision-making ability of users.Brignull identifies12 types of common dark patterns,ranging from misdirection and hidden costs to"roach motel”where a user experience seems easy and intuitive at the start,but turns difficult when the user tries to get out.
In a2019study of53,000product pages and11,000websites,researchers found that about one in10 employs these design practices.Though widely prevalent,the concept of dark patterns is still not well understood. Business and nonprofit leaders should be aware of dark patterns and try to avoid the gray areas they engender.
Where is the line between ethical,persuasive design and dark patterns?Businesses should engage in c
onversations with IT,compliance,risk,and legal teams to review their privacy,and include in the discussion the customer/user experience designers and coders responsible for the company’s user interface,as well as the marketers and advertisers responsible for sign-ups,checkout baskets pricing,and promotions.Any or all these teams can play a role in creating or avoiding"digital deception.”
Lawmakers and regulators are slowly starting to address the ambiguity around dark patterns,most recently at the state level.In March,the California Attorney General announced the approval of additional regulations under the California Consumer Privacy Act(CCPA)that“ensure that consumers will not be confused or misled when seeking to exercise their data privacy rights.”The regulations aim to ban dark patterns—this means prohibiting companies from using"confusing language or unnecessary steps such as forcing them to click through multiple screens or listen to reasons why they shouldn’t opt out.”
As more states consider promulgating additional regulations,there is a need for greater accountability from within the business community.Dark patterns also can be addressed on a self-regulatory basis,but only if organizations hold themselves accountable,not just to legal requirements but also to industry best practices and standards.
31.It can be learned from the first two paragraphs that dark patterns_____
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