Harlan Coben believes that if you are a writer, you will find the time; and that if you can’t find the time, then writing isn’t a priority and you are not a writer. For him, writing is a 1 job-- a job like any other. He has 2 it 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 not 4 to find the time to write. But it’s not impossible. It requires determination and single-mindedness. 5 that most bestselling authors began writing when they were doing other things to earn a living. And today, even writers who are fairly 6 often have to do other work to 7 their writing income.
As Harlan Coben has suggested it’s a 8 of priorities. To make writing a priority, you’ll have to 9 some of your day-to-day activities and some things you really enjoy. Depending on your 10 and your lifestyle that might mean spending less time watching television or listening to music, though some people can write 11 they listen to music. You might have to 12 the amount of exercise or sport you do. You’ll have to make social media an 13 activity rather than a daily, time-consuming 14 . There ‘ll probably have to be less socializing with your friends and less time with your family. It’s a 15 learning curve, and it won’t always make you popular.
There’s just one thing you should try to keep at least some time for, 16 your writing and that’s reading. Any write needs to read as much and as wildly as they can. It’s the one 17 supporter --something you can’t do without.
Time is finite. The older you get, the 18 it seems to go. We need to use it as carefully and as 19 as 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.
Part A
TEXT 1
On a recent sunny day 13.000 chickens roam over Larry Brown's 40 windswept 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 $6.1 billion US.egg 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 $8 a 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 progresses,”says Brown,who harvests eggs for Denver-based Nest Fresh 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 roll out 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 altering the food chain beyond what i think even they understand what they’re doing."
Although ethics classes are common around the world, scientists are unsure if their lessons can actually change behavior,evidence either way is weak, relying on contrived laboratory tests or sometimes unreliable self-reports. But a new study published in Cognition found that, in at least one real-world situation. a single ethics lesson may have had lasting effects.
The researchers investigated one class sessions’ impact on eating meat. They chose this particular behavior for three reasons, according to study co-author Eric Schwitzgebel, a philosopher at the University of California, Riverside: students’ attitudes on the topic are variable and unstable, behavior is easily measurable, and ethics literature largely agrees that eating less meat is good because it reduces environmental harm and animal suffering. Half of the students in four large philosophy classes read an article on the ethics of factory-farmed meat, optionally watched an 11-minute video on the topic and joined a 50-minute discussion. The other half focused on charitable giving instead.
Then, unknown to the students, the researchers studied their anonymized meal-card purchases for that semester- nearly 14,000 receipts for almost 500 students. Schwitzgebel predicted the intervention would have no effect; he had previously found that ethics professors do not differ from other professors on a range of behaviors, including voting rates, blood donation and returning library books. But among student subjects who discussed meat ethics, meal purchases containing meat decreased from 52 to 45 percent-and this effect held steady for the study’s duration of several weeks. Purchases from the other group remained at 52 percent.
That’s actually a pretty large effect for a pretty small intervention, Schwitzgebel says. Psychologist Nina Strohminger at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study, says she wants the effect to be real but cannot rule out some unknown confounding variable. And if real she notes.it might be reversible by another nudge:" Easy come, easy go.
Schwitzgebel suspects the greatest impact came from social influence - classmates or teaching assistants leading the discussions may have shared their own vegetarianism, showing it as achievable or more common. Second, the video may have had an emotional impact. Least rousing, he thinks, was rational argument, although his co-authors say reason might play a bigger role .Now there searchers are probing the specific effects of teaching style, teaching assistant’s eating habits and students’ video exposure Meanwhile Schwitzgebel-who had predicted no effect-will be eating his words.
21.The climate-friendly eggs are produced
22.Larry Brown is excited about his progress in
23.The example of organic eggs is used in the forth paragraph is to suggest
24.It can be learned from the last paragraph that young people
25.John Brunnquell would disagree with Julie Stanton over regenerative products in
TEXT2
More Americans are opting to work well into retirement,a growing trend that threatens to upend the old workforce model.
One in three Americans who are at least 40 have 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.
About 72%of “unretiree” respondents said that they would return to work once retired to keep mentally fit while 59% said it would be tied to making ends meet.
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 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 population 65 and older was 16%in 2018, up 3.2% from the prior year, according to the U.S Census Bureau. That’s also up 30.2% since 2010.
Because of longer life spans, Americans are also boosting their savings to preserve their nest eggs,the TD Ameritrade study showed, which surveyed 2000 adults between 40 to 79. Six in 10 "unretirees" 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.
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 preretirees 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,"Facet Wealth cofounder Brent Weiss told USA Today."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
27. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that Americans tend to think that
28.Retirement patterns are changing partly due to
29.Many retires are increasing in savings by______
30.With regard to retirement,Brent Weiss thinks that many people are
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 in 2010 by 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 identifies 12 types of common dark patterns, ranging from misdirection and hidden costs to roach motel, where user experience seems easy and intuitive at the start, but turns difficult when the user tries to get out.
In a 2019 study of 53,000 product pages and 11,000 websites, researchers found that about one in 10 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 conversations with II, compliance, risk, and legal teams to review their privacy policy, 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 ensures that consumers will not be confused or misled when seeking to exercise their data privacy rights. The regulations aim to ban dark pattern——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 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 standard.
31. It can be learned from the first two paragraphs that dark patterns____________________.
32.The 2019 study on dark patterns is mentioned to show______________________.
34. The additional regulations under the CCPA are intended to
35. According to the last paragraph, a key to coping with dark patterns is_____________________________.
TEXT 4
Although ethics classes are common around the world, scientists are unsure if their lessons can actually change behavior, evidence either way is weak, relying on contrived laboratory tests or sometimes unreliable self-reports. But a new study published in Cognition found that, in at least one real-world situation. a single ethics lesson may have had lasting effects.
The researchers investigated one class sessions’ impact on eating meat. They chose this particular behavior for three reasons, according to study co-author Eric Schwitzgebel, a philosopher at the University of California, Riverside: students’ attitudes on the topic are variable and unstable, behavior is easily measurable, and ethics literature largely agrees that eating less meat is good because it reduces environmental harm and animal suffering. Half of the students in four large philosophy classes read an article on the ethics of factory-farmed meat, optionally watched an 11-minute video on the topic and joined a 50-minute discussion. The other half focused on charitable giving instead.
Then, unknown to the students, the researchers studied their anonymized meal-card purchases for that semester- nearly 14,000 receipts for almost 500 students. Schwitzgebel predicted the intervention would have no effect; he had previously found that ethics professors do not differ from other professors on a range of behaviors, including voting rates, blood donation and returning library books. But among student subjects who discussed meat ethics, meal purchases containing meat decreased from 52 to 45 percent-and this effect held steady for the study’s duration of several weeks. Purchases from the other group remained at 52 percent.
That’s actually a pretty large effect for a pretty small intervention, Schwitzgebel says. Psychologist Nina Strohminger at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study, says she wants the effect to be real but cannot rule out some unknown confounding variable. And if real she notes.it might be reversible by another nudge:" Easy come, easy go.
Schwitzgebel suspects the greatest impact came from social influence - classmates or teaching assistants leading the discussions may have shared their own vegetarianism, showing it as achievable or more common. Second, the video may have had an emotional impact. Least rousing, he thinks, was rational argument, although his co-authors say reason might play a bigger role .Now there searchers are probing the specific effects of teaching style, teaching assistant’s eating habits and students’ video exposure Meanwhile Schwitzgebel-who had predicted no effect-will be eating his words.
36.Scientists generally believe that the effects of ethics classes are
37.Which of the following is a reason for the researchers to study meat-eating?
38.Eric Schwitzgebel’s previous findings suggest that ethics professors
39.Nina Strohminger thinks that effect of the intervention is
40.Eric Schwitzgebel suspects that the students’ change in behavior
Part B
A.Make it a habit
B.Don’t go it alone
C.Start low, go slow
D.Talk with your doctor
E.Listen to your body
F.Go through the motions
G.Round out your routine
How to Get Active Again
Getting back into exercise after a break can be a challenge in the best of times, but with gyms and in-person exercise classes off-limits to many people these days, it can be tricky to know where to start. And it is important to get the right dose of activity. "Too much too soon either results in injury or burnout," says Mary Yoke, PhD, a faculty member in the kinesiology department at Indiana University in Bloomington. The following simple strategies will help you return to exercise safely after a break.
41.___________________________
Don't try to go back to what you were doing before your break. lf you were walking 3 miles a day, playing 18 holes of golf three times a week, or lifting10-pound dumbbells for three sets of 10 reps, reduce activity to half a mile every other day, or nine holes of golf once a week with short walks on other days, or use 5-pound dumbbells for one set of 10 reps. Increase time, distance, and intensity gradually. "This isn't something you can do overnight," says KeriL. Denay, MD.lead author of a recent American College of Sports Medicine advisory that encourages Americans to not overlook the benefits of activity during the pandemic. But you'll reap benefits such as less anxiety and improved sleep right away.
42.___________________________________
If you're breathing too hard to talk in complete sentences, back off. If you feel good, go a little longer or faster. Feeling wiped out after a session? Go easier next time. And stay alert to serious symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, severe shortness of breath or dizziness, or faintness, and seek medical attention immediately.
43.______________________________
Consistency is the key to getting stronger and building endurance and stamina. Ten minutes of activity per day is a good start says Marcus Jackovitz. DPT a physical therapist at the University of Miami Hospital. All the experts we spoke with highly recommend walking because it's the easiest, most accessible form of exercise. Although it can be a workout on its own, if your goal is to get back to Zumba classes, tennis, cycling or any other activity walking is also a great first step.
44._____________________________________
Even if you can't yet do a favorite activity, you can practice the moves. With or without a club or racket swing like you're hitting the ball. Paddle like you're in a kayak or canoe. Mimic your favorite swimming strokes. The action will remind you of the joy the activity brought you and prime your muscles for when you can get out there again.
45.____________________________
Exercising with others "can keep you accountable and make it more fun, so you're more likely to do it again," Jackovitz says. You can do activities such as golf and tennis or take a walk with others and still be socially distant. But when you can't connect in person, consider using technology. Chat on the phone with a friend while you walk around your neighborhood. Face Time with a relative as you strength train or stretch at home. You can also join a livestream or on-demand exercise class.
Although we try out best,sometimes our paintings rarely turn out as originally planned.Changes in the light,the limitations of your painting materials,and the lack of experience and technique mean that what you start out trying to achieve may not come to life the way that you expected.
Although this can be frustrating and disappointing,it turns out that this can actually be good for you. Unexpected result have two benefits: you pretty quickly learn to deal with disappointment and realise that when one door closes, anther opens. You also quickly learn to adapt and come up with creative solutions to the problems the painting presents and thinking outside the box will become your second nature.
In fact, creative problem-solving skills are incredibly useful in daily life, with which you are more likely to be able to find a solution when a problem arises.
评分标准
第四档（13~15分）：很好地完成了试题规定的任务。理解准确无误；表达通顺清楚；没有错译、漏译。
第三档（9~12分）：基本完成了试题规定的任务。理解基本准确；表达比较通顺；没有重大错译、漏译。
第二档（5~8分）：未能按要求完成试题规定的任务。理解原文不够准确；表达欠通顺；有明显错译、漏译。
第一档（0~4分）：未完成试题规定的任务。不能理解原文；表达不通顺；文字支离破碎。
参考答案：
虽然我们会竭尽全力，但有时我们的画作还是会和我们原本设想的不太一样。光线的变化、绘画材料的限制，以及经验和技巧的匮乏，都意味着你一开始想要达到的效果可能不会以你预期的形式呈现出来。
虽然这有点令人挫败和失望，但最后你会发现,这其实对你是有好处的。出人意料的结果会有两大益处：你很快会学会如何面对失望，并领悟到当一扇门关闭的同时，另一扇门会为你敞开。同样你也会很快学会适应，并想出有创意的解决方案，来应对你画作上所呈现的问题。同时，跳出思维定式将会成为你的第二本能。
事实上，富有创意的应对技巧在日常生活中极其有用。有了这些技巧，当你遇到问题时，你将更有把握能够解决它。
- 本题满分15.0分
Suppose you are planning a campus food festival, write an email to international students in your university to
1) introduce the food festival
2) invite them to participate
You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET. Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming” instead.
评分标准
|
第五档 |
很好地完成了试题规定的任务：
●使用丰富的语法结构和词汇； |
|
第四档 |
较好地完成了试题规定的任务： |
|
第三档 |
基本完成了试题规定的任务： |
|
第二档 |
未能按要求完成试题规定的任务： |
|
第一档 |
未完成试题规定的任务： |
|
零档 |
所传达的信息或所用语言太少，无法评价；内容与要求无关或无法辨认。 |
参考答案：
Dear International Students,
I’m delighted to invite you to participate in the food festival in our university.
Currently, I’m making a plan of the campus food festival arrangements. Firstly, each of the students is required to bring some food that well represents the features of your hometown cuisine. You may exchange your food with other students whose food arouses your interest or even curiosity. Besides, every student is welcome to take part in this festival at 9:00 a.m. on this Saturday at the university stadium. Above all, this event will last 2 hours including a food culture presentation and a food exchange activity.
I would be honored if you could attend this event. I am looking forward to meeting you.
Yours Sincerely,
Li Ming
- 本题满分10.0分
Directions: Write an essay based on the chart below. In your writing, you should
1) interpret the chart, and
2) give your comments
You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
评分标准
|
第五档 |
很好地完成了试题规定的任务： |
|
第四档 |
较好地完成了试题规定的任务： |
|
第三档 |
基本完成了试题规定的任务： |
|
第二档 |
未能按要求完成试题规定的任务： |
|
第一档 |
未完成试题规定的任务： |
|
零档 |
所传达的信息或所用语言太少，无法评价；内容与要求无关或无法辨认。 |
参考答案：
As described in the bar chart, we can witness dramatic changes with regard to the business volume of overall and rural express inChina. Specifically, the number of the former ascended from 51 billion in 2018 to 64 billion in 2019, and reached 83 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, those of the latter also apparently soared from 12 billion to 15 billion, and ultimately to 30 billion.
Some driving factors lead to this phenomenon. Firstly, the prosperous economy plays a critical role in the residents’ greater purchase power, especially those in villages. Thus, the skyrocketing of this business turns out to be a prevailing trend. Besides, the fast pace in modern life contributes to the shift of awareness in consumption. We tend to attach more importance to online efficiency and convenience rather than traditional modes of physical stores. Thirdly, the privileged policies issued by relevant authorities promote the consistent surge in the advancement of this industry, from which even the rural areas benefit significantly.
From what is discussed above, it can be concluded that with the combination of improved living levels, personal preferences and government policies, this trend will continue in the forthcoming days.
- 本题满分15.0分
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