M: How are your new neighbors, Nancy?
W: They seem nice enough, but they have a son who’s driving me
crazy.
M: 6
W: He comes home every night around 10 with his car window rolled
down and radio turned up really loud. 7 But by then Brian and Lisa are wide awake.
M: Oh, no.
W: Oh, yes. Sometimes it takes us until midnight just to get them to
settle down again.
M: 8
W: We haven’t even really met them yet except to say a quick hello.
M: You are not going to like them when you do meet them, I dare say.
W: I know, but I feel stupid complaining. 9 I’m just not getting
enough sleep and neither are the children.
M: 10
W: Yeah.
M: Then you could mention that the hardest thing at present is getting
your children to sleep at night.
| A．Have you tried talking to them? |
| B．What do you mean? |
| C．Actually, they didn’t say anything. |
| D．Maybe you could ask about their son and they’ll be sure to ask about yours. |
E. Well, you know how early I have to get up to be here at the office.
F. Don’t get your hopes too high!
G. It stops as soon as he turns the car off.
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
On March 7，1907，the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the "wisdom of crowds" effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases，the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.
ㅤThis effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors，those errors aren't always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate，and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together，they cancel each other out，resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors，then their errors won't cancel each other out. In more technical terms，the wisdom of crowds requires that people's estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons，people's errors become correlated or dependent，the accuracy of the estimate will go down.
ㅤBut a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist （转折） on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion，the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance，the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.
ㅤIn a follow﹣up study with 100 university students，the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates？Did they follow those least willing to change their minds？This happened some of the time，but it wasn't the dominant response. Most frequently，the groups reported that they "shared arguments and reasoned together." Somehow，these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error. Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain，the potential implications for group discussion and decision﹣making are enormous.
（1）What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
The methods of estimation. |
| B． |
The underlying logic of the effect. |
| C． |
The causes of people's errors. |
| D． |
The design of Galton's experiment. |
（2）Navajas' study found that the average accuracy could increase even if ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
the crowds were relatively small |
| B． |
there were occasional underestimates |
| C． |
individuals did not communicate |
| D． |
estimates were not fully independent |
（3）What did the follow﹣up study focus on？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
The size of the groups. |
| B． |
The dominant members |
| C． |
The discussion process. |
| D． |
The individual estimates. |
（4）What is the author's attitude toward Navajas' studies？＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Unclear. |
| B． |
Dismissive. |
| C． |
Doubtful. |
| D． |
Approving. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
The goal of this book is to make the case for digital minimalism，including a detailed exploration of what it asks and why it works，and then to teach you how to adopt this philosophy if you decide it's right for you.
ㅤTo do so，I divided the book into two parts. In part one，I describe the philosophical foundations of digital minimalism，starting with an examination of the forces that are making so many people's digital lives increasingly intolerable，before moving on to a detailed discussion of the digital minimalism philosophy.
ㅤPart one concludes by introducing my suggested method for adopting this philosophy：the digital declutter. This process requires you to step away from optional online activities for thirty days. At the end of the thirty days，you will then add back a small number of carefully chosen online activities that you believe will provide massive benefits to the things you value.
ㅤIn the final chapter of part one，I'll guide you through carrying out your own digital declutter. In doing so. I'll draw on an experiment I ran in 2018 in which over 1，600 people agreed to perform a digital declutter. You'll hear these participants' stories and learn what strategies worked well for them，and what traps they encountered that you should avoid.
ㅤThe second part of this book takes a closer look at some ideas that will help you cultivate a sustainable digital minimalism lifestyle. In these chapters，I examine issues such as the importance of solitude and the necessity of cultivating high﹣quality leisure to replace the time most now spend on mindless device use. Each chapter concludes with a collection of practices，which are designed to help you act on the big ideas of the chapter. You can view these practices as a toolbox meant to aid your efforts to build a minimalist lifestyle that words for your particular circumstances.
（1）What is the book aimed at？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Teaching critical thinking skills. |
| B． |
Advocating a simple digital lifestyle. |
| C． |
Solving philosophical problems. |
| D． |
Promoting the use of a digital device. |
（2）What does the underlined word"declutter"in paragraph 3 mean？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Clear﹣up. |
| B． |
Add﹣on. |
| C． |
Check﹣in. |
| D． |
Take﹣over. |
（3）What is presented in the final chapter of part one？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Theoretical models. |
| B． |
Statistical methods. |
| C． |
Practical examples. |
| D． |
Historical analyses. |
（4）What does the author suggest readers do with the practices offered in part two？＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Use them as needed. |
| B． |
Recommend them to friends. |
| C． |
Evaluate their effects. |
| D． |
Identify the ideas behind them. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
When John Todd was a child，he loved to explore the woods around his house，observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream，for example，often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older，John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making.
ㅤAfter studying agriculture，medicine，and fisheries in college，John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria（细菌）？Which kinds of fish can eat cancer﹣causing chemicals？With the right combination of animals and plants，he figured，maybe he could clean up waste the way nature did. He decided to build what he would later call an eco﹣machine.
ㅤThe task John set for himself was to remove harmful substances from some sludge（污泥）.First，he constructed a series of clear fiberglass tanks connected to each other. Then he went around to local ponds and streams and brought back some plants and animals. He placed them in the tanks and waited. Little by little，these different kinds of life got used to one another and formed their own ecosystem. After a few weeks，John added the sludge.
ㅤHe was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco﹣machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks，it had all been digested，and all that was left was pure water.
ㅤOver the years，John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse﹣like facility that treated sewage （污水）from 1，600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco﹣machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou，a city in southeast China.
ㅤ"Ecological design"is the name John gives to what he does. "Life on Earth is kind of a box of spare parts for the inventor，"he says. "You put organisms in new relationships and observe what's happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self﹣repair."
（1）What can we learn about John from the first two paragraphs？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
He was fond of traveling. |
| B． |
He enjoyed being alone. |
| C． |
He had an inquiring mind. |
| D． |
He longed to be a doctor. |
（2）Why did John put the sludge into the tanks？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
To feed the animals. |
| B． |
To build an ecosystem. |
| C． |
To protect the plants. |
| D． |
To test the eco﹣machine. |
（3）What is the author's purpose in mentioning Fuzhou？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
To review John's research plans. |
| B． |
To show an application of John's idea. |
| C． |
To compare John's different jobs. |
| D． |
To erase doubts about John's invention. |
（4）What is the basis for John's work？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Nature can repair itself. |
| B． |
Organisms need water to survive. |
| C． |
Life on Earth is diverse. |
| D． |
Most tiny creatures live in groups. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
Bike Rental &Guided Tours
ㅤWelcome to Amsterdam，welcome to MacBike. You see much more from the seat of a bike! Cycling is the most economical，sustainable and fun way to explore the city，with its beautiful canals，parks，squares and countless lights. You can also bike along lovely landscapes outside of Amsterdam.
ㅤWhy MacBike
ㅤMacBike has been around for almost 30 years and is the biggest bicycle rental company in Amsterdam. With over 2，500 bikes stored in our five rental shops at strategic locations，we make sure there is always a bike available for you. We offer the newest bicycles in a wide variety，including basic bikes with foot brake（刹车），bikes with hand brake and gears （排挡），bikes with child seats，and children's bikes.
ㅤPrices
|
Hand Brake，Three Gears |
Foot Brake，No Gears |
|
|
1 hour |
€7.50 |
€5.00 |
|
3 hours |
€11.00 |
€7.50 |
|
1 day（24 hours） |
€14.75 |
€9.75 |
|
Each additional day |
€8.00 |
€6.00 |
ㅤGuided City Tours
ㅤThe 2.5﹣hour tour covers the Gooyer Windmill，the Skinny Bridge，the Rijksmuseum，Heineken Brewery and much more. The tour departs from Dam Square every hour on the hour，starting at 1：00 pm every day. You can buy your ticket in a MacBike shop or book online.
（1）What is an advantage of MacBike？ ＿＿＿＿
| A． |
It gives children a discount. |
| B． |
It offers many types of bikes. |
| C． |
It organizes free cycle tours. |
| D． |
It has over 2，500 rental shops. |
（2）How much do you pay for renting a bike with hand brake and three gears for two days？＿＿＿＿
| A． |
€15.75. |
| B． |
€19.50. |
| C． |
€22.75. |
| D． |
€29.50. |
（3）Where does the guided city tour start？＿＿＿＿
| A． |
The Gooyer，Windmill. |
| B． |
The Skinny Bridge. |
| C． |
Heineken Brewery. |
| D． |
Dam Square. |
ㅤIf you want to tell the history of the whole world，a history that does not privilege one part or humanity，you cannot do it through texts alone，because only some of the world has ever had texts，while most of the world，for most of the time，has not.Writing is one of humanity's later achievements，and until fairly recently even many literate（有文字的）societies recorded their concerns not only in writing but in things.
ㅤIdeally a history would bring together texts and objects，and some chapters of this book are able to do just that，but in many cases we simply can't.The clearest example of this between literate and non﹣literate history is perhaps the first conflict ，at Botany Bay，between Captain Cook's voyage and the Australian Aboriginals.From the English side，we have scientific reports and the captain's record of that terrible day.From the Australian side，we have only a wooden shield（盾） dropped by a man in flight after his first experience of gunshot.If we want to reconstruct what was actually going on that day，the shield must be questioned and interpreted as deeply and strictly as the written reports.
ㅤIn addition to the problem of miscomprehension from both sides，there are victories accidentally or deliberately twisted，especially when only the victors know how to write.Those who are on the losing side often have only their things to tell their stories.The Caribbean Taino，the Australian Aboriginals，the African people of Benin and the Incas，all of whom appear in this book，can speak to us now of their past achievements most powerfully through the objects they made：a history told through things gives them back a voice.When we consider contact（联系）between literate and non﹣literate societies such as these，all our first﹣hand accounts are necessarily twisted，only one half of a dialogue.If we are to find the other half of that conversation，we have to read not just the texts，but the objects.
（1）What is the first paragraph mainly about？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
How past events should be presented. |
| B． |
What humanity is concerned about. |
| C． |
Whether facts speak louder than words. |
| D． |
Why written language is reliable. |
（2）What does the author indicate by mentioning Captain Cook in paragraph 2？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
His report was scientific. |
| B． |
He presented the local people. |
| C． |
He ruled over Botany Bay. |
| D． |
His record was one﹣sided. |
（3）What does the underlined word"conversation"in paragraph 3 refer to？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Problem. |
| B． |
History. |
| C． |
Voice. |
| D． |
Society. |
（4）Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
How Maps Tell Stories of the World |
| B． |
A Short History of Australia |
| C． |
A History of the World in 100 objects |
| D． |
How Art Works Tell Stories |