15. During the pandemic, our community workers, policemen, media ______ and volunteers stood fast at their posts.A. personnelB. facultyC. platformD. public

Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art， dance and music．Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity （阳刚）， the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to obey a stereotype（陈规旧俗）， a US study says．Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness， rather than feeling they had to obey the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man"．The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls．Tony Little， headmaster of Eton， warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls． He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls．The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills．But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style， letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom， wrote the study's author， Abigail James， of the University of Virginia．Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them． Because boys generally have more acute vision， learn best through touch， and are physically more active， they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around． "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine （女性的） and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes， "James wrote．Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to obey a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships． "In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means， " the study reported．39． The author believes that a single-sex school would ____ ．A． force boys to hide their emotions to be "real men"B． help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boysC． encourage boys to express their emotions more freelyD． naturally reinforce in boys the traditional image of a man40． It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys ____ ．A． behave more responsiblyB． perform relatively betterC． receive a better educationD． grow up more healthily41． What does Tony Little say about the British education system？ ____ A． It fails more boys than girls academically．B． It fails to give boys the attention they need．C． It places more pressure on boys than on girls．D． It focuses more on mixed school education．42． Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James' report？ ____ A． They are violent and sexist．B． They obey stereotypes．C． They enjoy being in charge．D． They have sharper vision．

A new study has drawn a bleak picture of cultural inclusiveness reflected in the children‘s literature available in Australia.Dr.Helen Adam from Edith Cowan University’s School of Education26_ the cultural diversity of children’s books. She examined the books27_in the kindergarten rooms of four daycare centers in Western Australia. Just 18 percent of 2413 books in the total collection contained any 28_of non-white people.Minority cultures were often featured in stereotypical or tokenistic ways,for example, by29_ Asian culture with chopsticks and traditional dress.Characters that did represent a minority culture usually had30 _ roles in the books. The main characters were mostly Caucasian.This causes concern as it can lead to an impression that whiteness is of greater value.Dr. Adam said children formed impressions about “difference”and identity from a very young age. Evidence has shown they develop ownrace31 _from as young as three months of age.The books we share with young children can be a valuable opportunity to develop children’s understanding of themselves and others. Books can also allow children to see diversity.They discover both similarities and differences between themselves and others.This can help develop understanding, acceptance and32_of diversity.Census data has shown Australians come from more than 200 countriesThey speak over 300languages at home.Additionally,Australians belong to more than 100 different religious groups. They also work in more than 1000 different occupations“Australia is a multicultural society.The current33 _promotion of white middleclass ideas and lifestyles risks34_children from minority groups. This can give white middleclass children a sense of35_or privilege,” Dr. Adam said.A)alienating(separating) B)appreciation C) bias (prejudice) D) fraud (cheating)E) housed (kept or reserved) F)investigated(examined)G) overwhelming (massive or prevailing) H) portraying(describing or depicting) I)representation (embodiment)J) safeguarded (protected or defended) K) secondary (minor or subordinating) L) superiority

Alex Pang's amusing new book "The Distraction Addiction" addresses those of us who feel panic without a cellphone or computer. And that, he claims, is pretty much all of us. When we're not online, where we spend four months annually, we're engaged in the stressful work of trying to get online. "The Distraction Addiction" is not framed as a self-help book. It's a thoughtful examination of the danger of our computing overuse and a historical overview of how technological advances change consciousness. A "professional futurist", Pang urges an approach which he calls "contemplative(沉思的) computing". He asks that you pay full attention to "how your mind and body interact with computers and how your attention and creativity are influenced by technology". Pang's first job is to free you from common misconception that doing two things at once allows you to get more done. What is commonly called multitasking is, in fact, switch-tasking, and its harmful effects on productivity are well documented. Pang doesn't advocate returning to a pre-internet world. Instead, he asks you to "take a more ecological view of your relationships with technologies and look for ways devices or media may be making specific tasks easier or faster but at the same time making your work and life harder". "The Distraction Addiction" is particularly fascinating on how technologies have changed certain field of labor—often for the worse. For architects, computer-aided design has become essential but in some ways has cheapened the design process. As one architect puts it, "Architecture is first and foremost about thinking... and drawing is a more productive way of thinking" than computer-aided design. Somewhat less amusing are Pang's solutions for kicking the Internet habit. He recommends the usual behavior-modification approaches, familiar to anyone who has completed a quit-smoking program. Keep logs to study your online profile and decide what you can knock out, download a program like Freedom that locks you out of your browser, or take a "digital Sabbath (安息日)"; "Unless you're a reporter or emergency-department doctor, you'll discover that your world doesn't fall apart when you go offline."1. Alex Pang's new book is aimed for readers who . A. find their work online too stressfulB. go online mainly for entertainmentC. are fearful about using the cellphone or computerD. can hardly tear themselves away from the Internet2. What does Alex Pang try to do in his new book? A. Offer advice on how to use the Internet effectively.B. Warn people of the possible dangers of Internet use.C. Predict the trend of future technological development.D. Examine the influence of technology on the human mind.3. What is the common view on multitasking? A. It enables people to work more efficiently.B. It is in a way quite similar to switch-tasking.C. It makes people's work and life even harder.D. It distracts people's attention from useful work.4. What is Ales Pang's recommendation for Internet users? A. They use the Internet as little as possible.B. They keep a record of their computer use time.C. They exercise self-control over their time online.D. They entertain themselves online on off-days only.

We are working at full ______ to finish the work as scheduled.A. strengthB. capacityC. capabilityD. power

At some point in 2008, someone, probably in either Asia or Africa, made the decision to move from the countryside to the city. This nameless person pushed the human race over a historic threshold, for it was in that year that mankind became, for the first time in its history, a predominantly urban species. It is a trend that shows no sign of slowing. Demographers (人口统计学家) reckon that three-quarters of humanity could be city-dwelling by 2050, with most of the increase coming in the fast-growing towns of Asia and Africa. Migrants to cities are attracted by plentiful jobs, access to hospitals and education, and the ability to escape the boredom of a farmer’s agricultural life. Those factors are more than enough to make up for the squalor (肮脏), disease and spectacular poverty that those same migrants must often at first endure when they become urban dwellers. It is the city that inspires the latest book from Peter Smith. His main thesis is that the buzz of urban life and the opportunities it offers for cooperation and collaboration is what attracts people to the city, which in turn makes cities into the engines of art, commerce, science and progress. This is hardly revolutionary, but it is presented in a charming format. Mr. Smith has written a breezy guidebook, with a series of short chapters dedicated to specific aspects of urbanity—parks, say, or the various schemes that have been put forward over the years for building the perfect city. The result is a sort of high-quality, unusually rigorous coffee-table book, designed to be dipped into rather than read from beginning to end. In the chapter on skyscrapers, for example, Mr. Smith touches on construction methods, the revolutionary invention of the automatic lift, the practicalities of living in the sky and the likelihood that, as cities become more crowded, apartment living will become the norm. But there is also time for brief diversions onto bizarre ground, such as a discussion of the skyscraper index (which holds that a boom in skyscraper construction is a foolproof sign of an imminent recession). One obvious criticism is that the price of breadth is depth; many of Mr. Smith’s essays raise as many questions as they answer. Although that can indeed be frustrating, this is probably the only way to treat so grand a topic. The city is the building block of civilisation and of almost everything people do; a guidebook to the city is really, therefore, a guidebook to how a large and ever-growing chunk of humanity chooses to live. Mr. Smith’s book serves as an excellent introduction to a vast subject, and will suggest plenty of further lines of inquiry. 1 In what way is the year 2008 historic? A For the first time in history, urban people outnumbered rural people. B An influential figure decided to move from the countryside to the city. C It is in this year that urbanisation made a start in Asia and Africa. D The population increase in cities reached a new peak in Asia and Africa. 2 What does the author say about urbanisation? A Its impact is not easy to predict. B Its process will not slow down. C It is a milestone in human progress. D It aggravates the squalor of cities. 3 How does the author comment on Peter Smith’s new book? A It is but an ordinary coffee-table book. B It is flavoured with humourous stories. C It serves as a guide to arts and commerce. D It is written in a lively and interesting style. 4 What does the author say in the chapter on skyscrapers? A The automatic lift is indispensable in skyscrapers. B People enjoy living in skyscrapers with a view. C Skyscrapers are a sure sign of a city’s prosperity. D Recession closely follows a skyscraper boom. 5 What may be one criticism of Mr. Smith’s book? A It does not really touch on anything serious. B It is too long for people to read from cover to cover. C It does not deal with any aspect of city life in depth. D It fails to provide sound advice to city dwellers.

Watch a video clip and put the 12 steps of the hero‘sjourney in the order that they happen.A. Call to adventureB. Ordinary worldC. Crossing the thresholdD. Meeting the mentorE. Refusal of the callF. ReturnG. Approach to the inmost caveH. The road backI. RewardJ. Supreme ordealK. Tests, allies and enemiesL. Resurrection

The ongin of dollar is in what is now the Czech Republic (捷亮共和国) In 1519,a-|||-sover mine near the town of Joachimstal began making a sliver coin called the-|||-Joachimstaler The com was clrculated waety and became better known by its-|||-clpped form, the malere, in Dutch and Low German,the initial consonant (铺音》-|||-softened to become "thater", English adopled this form, eventually changing its-|||-speilling to the modern "dotar-|||-to the American colonles, there was no standard currency The coln that was in-|||-widest use was the Spantsh Peso,known also as "Pieces of Elght"because it could-|||-be divided into eight pie-like pieces The English colonists mormany assigne the-|||-pame dollar to this coin.In 1785,when the Canenal Congess estaotats US-|||-cuwenty,they adopled "dollar" as name for the standard unts of currency,because-|||-me term was wdely known and was not assoclated with any form of omelal English-|||-curvency.-|||-The orgin of the "sisn nas severat stories attached One says that .Thomas-|||-Jetterson invented It He was the nisst to use the symbol in relation to the us dotlar,-|||-but this story is tancitut.Anomer says mat onginally lwas U superimposed (四于.-|||-之上) over an S. for US. ENentually the base of me u eroded (腐爬)due to poor-|||-pritthe twohnologa leaven an s with two lines through a Another says that it b a-|||-vanant at a tgure B that appeared on the Spanish Feso,stanome tor the pieces of-|||-elght Tints tast I close to the truth, tut not quite mere-|||-The UB was the trat nation to adopt an offe is currency named the "dollare In 1797-|||-the Bank of England began malnog doflar coins as bank-tasued cumer other-|||-nations oat the ne adopted me name "dollar" Ior thelf cutrenty nave tone so ln-|||-limmingo other the US or This shortlelved Bank orEngtana pracocen-|||-46.What can we learn about the sliver.coln called-|||-Joachimstaler"?-|||-○A.It was adopted by many countries.-|||-○BⅡwas known for its pronunclation.-|||-C It was created by the Czech government-|||-D I t was once used widely.-|||-D I t was once used widely.-|||-47 What did the Continental Congress do with the US-|||-currency?-|||-○A.II adopted the officlal english currency-|||-B.It named the standard unit of currency as-|||-dollar-|||-C I t adopted Spanish Peso as the standard US-|||-currency.-|||-D.其did not establssh any standard currency-|||-48:According to the passage, whicen of the following-|||-statements about the ongin or the "s"ging s true?-|||-OA.None of the above,-|||-B.It was created by George Washinglon-|||-O C I was a varlant of the number =8°-|||-D.orighnated trom two English terters-|||-49.Which country first umed "Holtare omeially?-|||-A.Hollang-|||-B.The United states-|||-。 c ezech Republic-|||-D. Germany-|||-50. Whica of thē fongwing 器the most apptoprate une-|||-Nor this passage?-|||-OA Ong in or US Dopar-|||-OB.Stones of the s sign-|||-O. come an Cananeve

22. A.)Few people can identify its texture. B.)Few people can describe it precisely. C.)Its real value is open to interpretation. D.)Its importance is often over-estimated.