'There's no place like home. 'This English saying has much truth in it：the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it's the only affordable place to stay; somewhere where they can receive first-class service from mum and dad. But this comes at a price!
In some countries, it's quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. But there's been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live-or not to leave home at all.
A survey by a price comparison website found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn't afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it's easy to see why they're increasingly becoming home birds.
The BBC's Lucy Hooker explains that many returning adult children enjoy home comforts. But for the 'hoteliers', that's mum and dad, the survey found the average cost to them has gone up sharply, and that they are sacrificing luxuries and holidays to look after their 'big kids'. Emma Craig from Money supermarket says " they're trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling financially, you feel more awkward asking them for rent or to contribute. It tugs on your heartstrings more. "
With parents splashing out around ￡1, 886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it's easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That's before they learn a home truth-that one day it might be their own kids who'll be checking into the hotel of mum and dad!
1.Which proverb might present the young British's living conditions? ______
A.A lazy youth, an awful age.
B.East or west, home is best.
C.Two heads are better than one.
D.Nothing comes wrong to a hungry man.
2.Which might be the reason for the increase of home birds? ______
A.The popularity of living independently.
B.Looking after their old parents.
C.The increase of unemployment rate.
D.Their parents' financial offer.
3.What's Emma Craig's attitude towards home birds? ______
A.Doubtful. B.Uncertain.
C.Objective. D.Understandable.
4.What is the last paragraph mainly about? ______
A.Returning to live with parents comes at a price.
B.Parents are willing to receive their returning children.
C.Flying the net is becoming popular at present.
D.Home birds take it for granted to live with their parents.
Recently，as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team，I was starting to feel sorry for myself and for him．His team was facing adversity（逆境）on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment-it was the opponent's home gym filled with their supporters，and Nathan's team was trailing（落后）for three quarters of the game．As for me，I had been dismissed from my job earlier in the day．
During my drive home，I kept telling myself that I will find work again in a short time-I am confident in my experience and abilities．This is the same belief that I tried to instill in my son．
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan's team still trailing．I saw the determination on his，as well as his teammates'faces as they fought back to not only tie the game（平局），but then go ahead by three points．Then，a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again．With a tie game and seconds on the clock，Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence，he proceeded to make the basket with a defender hanging all over him．The other player was called for a foul（犯规）．
As Nathan stood at the foul line preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points，I saw the focus and determination on his face，there was no room for self doubt．Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill，it was as if he had done it a thousand times．
As I sat there，my heart bursting with pride，it dawned on me．I had taught him perseverance in the face of adversity，and he had just taught me the same lesson．That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court．He will play in the finals，but it doesn't matter if he wins or loses，at this moment，we both won．
1.What did the author estimate his son's team would be like at first？ ______
A.The team would lose at home court．
B.The team would finally win．
C.The team would win the championship．
D.The team would lose at visiting court．
2.Which of the following words can best describe the author？ ______
A.Self-doubting and pessimistic．
B.Self-confident and optimistic．
C.Hardworking and intelligent．
D.Easy-going and warmhearted．
3.What does the underlined phrase"tune out"in Paragraph 4 mean？ ______
A.Avoid B.Focus．
C.Create D.Receive．
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text？ ______
A.Life Goes Just Like Playing Basketball．
B.It Matters Whether to Win or Lose．
C.A Lesson in Life and Basketball．
D.Father And Son in Life．
Hands-on activities can enrich a trip by creating fond memories and instilling knowledge about the local culture through interactivity．In Japan，a wide range of activities are offered to tourists at single workshops，many open air museums，as well as craft villages across Japan．
Fruit picking
Typical duration：30 to 60 minutes
Typical price range：800 to 3000 yen
Many farms across Japan offer fruit picking opportunities to tourists．The common procedure is for the visitor to get charged for a certain time period during which he/she can pick and enjoy the fruits on the spot．Typical fruit available for this activity include strawberries，apples and grapes．
Cheese/butter making
Typical duration：40 to 60 minutes
Typical price range：600 to 1000 yen
Cheese and dairy products are commonly made in northern Japan，especially in Hokkaido．Some farms offer cheese and butter making workshops．Visitors usually learn how to make the product and consume it on the spot．The Furano Cheese Factory is one place that offers such workshops．
Washi paper
Typical duration：30 to 60 minutes
Typical price range：500 to 1000 yen
In many workshops，for example at one near Ainokura Village，tourists can experience how washi paper is made．At other establishments，such as the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts and Takumi no Sato，it is possible to make crafts such as fans and lanterns using washi Paper．
Tatami making
Typical duration：About two hours
Typical price range：500 to 1000 yen
It's possible to try Tatami making at many places in Japan including Otaru and Hakone．Tatami mats are made of straw and measure roughly 180 cm×90 cm．Few establishments offer workshops whereby you can make a small piece of Tatami and take it home as a souvenir．
1.Which of the following activities takes the longest time？ ______
A.Fruit picking． B.Cheese/butter making．
C.Washi paper． D.Tatami making．
2.Where can visitors make dairy products？ ______
A.In Hokkaido． B.Near Ainokura Village．
C.In the Kyoto Museum． D.In Otaru and Hakone．
3.What can we infer about hands-on activities from the text？ ______
A.Visitors can take part in the activities for free．
B.People can take home the end products as souvenirs．
C.They all involve actually doing a particular thing．
D.They can offer people rich culture about their hometown．
We have heard some interesting ways that 5G wireless technology might change our lives in the future.
5G, short for the 5th generation mobile communication technology, promises Internet speeds between 50 to 100 times faster than current 4G systems. While 5G is set to be used in some limited areas of America this year, much of the world is not expected to receive widely available service until 2023.
One project in Britain, however, is already testing this superfast technology on an unlikely group of Internet users-cows. The project was developed by American technology company Cisco Systems. It also receives money from the British government. Cisco says the program seeks to explore the future of 5G connectivity in rural areas around the world.
Testing areas were set up at farms in three rural areas of England. The cows are equipped with 5G-connected devices (装置) that link up to a robotic milking system, which uses sensors and machine learning to fully automate the process. System designers say technology takes over after a cow feels ready to be milked and walks toward an automatic gate. The device is designed to recognize each individual cow. It then positions equipment to the right body position for milking. During the process, machines release food for the cow as a reward.
Other 5G technology tools include automated brushes that turn on when the cow rubs up against them. Sensors also control the amount of light to the cows’ living areas depending on the weather. And, an automatic feeding system makes sure the animals always get enough to eat.
Duncan Forbes, head of the project, told Reuters that the project shows the farm’s cow operations can be greatly improved with 5G technology and that the experiment provides strong evidence that 5G technology can be widely used in the future, not just on farms in Britain, but in rural communities across the world.
1.What is the purpose of Cisco Systems’ program?
A.To win financial support from British government.
B.To test the effects of 5G technology on animals
C.To promote its technological development in Britain
D.To expand the future use of 5G in rural communities.
2.What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.The project. B.The company.
C.The technology. D.The group.
3.What can we learn about 5G according to the text?
A.It is no worse than 4G in terms of speed.
B.It is already widely available in the world.
C.It enables cows to control their own milking.
D.It is based on sensors and machine learning.
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Entertainment. B.Lifestyle.
C.Education. D.Technology.
For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to approach her mom about what she saw on Instagram. Not long ago, the 11-year-old girl discovered that her mom had been posting her photos for much of her life. “I’ve wanted to bring it up. It’s strange to see myself up there, and sometimes there are pictures I don’t like of myself,” she said.
Like most other modern kids, Cara grew up under the influence of social media. Facebook, Twiter and YouTube were all founded before she was born. Instagram has been around since she was a toddler (学步儿童). While many kids may not yet have accounts themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams have been organizing an online presence for them since birth. It is a shock to know that details about their lives have been shared online without their permission or knowledge. And this has become a common experience for many teenagers.
Recently a parenting blogger (博主)said that despite her 14-year-old daughter’s horror at discovering that her mother had shared years of highly personal stories and information about her online, she simply could not stop doing it.
But it’s not just crazy mommy bloggers who share their children’s information on social media. Plenty of average parents do the same. There’s even a special word for it: sharenting (晒娃). Almost a quarter of children begin their digital lives when parents upload their prenatal sonogram scans (产前超声波扫描) to the Internet, according to a study conducted by the Internet-security firm AVG. The study also found that 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own unique digital identity.
1.How does Cara feel about her mom’s behavior?
A.It’s supportive. B.It’s appropriate.
C.It’s annoying. D.It’s favorable.
2.Who is most likely to share children’s information?
A.A quarter of students. B.Some crazy doctors.
C.Kids under the age of 2. D.Many ordinary parents.
3.What can we learn from Paragraph 4?
A.Fathers don’t like to share their kids’ information on social media.
B.25% of children begin their digital lives before they are born.
C.The word “sharenting” can be found 10 years ago.
D.AVG is the name of an internet company.
4.What can be a suitable title for the article?
A.Growing up on the Internet B.A New Term Born
C.Parents Addicted to Blogging D.The Children’s Horror
The snow was falling. The schools were over earlier than usual, but much to my surprise my appointment wasn’t canceled. And so I went, feeling especially heroic. Snow or no snow, I’d be on time for my scheduled donation at the local blood center.
When I got there, I discovered four more “hero-types” were already there, with machines quietly collecting their lifesaving gifts. Seeing them made me believe that while I was proud to be there, I wasn’t a hero. And any silly heroic thoughts quickly disappeared as I lay back in my own donor chair and began my donation. I was ready to make a difference in the life of someone I’ d never meet.
My wife Karen is a donor, too. She’s been on the bone marrow (骨髓) list for fifteen years, ever since she signed up to provide bone marrow to a child. That little girl died before Karen’s bone marrow could help her, but Karen was called again recently as it turned out she might be a match for someone else. The caller asked Karen if she’d still be willing to become a bone marrow donor. “Yes,” she said and then immediately began answering questions in preparation for the pages of paperwork to follow. It was a race against time. I wish I could say this race was won, but again it wasn’t.
Last week Karen gave blood and next week I’ll make my usual donation. I’ll clear an afternoon from my schedule and call for an appointment. Whatever blood product they need whole, I’ll gladly give. I don’t know whose life my donation may affect, but it really doesn’t matter. And sadly, while so few among us actually take the time to donate, Karen and I always will.
1.What can be inferred about the author from the first paragraph?
A.He is quite fond of taking risks.
B.He is a man who always keeps his word.
C.The snow almost ruined his appointment.
D.He never thinks donating blood is a heroic deed.
2.What influence did other donors have on the author?
A.They changed his attitude to himself.
B.They helped him find joy in donating.
C.They made him feel it a duty to donate.
D.They strengthened his belief not to be a donor.
3.What does the passage say about Karen and her bone marrow donation?
A.She has been found a match to nobody.
B.She decided to join in it over 20 years ago.
C.She fell in trouble when she came to paperwork.
D.She has already met with two failures in donation.
4.Which of the following shows the author’s opinion?
A.More people should have become donors.
B.The donation itself should have been made easier.
C.Receivers should have been introduced to donors.
D.More blood products should have been developed.
