It used to be a matter of fact when Peter Pan – a character from James Matthew Barrie’s 1911 book – said: “All children, except one, grow up.”

But this “fact” doesn’t seem to apply to today’s world anymore.

According to the NPD Group, a US market research company, sales of toys to adults in the UK increased by more than 20 percent in 2016, three times the pace of the children’s toy market itself. These toys ranged from puzzles and Lego building sets to vehicle models and action figures. And more than half of the sales came from millennials – people born between the 1980s and 2000s.

“Adults of the 21st century are channeling (疏導(dǎo)) their inner child, one toy at a time,” commented website Koreaboo. This is also why these adults are sometimes referred to as “kidults”.

According to Frederique Tutt, an analyst at NPD, the motivation of these grown-ups is to escape the stress of today’s fast-paced world. They are driven toward the more immediate pleasures brought by toys than those brought by, say, getting a promotion, which is far less easy to achieve.

“It reminds me of the playful side of life,” Rob Willner, a 25-year-old PhD student in the UK, told The Telegraph when talking about his love for Lego, which he said brings him both comfort and entertainment.

Despite this, some social scientists see the trend as disturbing. To Frank Furendi, a professor at the University of Kent in the UK, the fact that so many adults are pursuing “the thrills (刺激) of youth” is the evidence that “adulthood has got nothing attractive about it anymore”, he told The New York Times.u “That’s actually quite sad.”

But scientists are probably just worrying too much. According to Canadian comic book artist Todd McFarlane, collecting toys could simply be a way for people to express their individuality (個(gè)性).

“It’s just pop culture stuff. It’s stuff that says, ‘I like a little of this and I like a little of that’,” he told ABC News. “[It’s] no big deal.”

So now that over 100 years have passed since Peter Pan, perhaps it’s time to introduce a new “fact”, as stated in the tagline (品牌宣傳詞) of the UK fashion brand KIDULT: “Growing old is mandatory (強(qiáng)制性的), but growing up is optional.”

1.The author mentions Peter Pan in the text mainly to ______.

A. show the influence of the character on millennials

B. explore the similarities Peter Pan and millennials share

C. lead up to the trend of millennials’ love for toys

D. analyze what has made many millennials refuse to grow up

2.Why do many adults feel like collecting toys, according to Frederique Tutt?

A. They find it brings them both comfort and inspiration.

B. They consider it a way to relieve stress.

C. They want to make up for the pleasures they missed during childhood.

D. They usually don’t get along well in their lives and need an emotional outlet.

3.What can we conclude from the article about kidults?

A. They are well-known for their pursuit of independence and freedom.

B. Social scientists feel worried about them because they take nothing seriously.

C. In Todd McFarlane’s eyes, their interest in toys is a way to express their identity.

D. They refuse to make efforts to become promoted at work as they don’t want to grow up.

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Farming is moving indoors，where the sun never shines，where rainfall is irrelevant and where the climate is always right.The perfect crop field could be inside a windowless building with controlled light，temperature，wetness，air quality and nutrition.It could be in a New York high?rise or a sprawling complex in the Saudi desert.It may be an answer to the world's food problems.

The world already is having trouble feeding itself.Half the people on Earth live in cities，and nearly half of those－ about 3 billion－are hungry or ill?fed.Foodprices，currently increasing，are buffeted by dryness，floods and the cost of energy required to plant，harvestand transport.And prices will only get more unstable.Climate change makes long?term crop planning uncertain.Farmers in many parts of the world already are using water available to the last drop.And the world is getting more crowded：by mid?century，the global population will grow from 6.8 billion to 9 billion.

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Gertjan Meeuws has taken the concept of a greenhouse a step further，growing vegetables and house plants in enclosed (封閉的) and regulated environments.In their research station，water flows into the pans when needed，and the temperature is kept constant.Lights go on and off，creating similar day and night，but according to the rhythm of the plant.

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1.What can we mainly learn from Paragraph 2?

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A. Development of indoor farming.

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C. Advantages of indoor farming.

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科目：高中英語 來源：河北省2017屆高三上學(xué)期第16周周測英語試卷 題型：閱讀理解

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下圖描述的是你上學(xué)途中發(fā)生的事�，F(xiàn)請你根據(jù)圖畫內(nèi)容寫一篇100~120詞的日記。

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參考詞匯：a calling card（名片）； a public telephone（公用電話）

October the 23rd, Monday Sunny

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科目：高中英語 來源：江蘇省高中英語選修六牛津譯林版練習(xí)題：Unit 4 Helping people around the world 題型：單項(xiàng)填空

One thousand dollars a month is not a fortune but would help cover my living ________.

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科目：高中英語 來源：遼寧省遼源市2016-2017學(xué)年高二上學(xué)期期末考試英語試卷 題型：閱讀理解

Her attractive lips seemed to speak words of kindness, while her eyes appeared to seek（尋找） out the good in people. “You have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” She used to say.

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