Many people have described television as a passive activity that is harmful to children’s education. However, there are good and bad ways to watch television. Parents who are interested in exploiting television as a learning tool can actually turn time in front of TV into an educational chance.
Probably the most familiar educational way to use television is to simply watch educational programs. In particular, this means selecting channels and programs specially designed for educational purposes. Along with traditional educational shows for children on public broadcasting channels, cable television (有线电视) now offers kids and adults a wide variety of educational programs, with everything from nature shows to historical events in different countries.
Captioning(字幕），such as "closed captioning" for hearing disabled viewers provides another way for parents to exploit the educational possibilities of television．One study showed that children who watched captioned TV got great improvement in their vocabulary and oral reading ability. In addition, parents can make any show a learning class by watching television together with children. By actively joining children in the programs that they are watching, parents can help with the development of such skills as predicting（预见）and summarizing. In order to develop predicting skills, parents and children could first refer to a program’s description in a viewing guide．After reading the program description and guessing what might happen in the program, parents and children could watch together to see which predictions were correct. And to practice summarizing, after watching a program, parents can turn off the TV and ask what the story was about. This kind of activity helps children develop thinking skills such as arranging events in an order and memorizing information．
Although there will still be plenty of times when children watch TV simply for passive enjoyment, parents can help make at least part of their children’s viewing time a more productive activity．Used intelligently by exploiting the learning chances available through various programs, television can play an instructive role in children’s education.Which activity is NOT suggested in the passage？
| A．Talking about TV shows. | B．Watching captions on TV. |
| C．Enjoying films about nature. | D．Watching shows for homework. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？
| A．Parents can simply make any show a learning class for their children． |
| B．To make watching TV a more productive activity parents should include themselves in the producing process. |
| C．Most parents have changed their attitude to their kids’ watching TV and become positive to the problem. |
| D．In a way, it is how parents act that leads to whether watching TV may do good or not to their children. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ．
| A．not every minute when a child watches television must be educational |
| B．children should not use television for passive enjoyment |
| C．some children prefer reading to watching television |
| D．television offers more learning chances than school |
Which of the following questions is the major one discussed in the passage?
| A．What makes television more interesting than books? |
| B．Why should schools put television into classrooms? |
| C．How can parents use television as a teaching tool？ |
| D．Which program can actually make kids smarter? |
An old problem is getting new attention in the United States—bullying. Recent cases included the tragic case of a 15-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland. She hanged herself in Massachusetts following months of bullying. Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her. Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.
Judy Kuczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA. Her daughter Tina was also the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota. She said，“Our daughter was a very outgoing child. She was involved in all kinds of things and had lots of friends. And over a period of time her grades fell completely. She started having health issues. She couldn't sleep. She wasn't eating. She had terrible stomach pains and didn't want to go to school.”
Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence, or it can be verbal—for example, insults or threats. Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.
And now there is cyber-bullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages. It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time.
The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s. The latest government study in the United States was released last year. It found that about one-third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.
Susan Swearer is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network. She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need. She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior and bullies are often victims themselves. From the case of Tina, we can know that ________.
| A．bullying is rare |
| B．victims suffer a lot |
| C．schools are to blame |
| D．personalities are related |
Which of the following is NOT bullying?
| A．To beat someone repeatedly. |
| B．To threaten someone verbally. |
| C．To isolate someone from friends. |
| D．To refuse to help someone in need. |
Why is cyber-bullying appealing to the bully?
| A．Because it can involve more people. |
| B．Because it can create worse effects. |
| C．Because it is more convenient. |
| D．Because it can avoid cheating. |
According to Susan Swearer, ________.
| A．bullies are antisocial |
| B．bullies should give victims help |
| C．students are not equally treated |
| D．bullies themselves also need help |
Unlike traditional commercials, Public Service Advertisements（PSA）are primarily designed to inform and educate rather than sell a product or service. The goal of a PSA is not to make a big sale, but rather to change public opinion and raise awareness for a problem.
Smokey Bear has been a recognized symbol of the protection of America’s forests from fire. It is created to educate the public about the dangers of wildfires. Smokey Bear was started in 1944 with the slogan, “Smokey Bear Says—Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires”. Smokey Bear’s later slogan, “Remember! Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires”, was created in 1947 by the Advertising Council in America. In April 2001, the message was changed to “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires”.
The wildfire prevention campaign with Smokey Bear is one of the longest and most successful campaigns in advertising history. The Advertising Council often was in partnership with other organizations and groups to create various advertising for Smokey Bear since 1944.
The Advertising Council teamed with Walt Disney Company to create a series of PSAs. The ads feature（以···为形象）characters form the classic film Sleeping Beauty and aim to reach parents and children. The lovely Bambi also appeared in the advertisements. Mickey Mouse is much more popular throughout the country.
Those PSAs, which appear on television, on the radio, in the newspaper and on the website continue to remind Americans about the importance of wildfire prevention have helped to reduce the number of acres burned annually by wildfires. According to recent survey, Smokey Bear and his famous words of wisdom “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” are recalled by 3 out of 4 adults.
In addition to the PSA campaign, Smokey Bear has his own U.S. postage stamp and website for more information about wildfire prevention. From the website, you can also learn all about wildfires and how we can protect our forests.PSA are primarily designed to .
| A．educate the public | B．change people’s status |
| C．discuss a problem | D．sell products or services |
Which of the following is true of the Smoky Bear?
| A．It is one recognized symbols of Walt Disney cartoons. |
| B．It firstly appeared in America in 1944 with no slogan. |
| C．It is created to warn Americans of the dangers of wildfires. |
| D．Its slogan changes every three years. |
How does the author support his topic in Paragraph 4?
| A．By summing up. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparison. | D．By asking questions. |
According to this text, Smoky Bear .
| A．helps a lot to reduce wildfires in America |
| B．isn’t popular among the American pupils |
| C．has set up its own website to advertise products |
| D．becomes the symbol of the Advertising Council |
Shopping green can make an important contribution to protecting the planet and conserving its resources.
Today’s consumer faces a wider range of choices than ever before, Add to that the steady stream of sales campaigns, and shopping smart only gets harder. To buy economically and reduce waste, safeguard health and protect the environment, you’ll need to follow some basic principles and have a clear idea of what you want.
1. Do Your Homework
Before making any major purchase, take the time to research it. Plentiful resources are usually available online. Avoid buying in a hurry, and don’t be persuaded by overenthusiastic salespeople. Sleep on it if necessary—you won’t regret giving yourself some extra time to think.
2. Take the Long View
Consider the running costs as well as the initial price of any item you buy. Many environmentally friendly products cost more to buy, but save you money in the long run. Choose items that are made to last. For example, pick a sofa that has a hardwood or steel frame rather than one made of softwood, which may break easily.
3. Skip the Disposable Option
Buy reusable products like washable cloth towels, handkerchiefs, serviettes（餐巾）and cleaning cloths rather than paper, single-use varieties. Avoid other disposable supplies like cups, glasses, and chopsticks, too.
4. Take the Local Route
Buy local products that are in season. It’s usually cheaper and fresher and has less harm to the environment. Markets and roadside stands are good sources. Some supermarkets also buy from local producers. Support it if you have one.
5. Avoid Wasteful Packaging
Better not buy products that have too much packaging. It’s estimated that approximately 10 percent of every shopping bill is actually paying for packaging—which you normally just throw away! Moreover, significant amounts of energy are used in the production of packaging. Purchasing refillable and renewable containers can also help cut this kind of waste.What could be the best title for this passage?
| A．Protection of the Planet |
| B．Green Shopping Principles |
| C．Environmentally Friendly Products |
| D．Resource Conservation |
The underlined phrase “sleep on it” has the similar meaning with .
| A．think it over | B．forget about it |
| C．set it aside | D．put it into action |
Why does the author advise us to buy lasting products?
| A．Because they are less expensive to buy. |
| B．Because they save money in the long run. |
| C．Because they will never break. |
| D．Because they are local products. |
Which of the following can be considered green shopping?
| A．Following the stream of sales campaigns. |
| B．Buying disposable chopsticks. |
| C．Focusing on packaging. |
| D．Purchasing from local markets. |
In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible mission and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?
| A．They are hardworking and courageous. |
| B．They are stubborn and bold. |
| C．They are creative and persistent. |
| D．They are curious and modest. |
In the third paragraph, the underlined phrase ''wild vision" refers to______.
| A．the tragic accident |
| B．the building of the bridge |
| C．the brain damage |
| D．the discussion and persuasion |
From the passage, we know that _______ when Roebling proposed building the bridge.
| A．people all over America supported him |
| B．almost no bridge experts in the world supported him |
| C．his friends were strongly in favor of his idea |
| D．many people considered it would be a great project |
The passage suggests that______.
| A．NO pains, no gains. |
| B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．A lighted heart is a good medicine. |
| D．Passion creates wonder. |
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.BCI is a technology that can ________.
| A．help to update computer systems |
| B．link the human brain with computers |
| C．help the disabled to recover |
| D．control a person's thoughts |
How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
| A．By controlling his muscles. |
| B．By talking to the machine. |
| C．By moving his hand. |
| D．By using his mind. |
Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
| A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair |
| B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair |
| C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair |
| D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |
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