Young people and older people do not always agree with each other. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults (成年人) and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and enjoyment in work. Some teenagers work in the woods or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or painting. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to spend his free time.
When people live together, rules are necessary. In this program, the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
One of the teenagers has something to say about the experience, “You stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.” In one special program in New York, young and older people ______.
| A．are friendly to each other. |
| B．teach each other new ways of building houses |
| C．live together but do not work together |
| D．spend eight weeks together, working as farmers |
Living together, ________.
| A．the teenagers have to obey the rules the adults make |
| B．the members don’t have to obey the rules |
| C．the members are not allowed to break the rules they make together |
| D．the members have no free time except on weekends |
The last paragraph shows that the teenager thinks his experience in the program is _______.
| A．disappointing | B．helpful | C．tiring | D．unpleasant |
The best title for the passage is _______.
| A．Rules of Living Together | B．Different Ideas about Living |
| C．Teenagers and Adults Together | D．Life in New York State |
A recent research has pointed to the risks of overpraising a child. But for parents, drawing the line between too little praise and too much has become a high-pressure balancing act.
Cara Greene, a mother of three children ages 1 to 8, is wary of deliberately pumping up her kids' egos(自我), for fear of instilling（灌输） the sense of entitlement she sees in young adults 'who have been told they're wonderful and they can do anything.' But she also wants them to have healthy self-esteem（自我认知）.
'We wouldn't be doing our children any favors by overinflating their egos. At the same time, I want them to have the confidence to tackle any challenge that is placed before them,' says Ms. Greene, of New York City.
Now, psychologists are creating a deeper and more nuanced understanding of self-esteem, which could make it easier for parents to walk that line. Some of the conclusions: It can actually be good for kids to have low self-esteem, at least temporarily. And praise can harm if it disregards the world outside the home. Children who have a realistic not inflated understanding of how they are seen by others tend to be more resilient to the world around them.
In the past, many parents and educators believed that high self-esteem predicted happiness and success, and that it could be instilled(灌输) in kids simply by doling out trophies and praise. But researchers have since found self-esteem doesn't predict these outcomes. High self-esteem is partly the result of good performance, rather than the cause. Inflating kids' self-esteem too much can backfire, making them feel worse later on when they hit setbacks.
'Children absolutely need to feel valued, accepted and loved, and this will lead to high self-esteem,' Dr. Leary says. But it can also be good for kids to feel bad about themselves temporarily, if they behave in selfish, mean or hurtful ways that might damage their ability to sustain relationships or hold a job in the future, he says. The best path is a middle road, helping children develop a positive but realistic view of themselves in relation to others.
The researchers believe that_______.
| A．high self-esteem brings happiness and success to children. |
| B．high self-esteem is the cause of good performance. |
| C．Inflating kids' self-esteem too much can make kids feel worse later on when they meet difficulties. |
| D．self-esteem couldn’t be instilled in kids simply by doling out praise. |
Which of the following statements is wrong according to the passage?
| A．high self-esteem could be instilled(灌输) in kids simply by doling out trophies and praise. |
| B．children should have a realistic not inflated understanding of how they are seen. |
| C．high self-esteem can lead to happiness. |
| D．praise can harm if it disregards the world outside the home. |
The main idea of the passage is_______________.
| A．We want to kids to have self-esteem（自我认知）. |
| B．We should help children develop a positive but realistic view of themselves in relation to others. |
| C．it can also be good for kids to feel bad about themselves temporarily. |
| D．Children absolutely need to feel valued, accepted and loved, and this will lead to high self-esteem. |
February 16, 2014（VOA）JAKARTA — The United States and China say they recognize the need for "urgent action" to address the twin challenges of climate change and the air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for greater political will to address a warming planet.
China is the leading producer of greenhouse gases and joins the United States as the largest consumers of energy. So U.S. officials say the world's two biggest economies agreeing to limit emissions and promote energy efficiency in buildings and industry "sends a strong message to the world" that this is an issue that needs to be addressed now.
Following that agreement with Chinese leaders, Secretary Kerry told an audience in Indonesia that Washington hopes this "unique partnership" with Beijing will help set an example for global leadership and global seriousness on climate change.
Kerry Warns About Global Climate Change
"Together we account for roughly 40 percent of the world’s emissions. But this is not just about China and the United States," Kerry said. "It is about every country on Earth doing whatever it can to pursue cleaner and healthier energy sources.
Kerry said scientific evidence compels the world to act.
"It is not a lack of ability that is the problem," Kerry said. "It is a lack of political resolve that is standing in our way.
The European Union is calling for a 40 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2030. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says that target is ambitious and affordable.
"It shows that we are beyond debate where we either have to be green or a defender of industry," Barroso said. "We believe these two issues are not contradictory, but can perfectly go together if handled smartly.
Some European parliamentarians and some environmentalists believe the carbon reduction goals do not do enough to encourage cleaner energy. Jason Anderson heads European climate and energy policy for the World Wildlife Fund.
"We want to make sure that they do not put the brakes on the energy transition that we are seeing now," Anderson said. "Their ambitions for renewable energy would actually slow down the pace of change, which it is completely senseless as it is one of those areas of the economy that is growing right now.
Kerry's climate speech was the first in a series of events meant to focus on cutting carbon emissions before talks in Paris next year on coming up with a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which was never ratified by the United States. （www.voa.com）419European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso believes that________.
| A．The European Union accounts for 40 percent of the world’s emissions. |
| B．we either have to be green or a defender of industry. |
| C．we have to be green and a defender of industry if handled smartly. |
| D．the carbon reduction goals do not do enough to encourage cleaner energy. |
What is the main idea of the news report?
| A．China and the United States will join hands to protect the environment. |
| B．The United States is the largest consumers of energy. |
| C．Kerry Warns About Global Climate Change |
| D．The European Union’s target is ambitious and affordable. |
According to the passage, China _______.
| A．is the largest consumers of energy. |
| B．is taking effective measures to limit emissions and promote energy efficiency. |
| C．is the unique partnership with the United States on carbon reduction. |
| D．is calling for a 40 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2030. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that________.
| A．the United States didn’t ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. |
| B．the United States will not attend the meeting to be held in Paris. |
| C．the United States will ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol in Paris. |
| D．the United States will show active attitudes to the climate change and the air pollution. |
A friendly English Springer Spaniel named Bonnie, who also happens to be deaf, is being praised by her owner for helping him catch a suspected intruder(入侵者，闯入者) in their Salem home.
Dan Strasser said he heard Bonnie running around the living room at about 6 a.m. Saturday, so he got out of bed to see why she was so excited.
"She smelled him because she does have a very good sense of smell," said Strasser. "She jumped up and got all excited thinking someone was there to play."
He said Bonnie didn't bark or bite like a guard dog, but the commotion she made was enough to alert him.
When he walked into the living room, Strasser said he caught the intruder trying to steal his laptop. Strasser said the man took off, but instead of running out the back door where he came in, he accidentally ran into the garage, where he was cornered.
"As you can imagine there's a lot going on in his mind, like ‘How do I get out of this place?' It's dark and he doesn't know it."
Strasser said he grabbed his gun and held the intruder in the garage while his girlfriend called 911.
"There was a lot of, ‘I'm sorry,'" said Strasser. "He starts talking about how he wants to go home and see his kid and asks if I would please let him go. All the stuff you'd say if you're caught and you don't want to go to jail."
Police showed up and arrested the intruder, who they later identified as Thomas Lowell, 25. He was arraigned in court Monday on charges of burglary and possession of methamphetamine. He is due back in court Oct. 2.
Strasser said Lowell got in through the back door, which he kept open at night so Bonnie could get into the backyard. He plans to keep it closed and locked from now on.What does the underlined word mean?
| A．sudden noise |
| B．happily rolling |
| C．crazily biting |
| D．angrily barking |
Bonnie is being praised by her owner because________.
| A．she was a lovely dog. |
| B．she did have a very good sense of smell. |
| C．she didn't bark or bite like a guard dog. |
| D．she helped her owner catch a intruder. |
After the intruder took the laptop, he ________.
| A．ran out the back door. |
| B．ran into the garage. |
| C．ran away from the owner’s home. |
| D．fought against Bonnie. |
Which of the following sentences is wrong according to the passage?
| A．Strasser’s girl friend called 911. |
| B．Strasser used to keep the back door open at night. |
| C．Strasser let the intruder go home because he wanted to see his kid. |
| D．Strasser plans to keep the back door closed to prevent something from being stolen. |
Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses(冷却成液体). Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It contains even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt and form water. The amount of water vapour is more in the air tropics than in the cold polar regions.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Water cycle. | B．Water vapour. |
| C．How rain forms. | D．Water, vapour, rain. |
How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on_____.
| A．how much water is evaporated |
| B．how good your eyes are |
| C．in which way water is evaporated |
| D．climate or weather |
From the passage, we get to know_____.
| A．there is more water vapour in the air tropics than in cold polar regions |
| B．there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics |
| C．it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapor |
| D．the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains |
People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions — and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly(均匀的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
"We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect (忽略) the mouth."
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of. expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than did Westerners. "The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions," Jack said. "Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion, Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less."
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation. The discovery shows that Westerners .
| A．pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth |
| B．consider facial expressions universally reliable |
| C．observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways |
| D．have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions |
What were the people asked to do in the study?
| A．To make a face at each other. | B．To get their faces impressive. |
| C．To classify some face pictures. | D．To observe the researchers' faces. |
What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
| A．The participants in the study. |
| B．The researchers of the study. |
| C．The errors made during the study. |
| D．The data collected from the study. |
In comparison with Westerners, Easterners are likely to .
| A．do translation more successfully |
| B．study the mouth more frequently |
| C．examine the eyes more attentively |
| D．read facial expressions more correctly |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Eye as the Window to the Soul |
| B．Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions |
| C．Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills |
| D．How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding |
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