The early lack of exposure to science ，technology，engineering and mathematics (STEM) can be harmful to achieving gender (性别）balance in these fields. It begins when we are young and continues throughout our time in high school.
While at home，girls generally don’t get to experience the level of exposure or encouragement in STEM fields that their male counterparts do. It is often subtle ，but it’s the first hurdle that faces and confuses so many women. Boys ，on the other hand, get on their path ，and are encouraged to do so， generally earlier than girls. For example ，boys are more often given science sets as toys ，which spark an interest in these subjects.
In school 3 boys are often pushed to take the more challenging math and science classes. So if we want to attract the best and brightest minds into the fields that will advance us as a people ? a country，and a planet，we can no longer look to only half of the population. Young girls cannot possibly consider opportunities they do not know exist. If girls are not exposed to certain subject and career paths，they are highly unlikely to choose to follow them in college.
Our bias(偏见)toward girls9 either from families or from schools ，is so rooted in our culture that we often don’t even recognize it. Although the situation Has changed greatly in the past 20 or 30 years，there is still a sense that girls aren't as good at math 9 for instance 9 even though there is almost no evidence to support such a belief.
It is important that as a society we deal with gender stereotypes long before young people are faced with a decision to declare or choose a major in college. Without making efforts to break them， we are limiting the potentials of our youth，both male and female. Providing the necessary resources， exposure , and encouragement would help young women understand that their gender shouldn’t determine the career path they choose, and that pursuing a STEM career does not make them less feminine.According to the passage ? not many girls grow to enter STEM fields because______.
| A．girls are not as good at STEM as boys |
| B．girls do not like to take science classes |
| C．girls get fewer chances to know about STEM |
| D．girls seldom survive the high pressure positions |
The underlined word “it” in Para. 4 refers to______
| A．our bias | B．our culture | C．the situation | D．a sense |
The main purpose of the passage is to______.
| A．show women’s potentials in STEM fields |
| B．praise women’s contributions to STEM fields |
| C．describe the present gender bias in STEM fields |
| D．call for more involvement of women in STEM fields |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
I moved into a new house in July. Since then I have met a few of my neighbors who are very nice people. For Christmas, I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors I know. There were nine neighbors whom I knew by name or spoke with often when I was out in my yard. I knew which houses they lived in.
I decided to add one more to my list. This lady I decided to add lives down the street from me. I meet her every morning walking to work as I drive down the street. She always smiles to me. But I had no idea who she was and which house she lived in.
I planned to make small fruit baskets and leave them on my neighbor’s front porches(门廊) on Christmas Eve. I signed the cards: "Happy Holidays from 5104 Northumberland Road."
I saved the last for the friendly lady. I finally decided on a house where I met her each morning and guessed that it was hers.
My neighbors really appreciated the baskets and would tell me as they saw me in the yard or they would call, and a couple even came by to thank me.
This morning I found a small note in the mailbox. It was addressed simply: Resident, 5104 Northumberland Road.
The Thank You card really caught me by surprise. I opened it and read the message, "Thank you for the lovely fruit basket you left on our porch. It was very thoughtful. Richard Kelly passed away last week. He talked a lot about how nice it was that someone remembered him in his time of illness. He really appreciated it."
I had no idea who Richard Kelly was and that he had been seriously ill. I had left that nice lady’s basket on his porch by mistake. I wanted to say sorry, but that would be wrong. I believe that Mr. Kelly was meant to have that basket because he was dying. I hate that the nice lady did not get to receive a fruit basket on Christmas, but I believe if she knew what had happened, she would be happy. I feel pleased to have helped Richard Kelly’s last days be more cheerful. How many Christmas gifts did the author intend to send?
| A．Nine. | B．Eight. | C．Ten. | D．Eleven. |
Where did the friendly lady live?
| A．She lived at the end of Northumberland Road. |
| B．Her address was 5104 Northumberland Road. |
| C．She was thought to share a house with Mr. Kelly. |
| D．The author was not sure about her address at all. |
How did the author’s neighbors respond to his gifts?
| A．They liked the gifts very much and were thankful. |
| B．They were thankful that they wanted to be friends. |
| C．They all made phone calls to say “Thank You”. |
| D．They all visited him by person to show gratitude. |
What does the author mean in the last paragraph?
| A．He was regretful that the nice lady didn’t receive his gift. |
| B．He was glad to have made Mr. Kelly’s life more pleasant. |
| C．He thought Richard Kelly deserved to receive that basket. |
| D．The old lady was happy to sacrifice to make Kelly happy. |
Two years ago, the Funk family of suburban Chicago adopted a Chinese baby girl who had been abandoned on a sidewalk near a Yangzhou textile factory.
Last year and halfway across the United States, the Ramirez family of suburban Miami adopted a girl who had been abandoned a week later on the same spot.
Both families named their daughters Mia. It turns out, a first name and Chinese heritage aren’t the only things the three-year-olds have in common. The girls’ mothers—Holly Funk and Diana Ramirez—met on a website for parents who had gone through international adoptions. After a flurry of e-mails comparing photographs and biographical details, DNA testing proved the families’ suspicions: The girls are probably fraternal (手足般的) twins.
“I was in shock,” said Ramirez, who lives with her husband Carlos in Pembroke Pines, Florida. “Well, now this is for real.”
The Internet and Web groups revolving around international orphanages are increasingly being used to link adopted children with biological kin(亲属). The site that the Funks and Ramirezes used has a membership of 137 people, with 15 sets of twins and seven sets of siblings whose relationships have been confirmed.
At a reunion on Friday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Mia Diamond Funk Mia Hanying Ramirez shyly surveyed each other, then reached for each other’s hand.
DNA tests established an 85 percent probability that the girls are at least half sisters. Scientists did not have a biological parent to test and reach a greater certainty, but given their ages and physical similarities, experts say it is likely they are fraternal twins.
Douglas and Holly Funk hope to take Mia to Miami in October. Both sets of parents say they are committed to staying in touch and often let the twins talk to each other on the phone.. Both the adopted girls shared a first name ________.
| A．because they both came from China |
| B．because of their physical similarities |
| C．because their US parents suspected they were twins |
| D．for no good reason |
Why did the girls’ mothers meet on the Internet?
| A．To compare photographs of the two girls. |
| B．To communicate with other people who had adopted children abroad. |
| C．To test their suspicion. |
| D．To exchange experiences on adopting children. |
Experts are still not 100 percent sure that the two girls are fraternal twins because ________.
| A．DNA tests are still not accurate enough |
| B．the two girls were born by different parents |
| C．the DNA of a biological parent is still missing |
| D．one girl is born a week later than the other |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Adopted Twins Reunited on Internet |
| B．Adopted Twins Live happily in the US. |
| C．Suspicion Turned into Reality |
| D．The Story of Adopted Twins and Their Parents |
What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道）.
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job: after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.What is John Harrison’s job?
| A．An official. | B．An ice-cream taster. |
| C．A chemist. | D．An ice-cream manufacturer. |
According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.
| A．keep a diary of work | B．have a degree in chemistry |
| C．have new ideas every day | D．find out new flavors each day |
What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
| A．He stirs the ice cream. |
| B．He examines the color of the ice cream. |
| C．He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. |
| D．He lets the ice cream cool down. |
Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes．Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden （监狱长） at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941．In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine．
Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect ．She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing．She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them．Most importantly, she cared about them．And as a result, they cared deeply about her．
Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident．The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral．He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open．Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells．There were so many that they proceeded unguarded．But no one tried to escape．If he had, the others might have killed him immediately．So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven．
Katherine’ s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals．Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for．"When Katherine’s husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________．
| A．encouraging the prisoners | B．visiting the prison houses |
| C．spending time in listening to the prisoners | D．doing some writing for the prisoner |
Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?
| A．Because Katherine was the wife of the warden． |
| B．Because Katherine didn’t look down upon them and cared about them． |
| C．Because Katherine made reforms in the prison． |
| D．Because Katherine had been killed by one of them． |
Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?
| A．The policemen at the funeral． | B．The guards． |
| C．The other prisoners． | D．The policemen from other prisons． |
The best title of this passage is_________．
| A．To Honor Their Souls | B．Reforms at Sing Sing Prison |
| C．To Meet Their Requirement | D． Katherine Lawes’ s Life |
E— The environmental Magazine
If you are concerned about your health , your family’s health and the future of our planet , and want to know “ What can I do ? ” to make a difference , you’ll love reading E —The Environmental Magazine . A 12-time Independent Press Awards winner and nominee (被提名者) ，E is full of everything environmental —from recycling to rainforests and from the global village to our own backyards .
1 year (6 issues ) — $24.95
2 years (12 issues ) — $ 34.95
Add $ 10.00 /year for Canadian postage
Add $ 40.00 / year for foreign postage
Edinburgh Young Caregivers Project
We work with young caregivers . We want to colour the lives of some of these young people by introducing them to someone who will try to understand them , listen , work towards agreed goals and have some FUN ! Is that person you ? Are you aged 18-25 ? Could you help and encourage a young person to recognize what they want and work towards getting it ? You can encourage and help someone and in return help yourself ! You will learn new skills and build on your own experience .
Contact : Sue Mackay
Email : sue.mackay @ yahoocarers .org.uk
Belvedere Castle Exhibit
Date (s ): February 16 ,2008—February 16 , 2018
Time(s) : 10:00a.m—5:00p.m
Event scheduling : Sunday , Tuesday , Wednesday , Thursday , Friday , Saturday
Event details : The exhibit covers two floors of the Castle , and currently features an informational panel (面) on the importance of trees and display of common birds that can be found in surrounding areas . All Ages . Free . Reservations required for groups of 25 people or more . Call 212-772-0210 for information . ( click to show map )
Tennis Skills Camp
August 2-6 , 2010 registration deadline : July 15, 2010
This camp , held on the Alfred University Tennis Courts，is for boys and girls entering grades 7-12. Training at the beginners through advanced levels will be provided .
This camp is directed and coached by Dave Brady , tennis coach at Alfred-Almond Central School .
Camp sessions will be held Monday through Friday , from 4:00-6:30 p.m
Cost : $ 150 per person From the first ad , we know E—The Environmental Magazine ________ .
A. mainly deals with political problems B. costs a Canadian reader $34.95 a year
C+. is a monthly publication D. has won Independent press Awards 12 ="imes" .The second ad is intended for _______ .
| A．job seekers | B．trainers | C．teachers | D．volunteers |
What do we know about Belvedere Castle Exhibit ?
| A．It mainly focuses on wildlife . |
| B．A group of more than 25 visitors to it can get a discount . |
| C．It lasts for more than eleven years . |
| D．You can go to see the exhibit every day during the week . |
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