The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert (警觉). Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze(凝视) starts to lose its focus - until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns; she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?
Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects(a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise(同样地) when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s ______.
| A．sense of hearing. |
| B．sense of sight. |
| C．sense of touch. |
| D．sense of smell. |
Babies are sensitive to the change in ______.
| A．the size of cards. |
| B．the colour of pictures. |
| C．the shape of patterns. |
| D．the number of objects. |
Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?
| A．To reduce the difficulty of the experiment. |
| B．To see how babies recognize sounds. |
| C．To carry their experiment further. |
| D．To keep the babies’ interest. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．Science fiction. |
| B．Children’s literature. |
| C．An advertisement. |
| D．A science report. |
It is never too early, or too late, to encourage a child to read. With the chill(寒冷) of winter upon us, the following is a list of wonderful stories with winter and or snow themes.
Waiting for Winter
It was written by Sebastian Meschenmoser. A little squirrel(松鼠), who has never seen snow, is determined that he will not miss it this year. He gets the help of his good friends, a bear and a hedgehog, trying to stay awake until they can all see the first snowfall of winter. This book is a wonderful story to read aloud to young children or for older children to read by themselves.
The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a short read, but since its first publication it has been loved by millions. It tells about a beautiful story about the magic and possibility of the first snowfall of winter, which appeals to young and older children.
The Polar Express
Popularized by the 2004 Warner Brothers all-digital film, The Polar Express was first published in 1985. The hero of this story is a boy who is given the opportunity to receive a gift from Santa himself. A magical train appears outside his bedroom window, taking him away on a fantastic journey to the North Pole.
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
It was written by Robert E. Barry. Mr Willowby orders a lovely new Christmas tree, and when it is delivered to his home he finds it far too tall. He has the top of the tree cut off in order to make it just the right height. This book follows the treetop on its journey through the forest, where it brings the joy of the holidays for some woodland creatures. This book teaches us a valuable lesson about the joy of giving, and happiness that it can bring to the hearts of recipients(接受者).Waiting for Winter and The Snowy Day are similar in that ________.
| A．they are intended for older children and adults |
| B．they are centered around the first snowfall of winter |
| C．they are short novels and are loved by millions |
| D．they are fairy tales about talking animals |
Which of the following was made into a popular film?
| A．Waiting for Winter | B．The Snowy Day |
| C．The polar Express | D．Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree |
What can we learn about Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree?
| A．it tells us giving can bring pleasure for us. |
| B．it was written by Sebastian Meschenmoser. |
| C．it tells about a boy’s journey through the forest. |
| D．it tells us Mr Willowby received a magic gift from Santa. |
There is a scene in the movie The Descendants and it went something like this ---George Clooney’s character Matt King has a daughter who may be 9 or 10. She said something bad to a girl at her school that made her cry. The mother of that girl made Matt and his daughter come to their house to apologize. “Sorry,” said his daughter very casually. She was clearly not sorry for her actions and the girl’s mother complained she didn’t take her apology seriously. Matt shrugged(耸)his shoulders. What was he supposed to do? His daughter apologized as asked. He couldn’t make her mean her words.
I always think of this story when my daughter is asked by other adults to apologize for her wrong doings. I know my daughter is being taught to say “sorry” with all the best intentions. They are teaching her to be polite. But she is apologizing because she is being forced to please the adult or to avert punishment.
This situation has happened on a few occasions and it really bothers me. Here are three reasons why I don’t think it’s a good idea to teach children to say sorry: 1. My daughter is being taught to say things that are not from her heart. 2. She is being taught insincerity(不真诚) is valued over genuineness. 3. She is being taught she needs to please others to be loved.
These messages make me uncomfortable and I will not ask my children to apologize. Instead, this is what I think people should teach children:
teach them behavior that is acceptable and to practice positive behavior.
teach them how their actions affect others.
give them space to think about the situation and ask them to suggest ways to make the situation better.
help them make healthy choices
lead by example and show them how to fix wrong doings The story in Paragraph 1 mainly shows that ________.
| A．sometimes people don’t take their apology seriously |
| B．The Descendants is a good film that is worth seeing |
| C．forcing a child to apologize may not get expected results |
| D．parents should punish their children for their mistakes |
What does the underlined word “avert” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Suffer | B．Avoid | C．Deserve | D．Get |
From Paragraph 3 we can learn that the author ________.
| A．doesn’t like apologizing to other people. |
| B．doesn’t think apologizing is important to children |
| C．doesn’t think her daughter has done anything wrong |
| D．thinks forcing a child to apologize has disadvantages |
According to the last paragraph, the author suggests people should ________.
| A．teach children how to become independent |
| B．teach children how to apologize in the correct way |
| C．teach children to behave well instead of forcing them |
| D．teach children how to set a good example to others |
Unexpectedly, I lost my white iPhon5s in Midtown on Friday night. It had a blue green cover on it. There are many pictures of my son on it, and I’m heartbroken, Please return, no questions asked. Reward. Reply to: -2652255359@craigslist.org
Do you need a babysitter that you can trust?
My name is Tina. I am a responsible babysitter that you can trust. If you are looking for someone dependable and affordable I am that person! I HAVE MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE (including disabled children)! I am a retired Home Health Aid and absolutely love children. I work with my sister Iris who has also 20+years as a teacher’s assistant. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETINC YOU! Available 24 hours and flexible with fees! I am fully bilingual—Spanish/English. Please email me or call 712-867-7688.
I BABYSIT ONLY AT MY HOME.
I accept children from all ages. Fee starts from $100-$150 a week depending on the hours. I am very flexible and my fee can change. Feel free to contact me via email or on my cell phone 566-67-1873 and we can work something out.
Part-time Chinese Babysitter Wanted
Part-time Chinese speaking babysitter needed to assist with one-year-old twins and to perform some light house work as needed. Assistance needed Fridays and occasional weekends. Please provide your salary expectation. College students are welcome to apply.
Reply to:comm-encbq-2652113885 @craigslist.orgIf you want to send your kids to the babysitter’s home, you can find one in______.
| A．Ad 1 | B．Ad 2 | C．Ad 3 | D．Ad 4 |
What do we know about Tina?
| A．She can speak two languages. |
| B．She lives alone now. |
| C．She takes care of children over 3. |
| D．She used to be a teacher’s assistant. |
An applicant accepted by Ad 4 will have to .
| A．be able to speak two languages |
| B．be a college graduate |
| C．work every weekend |
| D．look after two children |
Each of us can live strong, healthy, energetic lives for a long time to come. The key？Actually, there are many of them.
Eat fewer calories, but more food
Slimming down can help prevent disease, and cutting way back on the amount you eat may even slow the aging process. When nutrition researchers invited themselves over for dinner in kitchens across the globe-from Greece to Japan to the state of Pennsylvania--they discovered a stomach-satisfying secret to good health：Pile your plate high with vegetables and fruits, add respectable parts of beans and whole grains, and ignore high-calorie food like cheeseburgers, cream sauces, and fatty meats.
Use exercise as an anti-aging vaccine
Exercise can help you gain a better quality of life as you age. It's no secret that physical activity strengthens muscles, burn calories, and puts a happy bounce in your step. But recently, researchers discovered a new, extra benefit：Exercise acts as a powerful way against the aging process itself. When exercise physiologists put healthy people aged 60 to 85 on Weight-training programs for six months then tested them for signs of free-radical(自由基) damage, they were surprised by the results. By the end of the study, low-intensity exercisers had a drop in free-radical damage, while high-intensity exercisers had a slight increase.
Find something interesting to do
Life is always busy no matter what your age. But the truth is, when people are retired, time usually does become more available for adults after 60. With this time come choices. The easy one is merely to relax：watch more TV, eat out more often, talk on the phone as much as you want. The better choice? Discover something more meaningful to devote yourself to and do it wholeheartedly.Which of the following is what you should eat more?
| A．Fatty meats. | B．Whole grains. |
| C．Cream sauces. | D．Cheeseburgers. |
The new discovery of exercise probably is that__________.
| A．it can help you live a better life |
| B．it can strengthen muscles |
| C．it can burn calories |
| D．it can prevent aging process |
When do you have more free time according to this text?
| A．In your fifties. | B．Beyond sixty |
| C．Over seventy | D．Before sixty. |
The best title of this text should be "_______".
| A．How to Keep a Balanced Diet |
| B．The Importance of Your Health |
| C．Keys to living Longer and Better |
| D．Hobbies making Your Healthy |
Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high-tech devices, while driving, walking, shopping, even sitting in toilets. When connected electronically, they are away from physical reality.
People have been influenced to become technology addicted. One survey reported that “addicted” was the word most commonly used by people to describe their relationship to iPad and similar devices. One study found that people had a harder time resisting the allure of social media than they did for sleep, cigarettes and alcohol.
The main goal of technology companies is to get people to spend more money and time on their products, not to actually improve our quality of life. They have successfully created a cultural disease. Consumers willingly give up their freedom, money and time to catch up on the latest information, to keep pace with their peers or to appear modern.
I see people trapped in a pathological（病态的）relationship with time-sucking technology, where they serve technology more than technology serves them. I call this technology servitude. I am referring to a loss of personal freedom and independence because of uncontrolled consumption of many kinds of devices that eat up time and money.
What is a healthy use of technology devices? That is the vital question. Who is really in charge of my life? That is what people need to ask themselves if we are to have any chance of breaking up false beliefs about their use of technology. When we can live happily without using so much technology for a day or a week, then we can regain control and personal freedom, become the master of technology and discover what there is to enjoy in life free of technology. Mae West is famous for proclaiming the wisdom that “too much of a good thing is wonderful.” But it’s time to discover that it does not work for technology.
Richard Fernandez, an executive coach at Google acknowledged that “we can be swept away by our technologies.” To break the grand digital connection people must consider how life long ago could be fantastic without today’s overused technology.The underlined word “allure” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．advantage | B．attraction |
| C．adaption | D．attempt |
From the passage, technology companies aim to ______.
| A．attract people to buy their products |
| B．provide the latest information |
| C．improve people’s quality of life |
| D．deal with cultural diseases |
It can be inferred from this passage that people ______.
| A．consider too much technology wonderful |
| B．have realized the harm of high-tech devices |
| C．can regain freedom without high-tech devices |
| D．may enjoy life better without overused technology |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the overusing of high-tech devices?
| A．Neutral. | B．Sceptical. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
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