As any parent with an iPhone or an iPod Touch knows, mobile apps (手机软件) can be an engaging and entertaining experience for kids. Now, a new study of PBS Kids suggests that the experience can be an educational one as well.
The study, which was administered by PBS under a grant from the Department of Education, first tested the vocabulary level of a group of 90 Title 1 school children, aged 3 to 7. Then, the children were each given two weeks with an iPod Touch loaded with the Martha Speaks Dog Party app created by PBS Kids.
The study monitored how the children used the iPod, during what hours, and in what context. On average, the study found that kids played with the iPod Touch for a total of 5 hours across the two weeks, with half that time spent playing the Martha Speaks app. At the end of the two week trial, the children were given another vocabulary test, which revealed an increase in vocabulary acquisition by as much as 31 per cent.
The study findings are particularly useful as smart phones and mobile devices have become increasingly popular among families and parents are faced with a proliferation of mobile apps designed for kids. According to a recent Nielsen study, smart phone usage is 12% higher in households with children than other households.
“Mobile apps can be a great learning tool in the hands of children,” said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP, Children’s Media, PBS. “This research is important in helping to better understand and guide the development of new apps that improve the value of children’s screen time with significant educational outcomes.”
So what does it all mean? Well, at the very least it will help parents get over that guilty feeling when they hand over their iPhone or iPod Touch for a little peace and quiet. At best, it provides more evidence that mobile devices and apps do indeed have educational value and could be an important part of the child-learning process for many years to come. What Lesli Rotenberg said in the fifth paragraph suggests that .
| A．he has a positive attitude towards mobile apps |
| B．he thinks children should never use smart phones |
| C．he is doubtful about mobile apps designed for children |
| D．he thinks parents should be careful with mobile apps for children |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that .
| A．parents will feel more comfortable giving kids iPhone or iPod Touch |
| B．parents will know what kind of mobile phones are suitable for kids |
| C．parents will know what children do with mobile phones |
| D．parents can watch over their children now and then |
What would be the best title of the text?
| A．The popularity of smart phones among kids |
| B．The entertaining function of smart phones |
| C．Smart phones make kids learn more. |
| D．It’s too early for kids to use smart phones |
A desert is a beautiful land of silence and space. The sun shines, the wind blows, and time and space seem endless. Nothing is soft. The sand and rocks are hard, and many of the plants even have hard needles instead of leaves.
The size and location of the world's deserts are always changing. Over millions of years, as climates change and mountains rise, new dry and wet areas develop. But within the last 100 years, deserts have been growing at a frightening speed. This is partly because of natural changes, but the greatest makers are humans.
Humans can make deserts, but humans can also prevent their growth. Mauritania is planting a similar wall around Nouakchott, the capital. Iran puts a thin covering of oil on sandy areas and plants trees. The oil keeps the water and small trees in the land, and men on motorcycles keep the sheep and goats away. The USSR and India are building long canals to bring water to desert areas.In this passage, the underlined word “needles” refers to ________.
| A．small, thin pieces of steel |
| B．long, thin pieces of branches |
| C．thin, hard, pointed leaf |
| D．small, thin pieces of sticks |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The greatest desert makers are human beings. |
| B．There aren't any living things in the deserts. |
| C．Deserts have been changing quickly. |
| D．The size of the deserts is always growing. |
People in some countries are fighting a battle against ________.
| A．the growth of deserts |
| B．desert climate |
| C．natural changes |
| D．the disappearance of desert |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．Deserts are lands of hardness, silence and space. |
| B．The deserts of the world are changing from time to time. |
| C．Man is to take measures to control the growth of deserts. |
| D．Deserts have grown at a fast pace in the past 10 years. |
Years ago there was a group of kids who would hang around at some local ponds（池塘） in the woods near their houses in Warwick, Rhode Island. In summer they caught frogs and fish. When winter arrived they couldn’t wait to go skating. Time passed, and the ponds became the only open space for the kids to enjoy themselves in that neighborhood.
One day a thirteen-year-old boy from this group of kids read in the local newspaper that a developer wanted to fill in the ponds and build over a hundred small houses called apartments. So the boy went door to door and gathered more than two hundred signatures to stop the development. A group of citizens met and decided to support him.
At the meeting of the town planning organization，the boy was quite nervous at first and spoke very softly. But when he saw the faces of his friends and neighbors in the crowd and thought about what was happening to their favorite ponds，his voice grew louder. He told the town officials that they should speak for the citizens. He also insisted that they should leave enough space for children. A few days later，the developer stopped his plan.
Nine years later, when that teen was a senior in college, he was informed that the developer was back with his proposal to build apartments. Now twenty-two years old, he was studying wetlands ecology. He again appeared before the town planning organization. This time as an expert, he used environmental protection laws to explain restrictions on development in and around wetlands and the knowledge of wetlands ecology to help to improve the development. Finally some apartments were built, but less than half the number the developer wanted. The ponds where those kids used to hang around were protected by a piece of natural land, and are still there today.The kids liked to ___________ at the local ponds in winter.
| A．make a snowman | B．throw snowballs |
| C．go skating | D．go skiing |
The boy thought that the town officials should be ___________ for the citizens.
| A．responsible | B．modest | C．anxious | D．thankful |
Which statement is true according to the passage?
| A．The apartments were built as the developer had planned. |
| B．The grown-up boy helped to protect the wetlands as an expert. |
| C．The developer stopped the boy’s plan at the meeting years ago. |
| D．The ponds were filled in and some apartments were built on them. |
The underlined word “restrictions” in the last paragraph probably means________.
| A．rules | B．plans |
| C．advantages | D．limitations |
Do you love your holidays but hate the increase weight that follows? Your are not alone.
Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods, Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. That idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast(宴会), have a small, low-fat snack（小吃）. This may help to keep you away from getting too excited before delicious foods. Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dished that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.
Choose lean meat（瘦肉）. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.
If you have a sweet tooth, try mints（薄荷） and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate .
Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess（过多的） calories.
| A．bring weight problems |
| B．bring you much trouble in your life |
| C．make you worried about your foods |
| D．make you hate delicious foods |
| A．drink much water and have vegetables only |
| B．not eat the food in high fat |
| C．no t accept invitations to feasts |
| D．turn away from delicious foods |
| A．vegetables | B．water |
| C．calories of energy | D．physical exercise |
| A．enjoy delicious foods |
| B．go to many feasts |
| C．can’t control themselves . |
| D．can’t help turning away from the foods |
| A．how to eat properly during holidays |
| B．what you should remember in a feast |
| C．how to control your weight during holidays |
| D．the benefits of doing sports during holidays |
The Internet has become part of teenage life. There’s a report on 3375 students in seven Chinese cities. It says that 38% of them believe they use the Internet often. While most of them get useful information and use the Internet to help in their studies, some are not using it in a good way. Many are playing online games too much. A few even visit websites they should not look at. Bad things can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet.
In order to help young people use the Internet in a good way, a textbook has been used in some Shanghai middle schools this term. It uses real examples to teach students all about good ways of using the Internet. It gives useful advice such as it’s good to read news or find helpful information to study. Some students also make online friends.
Teachers and parents all think the book is a very good idea. It will teach students how to be a good person in the online world. It will be a guide for teens using the Internet and keep students away from bad sites.
| A．38% | B．most | C．many | D．a few |
| A．With real examples. | B．With pictures. |
| C．With music. | D．With tapes. |
| A．Read news. | B．Find information. |
| C．Make friends. | D．Watch films. |
| A．It’s a very good idea. |
| B．It’s a foolish idea. |
| C．It keeps students looking at bad sites. |
| D．It can’t teach students how to be good. |
| A．all the students can use the Internet in a right way |
| B．when the teenagers use the Internet, they don’t need any guidance |
| C．The Internet plays an important part in teenagers’ lives |
| D．The Internet can always be good for teenagers |
| Found An IC card with some keys was found. Come to Room 203 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday Or call 8660-6982. |
Summer Job Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? And do you want to work for a students’ magazine? Come and work for us as a reporter for two months. Tel: 8667-6981 |
| Cooking Tour Join Cooking Tour. You can visit Guangzhou, Changsha, Chongqing and three other cities. You can enjoy the most delicious food and learn Chinese cooking. Duration 12 days Cost ￥3,600 Tel: 8665-7762 |
Painting Competition For all the students from Senior 1 and Senior 2 Paint a picture of an animal Send it to the Painting Club Before 30th June For more information Call 8664-4451 |
| A．8664-4451 | B．8667-6981 |
| C．8665-7762 | D．8660-6982 |
| A．go to the Painting Club | B．go to Room 203 |
| C．join in Cooking Tour | D．try Summer Job |
| A．3. | B．6. | C．9. | D．12 |
| A．taste some food | B．learn how to cook |
| C．visit some cities | D．draw some pictures |
| A．an elephant | B．a river |
| C．a tree | D．a flower |
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