MOOCs, an acronym(缩写)for “massive open online courses,” mark an important, possibly revolutionary, development in education. These courses are online, free of charge, and open to anyone in the world who has a laptop and an Internet connection. Moreover, they are mainly offered by elite universities like Standford, Berkeley, Harvard and Columbia.
The courses, like normal college courses, are sequenced(按顺序排好)by difficulty, enabling students to progress from beginners to the advanced. The courses cover not only a broad range of technical subjects such as math and computer science, but also courses in the social sciences and the humanities (人文学科).
Though MOOCs are not offered for credit and degree, many students enroll in the courses for real skills or knowledge which they can put to some practical use. Some students even form online study groups, or in-person groups with students who live nearby.
The format seems superior to the traditional school class. The average quality of the lecturer is much higher, because students do not have to stick with a mediocre(平庸的) lecturer.
Besides, students can scroll back or forward—in short, they can go at their own learning speed, which they cannot do in a live lecture. And, of great importance, they do not have to travel anywhere to attend an online lecture. One can obtain a first-class American college education wherever he or she lives and however little money he or she has.
There is a problem of asking questions of the lecturer in a class of ten thousand students, but some MOOCs have solved it by allowing students to post questions online for a vote, and only the most popular questions are put to the lecturer.
In a knowledge era, lifelong learning is not confined to a traditional classroom. Of course, students enrolling in MOOCs cannot be compared with those who are in traditional universities, but we need to rethink what a “students” is.
Students in MOOCs are very clever, have work experience, and in many cases, have already developed a set of core competences. Moreover, they also offer unique international perspectives that would be the envy of any school classroom.Which of the following statements is NOT true about MOOCs?
| A．The word “MOOCs” is an acronym for “Massive open online campuses.” |
| B．Anyone who has a computer and an Internet connection can take MOOCs. |
| C．MOOCs are usually offered by first-class universities in the world.. |
| D．MOOCs may be a breakthrough in the development of education. |
Students enroll in MOOCs mainly for ________.
| A．credits | B．degrees | C．skills | D．study groups |
MOOCs seem to have an advantage over traditional school classes because________.
①the average quality of the lecturer is higher
②students can travel to many places when taking MOOCs
③students can learn at their own study pace
④there is a problem of asking questions in traditional classes
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．①③ | D．②④ |
Which word is the best to describe students enrolling in MOOCs?
| A．Mediocre | B．Creative |
| C．Practical | D．Competent |
Which of the following words does not have the same meaning as the underlined word “perspectives”in the last Paragraph?
| A．Vision | B．View |
| C．Outlook | D．Scenery |
Which are you more likely to have with you at any given moment-your cell phone or your wallet? Soon you may be able to throw your wallet away and pay for things with a quick wave of your smart phone over an electronic scanner.
In January, Starbucks announced that customers could start using their phones to buy coffee in 6,800 of its stores. This is the first pay-by-phone practice in the U.S., but we’re likely to see more wireless payment alternatives as something called near field communication (NFC) gets into America’s consumer electronics. Last December, some new smart phones which contain an NFC chip were introduced to the public.
Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, NFC allows shoppers to wave their phones a few inches above a payment terminal – a contact- free system built for speed and convenience. But before NFC becomes widely adopted in the U.S., a few problems need to be worked out, like who will get to collect the profitable transaction（交易）fees. Although some credit card providers have been experimenting with wave-and- pay systems that use NFC-enabled credit cards, cell phone service providers may try to muscle their way into the point-of-sale（POS）market. Three big cell phone service providers have formed a joint venture（合资企业）that will go into operation over the next 15 months. Its goal is “to lead the U.S. payments industry from cards to mobile phone.”
The other big NFC issue, apart from how payments will be processed, is security. For instance, what’s to stop a thief from digitally pick-pocketing you? “We’re still not at the point where an attacker can just brush against you in a crowd and steal all the money out of your phone,” says Jimmy Shah. A mobile- security researcher, “Users may also be able to set transaction limits, perhaps requiring a password to be entered for larger purchases.”
Still uneasy about this digital-wallet business? Keep in mind that if you lose your smart phone, it can be located on a map and remotely disabled. Plus, your phone can be password protected. Your wallet isn’t.What is predicted to happen in the U.S.?
| A．The expansion of cell phone companies. |
| B．The boom of pay-by-phone business. |
| C．The disappearance of credit cards. |
| D．The increase of Starbucks sales. |
The NFC technology can be used to __________.
| A．ensure the safety of shoppers |
| B．collect transaction fees easily |
| C．make purchase faster and simpler |
| D．improve the quality of cell phones |
Three cell phone service providers form a joint venture to __________.
| A．strengthen their relationship |
| B．test the NFC technology |
| C．sell more cell phones |
| D．get a share in the payments industry |
According to the passage, what can users do if they lose their smart phones?
| A．Stop the functioning of their phones. |
| B．Set up a password. |
| C．Get all the money out of their phones. |
| D．Report it to the bank. |
In Greek mythology（神话）, the gods punished Sisyphus by forcing him to roll a rock up a steep hill for eternity（来世）. But he was probably better off than if they’d forced him to sit and stare into space until the end of time, conclude the authors of a new study on keeping busy. They found that people who have something to do, even something pointless, are happier than people who sit around.
“The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are too busy doing what they are doing in modern society,” says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. “People are running around, working hard, the way beyond the basic level.” Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, and so on. But, Hsee says, “I think there’s something deeper: We have extra energy and we want to avoid idleness.”
In a study 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one. They were given a choice of either handing in the first survey nearby or at a more distant location they had to walk to. Whichever option they chose, they received a chocolate bar. Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. Two-thirds chose the lazy option. Yet those who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who had stayed put.
But if the chocolate bars offered at the two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a good and acceptable reason for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to show being busy right or reasonable—to benefit society. “If we can find a way for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive business,” he says. Hsee himself has been known to give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn’t have anything to do, so he isn’t sitting around the office getting bored and depressed.The author starts the passage with the Greek mythology story to ________.
| A．make it easier to understand the passage |
| B．draw readers’ attention to Greek culture |
| C．show Greek people enjoyed being busy |
| D．bring about the subject of the passage |
According to Hsee, people are busy in modern society because they want to _________.
| A．make others think they are not lazy |
| B．keep their energy at the basic level |
| C．earn more money to support their family |
| D．avoid the state of having nothing to do |
The underlined phrase “stayed put” in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．remained there | B．kept occupied | C．got around | D．stayed awake |
How does Hsee’s assistant probably feel while performing a task?
| A．Blue. | B．Empty. | C．Contented. | D．Trapped. |
Steve Jobs made technology fun．The co-founder of Apple died last Wednesday at the age of fifty-six He had fought for years against cancer．Mourners gathered outside his house in Palo Alto, California, and Apple stores around the world．
Tim Bajarin, president of a high-tech research and consulting company, said "If you actually look at a tech leader, they're really happy if they have one hit in their life．Steve Jobs has the Apple II, the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and Pixar．"
Steve Jobs was a college dropout．He was adopted by a machinist and his wife, an accountant．They supported his early interest in electronics．
He and his friend Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer—now just called Apple—in nineteen seventy-six．They stayed at the company until nineteen eighty-five．That year, Steve Wozniak returned to college and Steve Jobs left in a dispute（分歧）with the chief executive．
Mr．Jobs then formed his own company, called NeXT Computer．He rejoined Apple in nineteen ninety-seven after it bought NeXT．He helped remake Apple from a business that was in bad shape then to one of the most valuable companies in the world today．
Steve Wozniak, speaking on CNN, remembered his longtime friend as a "great visionary and leader'' and a "marketing genius（天才）"．
President Obama said in a statement: "By building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity．By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun．"
David Carroll is a professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City．He says Steve Jobs not only revolutionized technology, he also revolutionized American business．
"The fact that he was able to redesign American commerce top to bottom and across is really stunning （令人惊奇的）．He probably will be considered an industrial giant on the scale of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, so one of the great[s] of all time．" David Carroll said．
Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple's chief executive in August because of his health．He died a day after the company released a new iPhone version that met with limited excitement．Apple's new chief, Tim Cook, will also have to deal with the new Kindle Fire tablet computer from Amazon．com．It costs less than half as much as an iPad but also does less．Why did people all over the world mourn Steve Jobs?
| A．He was very courageous in the face of cancer． |
| B．He became very rich though dropping out college． |
| C．He released a new iPhone version before death． |
| D．He revolutionized technology and made it enjoyable． |
Which of the following can easily prove that Jobs is a "marketing genius"?
| A．After Apple, he founded NeXT Computer． |
| B．He made Apple very valuable once again in the world． |
| C．He developed a series of Apple products． |
| D．He was considered the greatest industrial figure of all time． |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 7 mean?
| A．Jobs was a typical example of American spirit of creation． |
| B．Jobs enriched the American spirit of science and freedom． |
| C．Jobs eventually realized his American dream． |
| D．American people are good at inventing things． |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Jobs's parents discouraged him from working on electronics |
| B．Jobs stayed in Apple as chief executive for about 24 years． |
| C．Jobs started his career in his family garage． |
| D．Run unsuccessfully, Apple was sold to NeXT Computer． |
“Write All About It”
Centerville High School Essay（论文）Contest
Rules
1. Students are asked to hand in essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material copied from another source will be disqualified.
2. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student’s name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Essays must be turned in by 4:00 P.M. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.
Essay-Writing Tips
1. Catch your reader’s interest—Your opening should immediately pull your reader into your essay. Asking a question or starting with a story, or surprising statement is some good ways to do this.
2. Create a picture—Use active words that show your reader what is happening. Instead of telling your reader that “the room was disordered,” paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.
3. Have a purpose—Well-written essays do more than just describe an event or express a viewpoint; they also communicate a message.
4. Check for mistakes—Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you have missed.
5. Format your essay—Neatly type your essay on white paper Choose an attractive cover for handing in. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45P.M. each day this month so that students can use the computers.
Prizes
Winning essays will be published in the Centervile Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year.
First Prize: $50 savings bond
Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book
Third Prize: Pen set and journalWhich of the following rules is set for the essay contest?
| A．Students can write something exactly as it is written in other books. |
| B．Students’ personal information should be listed on another piece of paper. |
| C．Essays must be brought to Mr. Markham in the computer lab on November 30. |
| D．The students winning the second prize will be awarded a dictionary and a book. |
Which of the following writing tips is given in the passage?
| A．Drawing a picture to go with the essay. |
| B．Trying to communicate an important idea to readers. |
| C．Asking a teacher to find the mistakes you haven’t found. |
| D．Making the essay short enough to hold the readers’ interest. |
The article is written to .
| A．convince the students of the prizes available |
| B．explain how to write a good essay |
| C．inform the students of the essay contest |
| D．show how to organize an essay contest |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Ali is from a Middle Eastern country. He now stays in the USA. He smokes a lot of cigarettes every day. He has smoked for nine years. Ali says, “I tried to quit smoking in my hometown, but it was impossible. My parents smoke. My brothers smoke. All my friends smoke. At parties and at meetings, almost all the men smoke. Here in the United States, not as many people smoke. ”
Many smokers are like Ali: they want to stop smoking. They know it can cause cancer and heart disease. But it is difficult for them to give up smoking because cigarettes have a drug in them. The drug is nicotine. People who smoke a lot need nicotine.
The nicotine makes him sick. In a few days, the smoker's body is used to the nicotine, and he feels fine. Later, the smoker needs nicotine to keep feeling fine. Without nicotine, he feels bad.
Many people who quit will soon smoke again. At a party or at work they will decide to smoke "just one" cigarette. Then they will smoke another cigarette, and another. Soon they become smokers again.
| A．It is very hard to quit smoking. |
| B．It will be easier to change the smoking habit here. |
| C．Thus nicotine makes smokers addicted to cigarettes. |
| D．The smokers know that smoking is bad for their health. |
E. When a person first begins to smoke, he usually feels terrible.
F. Maybe there is only one easy way to quit smoking: never start.
G. But it is said that medicine is needed to stop them from smoking.
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