C
Not enough American students want to be engineers, mathematicians, or scientists. The Obama administration wants to change that. They are spending money to do it. The government will invest three billion dollars in the education of young Americans in science, technology, engineering, and math. The four areas together are known as STEM.
Many jobs in the STEM fields will open in the coming years. The U.S. government's investment aims to increase the number of Americans who can take those jobs.
Yet girls appear far less interested in STEM subjects than boys. Only 25 percent of STEM students are girls.
Camsie McAdams is at the U.S. Education Department. She says girls simply do not feel welcomed in STEM subjects. Ms. McAdams says young women look at industries such as engineering and computer science and see most of the leaders are men.
Debbie Sterling is an engineer. She invented a construction toy for girls. The name of the toy is "Goldie Blox." Ms. Sterling hopes Goldie Blox will help girls develop spatial skills. Spatial skills help engineers and builders to think about objects in three dimensions.
To interest girls, Sterling created the character "Goldie." Goldie does not care about beauty or clothes. Goldie tells stories, solves difficult problems and creates pretend worlds.
Experts say parents should do more than just buy toys to interest their girls in STEM subjects. They should also provide a good education. At school, girls should participate in projects that require teamwork and creative thinking.
Women in scientific and technical jobs are also working to encourage young women to explore STEM. One is Anu Tewary. She studied Applied Physics and worked for technology companies. After she had a daughter, she started Technovation Challenge. The challenge is an international competition for young women from 10 to 18 years old.
Technovation offers girls the opportunity to learn how to start a company and become high-tech entrepreneurs. Since 2009, over 2,500 girls from 28 countries have developed 650 mobile phone applications. They learned to launch start-up companies through Technovation.
There's a good chance that soon, more young women using mobile phones will also be developing programs for them.
Why don’t the girls take jobs related to STEM subjects?
| A．Because they are less intelligent than boys. |
| B．Because they are forbidden to. |
| C．Because they lack interest and certain skills. |
| D．Because they are not welcomed. |
What should parents do to interest girls to enter STEM field?
| A．Just buy some toys for them. |
| B．Encourage them to take these subjects. |
| C．Explain to them the advantages of these subjects. |
| D．Attract them by giving them some rewards. |
The character "Goldie" can help _____.
| A．to improve the ability of telling stories |
| B．to develop spatial skills |
| C．to learn some knowledge of dressing up |
| D．to enlarge vocabulary |
Which statement is the writer likely to agree with?
| A．Girls are as intelligent as boys. |
| B．Jobs in the STEM fields aren’t available for girls. |
| C．The government is satisfied with the current situation in STEM. |
| D．Girls are looked down upon in jobs related to STEM. |
Which of the following is right about Technovation Challenge?
| A．It was founded by the government. |
| B．It is intended for girls of all ages. |
| C．It helps girl to overcome difficulties in their life. |
| D．It gives girls chances to learn knowledge about technology companies. |
One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me."What’s a colander(漏勺)?" he asked.
I could only blame myself.In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own.But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for.
As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers.I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course.I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no.For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine.One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting.Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven.
I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping."I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day.Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless.
Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family.That’s what I call a man.I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law.Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?
| A．Because he was not well behaved. |
| B．Because he refused to help with dinner. |
| C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools. |
| D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools. |
In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______.
| A．building up children’s confidence |
| B．telling kids what is right and wrong |
| C．preparing children for their future life |
| D．making children live a hard life |
After learning to do housework, Ray _______.
| A．fell in love with sewing |
| B．did other work in the house |
| C．began to be more hardworking |
| D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts |
We can infer from the text that Ray _______.
| A．made great progress in cooking. |
| B．always thought housework interesting. |
| C．preferred sewing to cooking. |
| D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first. |
What would the author like to convey in the text?
| A．Useful education for boys |
| B．The importance of housework |
| C．Boys should be involved in housework. |
| D．Cooking and sewing make boys masculine. |
Winners Club
You choose to be a winner！
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers.It has been made to help you better manage your money.The Winners Club is a transaction account（交易账户）where you receive a key – card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week！
It's a club with impressive features for teenagers:
●No account keeping fees！
You're no millionaire so we don't expect you to pay large fees.In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees！
●Excellent interest rates！
You want your money to grow.The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits（储蓄）without taking them out in a month.
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy – we get that.You may never need to come to a bank at all.With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet……You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account.This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part – time job！
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money.There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers.And it is so easy to join.Simply fill in an application form.You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian（so we can organize that cool key-card）but it is easy.We can't want to hear from you.It's the best way to choose to be a winner！The Winners Club is a bank account intended for _________.
| A．parents | B．teenagers | C．winners | D．adults |
The Winners Club provides magazines which _________.
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．are full of adventure stories |
| D．help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must _________.
| A．be an Internet user |
| B．be permitted by your parent |
| C．have a big sum of money |
| D．be in your twenties |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club？
| A．Special gifts are ready for parents |
| B．The bank opens only on work days |
| C．Services are convenient for its members |
| D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping |
What is the purpose of this text？
| A．To set up a club |
| B．To provided part – time jobs |
| C．To introduce a new banking service |
| D．To organize key – cards |
I am trying to muster (鼓起) the courage to toss_away my mobile phone to enjoy a more peaceful and ring-free life.
Can you imagine not having your mobile phone? In our high-tech, in-a-hurry age, a cell-free life is a hard concept to swallow. Our mobile phones can now access the Internet, and many people feel the need to express their every thought on their blog pages. If I gave up my cell-phone, people would think I was mad.
I wish I had the strength to toss away my technology. I have an office phone, a home phone, an e-mail and if people want to contact me, they can. If I'm out, people can leave a message. Do they really need to find me 24/7? However, I'm a bit like Frodo in the movie Lord of the Rings. The power of the ring is too strong and I can't let it go.
Mobile phones have become necessary tools in our busy life. For most people, they hold all contacts and many of us don't write up address books any more. The latest phones carry our music, pictures, movies and everything else. We feel lost without this device and when we do misplace it, we feel cut off from our fellow.
"Where have you been?" said a friend, who saw me a week after I lost my cell-phone, "I tried calling you, but you disappeared. You disappeared off the face of the Earth." See, when you don't have a mobile phone, you don't exist.
I'm not really going to toss my mobile phone away, in fact. We humans are such social animals and mobile phones serve us well. So in 2009, I've decided not to serve my mobile phone. Like all machines, I can always turn it off.
What does the underlined phrase "toss away" mean?
| A．give away | B．get away |
| C．break away | D．throw away |
The writer mentions Frodo to________.
| A．show it is difficult to get rid of the mobile phone |
| B．show how much he likes Frodo |
| C．suggest a cell-free life is what he wants |
| D．introduce a film character to us |
What do we know about mobile phones in the 4th paragraph?
| A．Mobile phones can do anything for us. |
| B．Mobile phones have become very important in our life. |
| C．We could not live without mobile phones. |
| D．We would be cut off by our fellow without mobile phones. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．The writer is not really going to toss his mobile phone away. |
| B．When you don't have a mobile phone, you don't exist. |
| C．The writer decides not to serve his mobile phone. |
| D．We humans can control ourselves and machines. |
A store that sells husbands has just opened in Ottawa where a woman may go to choose a husband from many men.
The store consisted of 6 floors and the men increase in positive attributes（品质，特点）as the shopper goes up the flights. There is, however, a catch（陷阱）. As you open the door to any floor you may choose a man from that floor, but if you go up a floor, you cannot go back down except to exit the building.
So a woman goes to the shopping center to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1— These men have jobs. The woman reads the sign and says to herself, “Well, that’s better than my last boyfriend, but I wonder what’s further up?”
So up she goes. The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 — These men have jobs and love kids. The woman remarks to herself, “That’s great, but I wonder what’s further up?”
And up she goes again. The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 — These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good-looking. “Hmm, better.”
The fourth floor sign reads: Floor 4 — These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good-looking and help with the housework. “Wow!” exclaims the woman, “Very tempting. But, there must be more, further up!”
And again she heads up another flight. The fifth floor sign reads: Floor 5 —These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good-looking, help with the housework and have a strong romantic character. “ Oh, mercy me! But just think…what must be awaiting me further on?”
So up to the sixth floor she goes. The sixth floor sign reads: Floor 6 –You are visitor 3, 456, 789,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. Thank you for shopping Husband Mart and have a nice day.Women tend to go up the floor until they reach the top floor because _____.
| A．they think the husbands downstairs are not suitable |
| B．they are sure that the best husbands are on the top floor |
| C．they think even better husbands may be upstairs |
| D．they know the catch very well |
The writer intends us to believe that _____.
| A．husbands are hard to shop |
| B．women are hard to please |
| C．women think they are better than men |
| D．women can’t be too careful when choosing husbands |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．women are not good at shopping husbands |
| B．more women will leave the shop alone |
| C．women are romantic |
| D．women are more kind than men |
“OK,” I said to my daughter as she bent over her afternoon bowl of rice. “What’s going on with you and your friend J.? ” J. is the leader of a group of third-graders at her camp—a position Lucy herself occupied the previous summer. Now she’s the one on the outs. and every day at snack time, she tells me all about it, while I offer the unhelpful advice all summer long.
“She’s fond of giving orders, “Lucy complained. “She’s turning everyone against me. She’s mean. And she’s fat.” “Excuse me,” I said, struggling for calm. “What did you just say?” “She’s fat.” Lucy mumbled (含糊地说). “We’re going upstairs,” I said, my voice cold. “We’re going to discuss this.” And up we went. I’d spent the nine years since her birth getting ready for this day, the day we’d have the conversation about this horrible word. I knew exactly what to say to the girl on the receiving end of the teasing, but in all of my imaginings, it never once occurred to me that my daughter would be the one who used the F word—Fat.
My daughter sat on her bed, and I sat beside her. “How would you feel if someone made fun of you for something that wasn’t your fault?” I began. “She could stop eating so much,” Lucy mumbled, mouthing the simple advice a thousand doctors have given overweight women for years.
“It’s not always that easy,” I said. “Everyone’s different in terms of how they treat food.” Lucy looked at me, waiting for me to go on. I opened my mouth, then closed it. Should I tell her that, in teasing a woman’s weight, she’s joined the long tradition of critics? Should I tell her I didn’t cry when someone posted my picture and commented, “I’m sorry, but aren’t authors who write books marketed to young women supposed to be pretty?”
Does she need to know, now, that life isn’t fair? I feel her eyes on me, waiting for an answer I don’t have. Words are my tools. Stories are my job. It’s possible she’ll remember what I say forever, and I have no idea what to say.
So I tell her the only thing I can come up with that is absolutely true. I say to my daughter, “I love you, and there is nothing you could ever do to make me not love you. But I’m disappointed in you right now. There are plenty of reasons for not liking someone. What she looks like isn’t one of them.”
Lucy nods, tears on her cheeks. “I won’t say that again,” she tells me, and I pull her close, pressing my nose against her hair. As we sit there together, I pray for her to be smart and strong. I pray for her to find friends, work she loves, a partner who loves her. And still, always, I pray that she will never struggle as I’ve struggled, that weight will never be her cross to bear. She may not be able to use the word in our home, but I can use in my head. I pray that she will never get fat.Why does the author want to discuss with Lucy?
| A．Because she wants to offer some other helpful advice. |
| B．Because she is really shocked at Lucy’s rudeness. |
| C．Because she has prepared the conversation for nine years. |
| D．Because she decides to tell Lucy a similar story of her own. |
What does the author want to tell her daughter?
| A．It is not easy to take the doctors’ advice to eat less. |
| B．People shouldn’t complain because life is unfair. |
| C．People shouldn’t be blamed for their appearance. |
| D．She herself was once laughed at for her appearance. |
It can be inferred from the passage that_______.
| A．the author earns a living by writing stories. |
| B．the author is a fat but good-looking woman. |
| C．the author will stop loving her daughter for what she said. |
| D．the author’s daughter agreed with her from the very beginning. |
The author’s attitude towards her daughter can be best described as _______.
| A．satisfied and friendly | B．indifferent but patient |
| C．loving but strict | D．unsatisfied and angry |
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