Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way. "He was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.

Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.

Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.

"Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today."

"I learned that the population of Nepal is ...."

Silence.

Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. "The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well ..." he'd say. "Get the map; let's see where Nepal is. " And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.

This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

Later during my training as a future teacher I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.

1. What do we know from the first paragraph?

A．The author's father was born in a worker's family.

B．Those born stupid could not change their life.

C．The town elders wanted to learn about the world.

D．The poor could hardly afford school education.

2. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to "________".

A．one new thing

B．a request

C．the news

D．some comment

3. It can be learned from the passage that the author ________.

A．enjoyed talking about news

B．knew very well about Nepal

C．felt regret about those wasted days

D．appreciated his father's educational technique

People have grown taller over the last century, with South Korean women shooting up by more than 20 cm on average, and Iranian men gaining 16.5 cm. A global study looked at the average height of 18-year-olds in 200 countries between 1914 and 2014. The results show that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914.

Dutch men have risen from 12th place to the top spot with an average height of 182.5 cm. Latvian women, meanwhile, rose from 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later, with an average height of 169.8 cm.

James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, London, says the global trend is likely to be due to improvements in nutrition and healthcare. "An individual's genetics has a big influence on their height, but once you average over whole populations, genetics plays a less key role," he added.

A little extra height brings a number of advantages says Elio Riboli of Imperial College." Being taller is associated with longer life expectancy," he said." This is largely due to a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular(心血管的)disease among taller people."

But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many African countries causes concern, says Riboli. While height increased in Uganda and Niger during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed(反转) in recent years, with height decreasing among 18-year-olds.

"One reason for these decreases in height is the economic situation in the 1980s," said Alexander Moradi of the University of Sussex. The nutritional and health crises led to many children and teenagers failing to reach their potential height.

James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, believes the global trend of increasing height is of great importance. "How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in," he said. "If we give children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come."

4. What does the global study tell us about people’s height in the last hundred years?

A．There is a remarkable difference across continents.

B．There has been a marked increase in most countries.

C．The increase in people’s height has been quickening.

D．The increase in women’s height is bigger than in men’s.

5. What does James Bentham say about genetics in the increase of people’s height?

A．It counts less than generally thought.

B．It outweighs nutrition and healthcare.

C．It impacts more on an individual than on population.

D．It plays a more significant role in females than in males.

6. What do we learn about 18-year-olds in Uganda and Niger?

A．They grow up slower than their peers in other countries.

B．They are actually shorter than their earlier generations.

C．They find it hard to bring their potential into full play.

D．They have experienced many changes of government

One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path. That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later,she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.

Ceely's near miss male the news because she blamed it on her GPS.She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily.Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing, “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train," she told the BBC.

Who is to blame here Rick Stevenson, who telis Ceely's story in his book when Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it's not just GPS devices: Stovenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.

The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Coely for not paying attention Perhaps the railway authorities are fault for poor signaling system, Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn't say.

It's a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it's also due to, the shortage of policemen on the streets, or changing social circumstances, or some combination of these factors.

The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.

If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.

7. What did Paula Caely think was the cause of her accident?

A．She was not familiar with the road.	B．It was dark and raining heavily then.
C．The railway workers failed to give the signal.	D．Her GPS device didn't tell her about the crossing.

8. Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?

A．Modern technology is what we can't live without.

B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.

C．Digital devices ere more reliable than they used to be.

D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely's accident:

9. In the writer's opinion, Stevenson's argument is        

A．one-sided

B．reasonable

C．puzzling

D．well-based

10. What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B．The relationship between human and technology.

C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use.

D．The human unawareness of technical problems.

Volunteering offers vital help to people in need and the community.     11    .Volunteering can help you find friends, learn new skills, and even advance your career.

Volunteering can connect you to others.     12     Unpaid volunteers are often the glue (黏合剂). They hold a community together. Volunteering helps meet new people for a newcomer. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

    13    Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skill. You can also gain new skills through it. For example, you could learn nursing skills by volunteering at a nursing home.     14     Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training so that volunteers can gain more professional skills.

Volunteering can advance your career. If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization.     15    

A．Volunteering can reduce depression.

B．Volunteering can increase your skills.

C．It can be hard to find time to volunteer.

D．But the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer.

E．One of the benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community.

F．Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic.

G．You might feel more comfortable at work once you’ve learned these skills in volunteering.