In May, 2010, Christine Jones saw an ad for a customer service job at a call center in Mobile, Alabama. A company, which handles calls for insurance companies (保险公司), needed people with professional phone skills. Jones filled out an online application and was asked for an interview.
A few days later, she arrived at the company in a blue business suit and waited with other applicants for the interview. Jones was among several candidates offered a position that very day by the company's human resource manager Wilson. All that remained was for Jones to fill out some paperwork and take a drug test, which was scheduled for a future date. When Jones realized she was not available that day, she privately told Wilson about the conflict, and Wilson replied that she could reschedule her test for another day.
But right before Jones turned to leave the office, Wilson raised a strange question: Did Jones have dreadlocks (骇人的长辫)? Jones, who is a black, was wearing a dread—very short ones. Wilson, who is white, explained the company couldn’t employ Jones ''with the dreadlocks'', since they ''tend to get messy, although I'm not saying yours are, but you know what I'm talking about''. Although Jones would never communicate with callers face to face, the company had ''a policy'', which stated that ''hairstyles should show a business image'', and that ''excessive (过分的) styles and unusual colors'' weren't allowed. Wilson asked Jones to choose whether to get rid of the dread or leave the job. Jones walked out, jobless.
In September, 2013, the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) accused the company on behalf of Jones in the District Court. It argued that the company's policy broke the state's law by discriminating (歧视) against a black job applicant because of her hairstyle, which is ''a manner of wearing a hair that is physiologically (生理上地) and culturally associated with people of African origin.''
But the company claimed that the issue wasn't Jones' race. It was simply about a hairstyle, which Jones, or any applicant, black or white, with dreads, could have changed if she wanted to land the job.
1. What can we know according to the first two paragraphs?| A．The job Jones applied for mainly dealt with insurance. |
| B．Jones didn't prepare well for the job interview. |
| C．Wilson was in charge of the insurance company. |
| D．Jones rescheduled her test because she wasn’t free on that day. |
| A．dirty | B．straight | C．loose. | D．attractive. |
| A．Wilson was accused of discriminating against a black applicant. |
| B．Jones' hairstyle suggested her African origin in physiology and culture. |
| C．Jones had no choice but to leave the company. |
| D．Jones went jobless because of her excessive hair color. |
| A．A case of discrimination. | B．Dreadlocks, a dread? |
| C．A black with dreadlocks. | D．An argument on dreadlocks. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】I had the chance to go to college locally in Jamaica，but knew that going to school in the U. S. would give me more career opportunities. So I went 1o the U. S. and studied engineering，an area traditionally held by men. While in school，I interned for three years with Bell Atlantic’s（Now Verizon）science and technology lab. They offered me a job when I graduated，but I turn edit down，thinking I wouldn't have the same opportunities as males in the organization.
I chose to take a position in a French company. A few years later，I made re-entry into Bell Atlantic because it was purchased（收购）by the French company.
My experiences over the years have helped me to grow and promote（晋升）within the organization. I'm now the president of Verizon Telecom's New England area，overseeing 4，000 employees who deliver excellent service to customers and businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
I recognize that I am where l am today as a result of people reaching out and guiding me---I’ve been fortunate throughout my career，and that's why it's so important for me to he able to give back. I'm extremely enthusiastic about youth development. In 2009，my husband and I set up the Global Venture Foundation in the Caribbean，which intended to inspire and develop youth leadership through a combination of structured athletic and educational programs.
The foundation has a variety of functions，including youth mentoring（指导），summer programs based in the U. s. and college students placement help and funding. Having recently moved to the greater Boston area. I am looking forward to setting up roots in the community that will allow me to continue touching the lives of the youth.
1. Why did the author turn down the offer from Bell Atlantic?| A．She wanted to find her job in the U.S |
| B．She wanted to find her job by herself. |
| C．She wouldn't have the equal chances as males there. |
| D．She found most of the positions were held by men there. |
| A．She pays back for what she has gained. |
| B．She plans to quit her job in Bell Atlantic. |
| C．She helps train more women employees. |
| D．She gets promotion in her position. |
| A．Athletic training. |
| B．Helping the disadvantaged. |
| C．Youth training and promoting |
| D．Supporting university education. |
| A．To show off her great success in her life. |
| B．To share her successful stories in her career. |
| C．To tell us her desire to contribute to society. |
| D．To inform us of something about her company. |
【推荐2】A Harvard 2020 paper found a 8％ increase in the number of call handled per hour by employees of an online business that had shifted from offices to homes. Far less noticed was a revised version of the paper, published in May, 2023. The boost to efficiency had become a 4% decline.
With more precise data, the researchers hadn’t made a mistake. Not only did employees answer fewer calls when remote, the quality of their interactions suffered. Customers waited longer. More also phoned back, an indication of unsolved problems.
Other studies have reached similar conclusions. Those working at home were less productive than their peers in the office. The reasons for the findings won’t surprise anyone who has spent much of the past few years working from a dining-room table. It’s harder for people to concentrate at home. Another cost may rise overtime: the underdevelopment of human cooperation. They also documented a relative decline in learning for workers at home. Those in offices picked up skills more quickly.
There’s more to work and life than productivity. Perhaps the greatest virtue of remote work is that it leads to happier employees. People spend less time commuting, which might feel like an increase in productivity, even if conventional measures fail to detect it. They can more easily fit in school pickups and doctor appointments, not to mention the occasional lie-in or mid-morning jog. And some tasks can often be done more smoothly from home than in open offices.
All this explains why so many workers have kept off offices. Indeed, several surveys have found employees are willing to accept pay cuts for the option of working from home. Having satisfied employees on slightly lower pay, in turn, might be a good deal for corporate managers. For many people, the future of work will remain mixed. Nevertheless, bosses want to keep the balance of work week and prefer office away from home, not because they fear rush hour traffic, but because better productivity lies in that direction.
1. What did the revised paper find out about working at home?| A．It boosted the cooperation of employees. |
| B．It made the employees far less noticed. |
| C．It improved employees’ sense of duty. |
| D．It weakened employees’ work efficiency. |
| A．There are many distractions at home. |
| B．There’s a lack of cooperation at home. |
| C．People have no chance to learn new skills. |
| D．People are tired of the long working time. |
| A．It keeps the boundary between work and life. |
| B．It builds employees’ satisfaction with the pay. |
| C．It helps to improve workplace productivity. |
| D．It encourages employees to work for pay rise. |
| A．Working From Home Provides Flexibility |
| B．Working From Home Hurts Productivity |
| C．Being Shy From Workplace Hurts People |
| D．The Time of Working at Home Is Over |
【推荐3】Playing video games is an enjoyable pastime for many of us. But have you ever thought of becoming a video game developer and designing your own games?
If so, Electronic Arts’ (EA) “Get in the Game” program might be for you. The program targets high school girls, giving them a chance to work alongside professional female game developers, with a view to encourage more girls to pursue a career in the tech industry.
EA is the largest video game development studio in Central Florida, US. This year, 15lucky students were selected for the program and given the chance to put the finishing touches onto future EA titles.
Edgewater High School student Lyla Lovett,17,raised her hands in celebration after she fixed an in-game glitch(故障) and successfully found a potential solution. Current EA software engineer Alanna Berklund said: “That trial-and-error is something that happens every day in game development.”
She added: “Building games is not simple ... you have to try a lot of things, and most of the time it's a matter of changing something and seeing what happens.”
Years ago, when Berklund was a new graduate, she would ask technology companies whether their business tried to hire women. “They would say, ‘we just hire the best people’.” Berklund concluded. “Technology has always been a boys’ club, and it's about not keeping the present situation.”
The gender(性别)gap in technology goes far beyond the video game industry. According to the National Center for Women in Information Technology, the percentage of female science-based degree students, in the US, dropped from 37 percent to 19 percent between1985 and 2016. This decline in female science students is one of the reasons why non-profit groups such as “Girls Who Code” have appeared in recent years.
As more industries look to fill technology jobs, it’s important that women are equally represented.
Lyla said spending a week with female engineers convinced her to pursue a career in the industry.
“It’s fearful when you see lots of men in the field. But seeing female developers working successfully in the industry makes me think change is possible,” Lyla explained.
She added that, working with other women in the technology industry was “a big thing in my life. It helped me learn to communicate better, to manage problems, and to express my feelings.”
1. What can we learn about Electronic Arts’ (EA) “Get in the Game” program from the text?| A．Girls can play their favorite video games. |
| B．Girls can design video games with professionals. |
| C．Girls can team up with players around the world. |
| D．Girls can compete with boys while playing video games. |
| A．She was refused by many technology companies. |
| B．She wanted to compete with the men in the technology industry. |
| C．She had to work harder than her male colleagues. |
| D．She was given the chance to work in technology companies. |
| A．Traditional women's work in the tech industry is highly valued in the USA. |
| B．Non-profit groups such as “Girls Who Code” have disappeared in recent years. |
| C．The percentage of female science-based degree students has declined recently. |
| D．Becoming a video game developer and designing your own games are an easy thing. |
| A．The difficulties girls have in the technology industry. |
| B．Ways of attracting more girls to the technology industry. |
| C．The advantages girls have in the technology industry. |
| D．The gender gap girls face in the technology industry. |
【推荐1】“The Mexican is familiar with death, jokes with it, sleeps with it and celebrates it,” wrote Mexican author Octavio Paz.
To celebrate death, people throughout Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead on or around Nov. 1 each year. People wear makeup to celebrate the festival on that day.
Widely considered to be Mexico’s most important festival, the Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in the culture of the local Mexica.
The Mexica were the dominant local people in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.
The celebration is based on a Mexican legend ( 传 说 ) that says after death, souls can only communicate with their still-living families in the first days of November. One can see how these days would be quite important for the Mexican people.
Now the tradition has become a modern festival .
“It’s a celebration with many years of history, to which local people have incorporated(融合) new religious elements, such as the gathering of offerings,” said Octavio Murillo, director at the National Institute of Local People in Mexico.
On this special day, people around Mexico decorate their homes, streets and relatives’ graves with flowers, candles and colorful skulls. At the same time, they set up altars ( 祭坛) on which they place the personal belongings of the dead to welcome them home.
In recent years, this festival has become a global symbol of Mexican culture , especially after the movie Coco《寻梦环游记》 hit big screens in 2017.
“We are all afraid of death, and in Mexico, it is part of a celebration, a ritual of color. It’s amazing. ” said Alejandra Diaz, a 30-year-old traveller. She took a week-long trip from Colombia to Mexico City just to take part in the festivities.
1. What do we know about the Day of the Dead?| A．It dates back to the 15th century. |
| B．It is related to a Mexica legend. |
| C．It honors those who died for Mexico. |
| D．It is a traditional Christian festival in Mexico. |
| A．The origins of the Day of the Dead. |
| B．Traditional ways of celebrating the Day of the Dead. |
| C．How the Day of the Dead is recently celebrated in Mexico. |
| D．Why the Day of the Dead is important for Mexican people. |
| A．To show that we should not be afraid of death. |
| B．To prove that the Day of the Dead has become a modern festival. |
| C．To present the influence of Mexican culture on modern movies. |
| D．To tell the readers that the festival stands for Mexican culture. |
【推荐2】How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
● “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker
One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose. The “Wen Ding” unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age. The craftsmanship of making the “Wen Ding” was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures.
● “Ran LU”, ancient small hot pot
The “Ran LU” is a small size cooking vessel (器皿) made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel’s structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period (475—221 BC).
●Bronze You, ancient kettle
The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can’t do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink
●Bronze Yan, ancient steamer
Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer.
1. The Bronze You, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening to________.| A．store wine | B．pour water |
| C．place charcoals | D．hold charcoal ashes |
| A．It is warm | B．It is convenient |
| C．It is useful | D．It is environment-friendly |
| A．The “Wen Ding” | B．The “Ren LU” |
| C．The Bronze You | D．The Bronze Yan |
【推荐3】In order to reduce the risk of suffering from COVID-19, people are supposed to say no to a handshake, give up high fives, refuse kisses on the cheek and absolutely avoid hugging. So people all over the world are changing their daily habits at work and at home to prevent it from spreading.
In France, handshaking is regarded as daily greeting habits. And kissing on the cheek is often seen even between people who have only just met. Philippe Lichtfus, a lifestyle expert notes that handshaking is a relatively recent development in human history that began in the Middle Ages. Now, he says simply looking into a person’s eyes can serve as a greeting.
The Brazilian health ministry has recommended that citizens should not share the metal straws traditionally used to consume the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. And a kiss—even if it is not on the mouth—is totally advised against.
One of Spain’s most treasured traditions is also affected by the outbreak—the kissing of sculptures of Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter. During the holy week, the faithful believers queue up to kiss the hands or feet of sculptures of Mary and the saints, seeking their protection.
Germany’s interior minister (内政部长) Horst Seehofer rebuffed Chancellor（总理）Angela Merkel’s attempt to shake hands with him, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.
In Iran, a video has gone viral (走红) showing three friends meeting, hands in their pockets, two of whom are wearing masks, tapping their feet against each other as a greeting. A similar video in Lebanon shows singer Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.
The UAE (阿拉伯联合酋长国) is advising citizens to stop the traditional “nose to nose” greeting. The UAE also said that people shouldn’t shake hands anymore or kiss. Greet each other “by waving only”.
1. What can we learn from Philippe Lichtfus?| A．Handshaking has a long history. |
| B．People can continue to kiss on the cheek. |
| C．It is recommended that people look into other’s eyes as a greeting. |
| D．It is unusual for two people who have just met to kiss on the cheeks. |
| A．Appreciated. | B．Refused. | C．Accepted. | D．Welcomed. |
| A．Several traditional greeting habits are advised against in the UAE. |
| B．People who believe in Virgin Mary must be disappointed to cancel the ceremony. |
| C．Brazilians are crazy about consuming the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. |
| D．Tapping feet against each other has already become a daily greeting in Iran. |
| A．Some old greeting styles are out of date. |
| B．Some new greeting styles become popular. |
| C．Different countries have different greeting styles. |
| D．People change their greeting styles to protect themselves. |
【推荐1】The first and only emergency hiking shelter in Golden Ears Provincial Park celebrated its 20th anniversary (周年纪念日) this summer, after helping countless people over the past two decades when they’ve found themselves in trouble near the peak.
At a height of over l,500 meters, Golden Ears is home to some unpredictable weather. According to a 2020 global study, more than 20 percent of hiking accidents happen partially due to poor weather conditions.
The weather became such a problem that Ron Paley, former trail-master for Golden Ears Trail Preservation and Restoration Club, was personally involved in multiple rescues while preparing the future construction site.
“One involved a couple of guys hiking, one of whom hurt his ankle. His friend tried carrying him down the mountain, but it’s hard enough hiking that mountain alone, so there was no way he would have made it while giving a piggyback ride to someone else,” Paley said.
Since the structure was completed on Oct. 1, 2002, many people have visited it — whether for emergency or personal use.
Rick Laing, spokesperson for the Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, emphasizes that this long-standing shelter is designed to be used in only extreme cases.
“But, a lot of people seem to use it as a destination instead of for emergencies,” Laing said.
The tough conditions of Golden Ears make it likely that many more of the nearly 1 million people who visit the park each year will need to seek out this shelter in the future.
“I’ve done the Grand Canyon and it’s easier than Golden Ears,” Paley said.
It’s because of this challenging terrain (地形) that completing the emergency shelter took more than two weeks and $50,000. But according to Paley, he looks back on the challenge fondly.
“If this shelter has saved even one life, it’s worth it.”
1. What led to the construction of the shelter in Golden Ears?| A．Its great height. | B．Hikers’ requests. |
| C．Sudden weather changes there. | D．Frequent hiking accidents there. |
| A．He lost his life in the park. | B．He was saved by Ron Paley. |
| C．He had hiked that mountain alone. | D．He was carried down the mountain by his friend. |
| A．Unfavorable. | B．Tolerant. | C．Uncaring. | D．Approving. |
| A．To imply the importance of Golden Ears. |
| B．To reveal Golden Ears’ remote location. |
| C．To show the tough conditions of Golden Ears. |
| D．To suggest Golden Ears’ growing popularity. |
【推荐2】I took one of the bags from my car. It was still dark out. I headed for a group of three men, standing around a tree, probably using it as a windbreaker. As I walked toward them, one of them watched me, perhaps questioning my motives. “I thought you all might need some fresh new socks,” I said, handing him a pair. He looked confused at first but took them and said, “Thank you.” I gave him two more pairs for his friends. I moved on. An hour later, I had given out all the socks. Most people were sleeping, and I felt like Santa. On her first day teaching students from poor families at an after-school program in New York City, Alyssa Kapasi noticed how many kids were lining up for free sandwiches and fruit in the school cafeteria. One of the workers explained that many of these students don’t get enough to eat at home, so a school lunch or an after-school meal might be the most food they would get all day.
Kapasi, who attends private school, was very surprised. What’s more, she made up her mind to help. “I want other kids to understand that if you see a problem, you don’t have to wait to grow up to fix it,” says Kapasi. She and a group of friends are now putting their programming skills to work to create an app called Food for Thought, which will allow parents, students, and even kind-hearted strangers to donate to a lunch account for a student in need at a nearby school.
About 20 million American kids receive free lunches. Two million more can have low-price meals, and those students’ families have to pay for part of their food. When they don’t have the money on any given day, the students might have to settle for an “alternative (可替代的) meal” such as a cheese sandwich.
The app — which is getting financial (财政的) support from a GoFundMe page — provides anonymity (匿名) to those who receive lunch and donors. To receive help, a family will need only a recommendation (推荐) from a school teacher, and no one else has to know.
“I want to make an app that all users feel no shame in using,” says Kapasi. She hopes to test the app in a school district this fall.
1. Why does Kapasi want to create an app?| A．To teach kids how to help others. | B．To practise her programming skills. |
| C．To introduce her school to the public. | D．To solve the problem of hunger in schools. |
| A．Buy. | B．Make. | C．Accept. | D．Offer. |
| A．Visit a GoFundMe page. | B．Get in touch with Kapasi. |
| C．Be recommended by teachers. | D．Donate something else instead. |
| A．They won’t lose face in using it. | B．They will make money by using it. |
| C．They will know who offers them help. | D．They won’t meet their donors until this |
【推荐3】It’s unlikely that we’ll see a dodo, a flightless bird, walking this earth anytime again, according to Beth Shapiro, a evolutionary molecular biologist.
“When most people think about de-extinction, they’re imagining cloning,” Shapiro said. Cloning, the approach that created Dolly, the sheep in 1996 and Elizabeth Ann, the black-footed ferret in 2020, creates an identical genetic copy of an individual by putting DNA from a living adult cell into an egg cell from which the nucleus (细胞核) has been removed. Adult cells contain all the DNA needed to develop into a living animal. Egg cells then use that DNA as a blueprint to turn themselves into many kinds of cells——skin, organs, blood and bones——the animal needs.
“But no living cells from dodos exist. Instead,” Shapiro said, “you’d have to start with a closely related animal’s genome (基因组) and then change it into one similar to dodos.” For example， mammoths (猛犸) are also extinct，but they were very closely related to modern Asian elephants, so researchers are attempting to bring mammoths back from extinction by creating a hybrid mammoth with some mammoth genes replacing part of the elephant genome in an elephant egg cell. However, there are likely millions of genetic differences between the genome of an Asian elephant and that of a mammoth according to Shapiro.
As for the dodo, its closest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon. Mammoths and Asian elephants are pretty closely related, whereas it had been more than 20 million years since the dodo and the Nicobar pigeon had any common ancestors. Genetic differences between the two bird species are therefore much greater, making it a formidable task to create a successful hybrid in the lab, Shapiro said.
Even if scientists manage to bring dodos back, the island where they once lived is a very different place nowadays, which make it impossible to reintroduce dodos without major intervention.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The special role of DNA. |
| B．The process of cloning. |
| C．The development of cloning. |
| D．The complexity of cloning. |
| A．Dodos are harder to bring back to life. |
| B．Their living cells are hard to preserve. |
| C．Cloning can be used to recreate extinct animals. |
| D．They share a similar genome with Asian elephants. |
| A．Urgent. |
| B．Possible. |
| C．Tough. |
| D．Different. |
| A．Favorable. |
| B．Intolerant. |
| C．Objective. |
| D．Negative. |
【推荐1】One of the biggest complaints I hear from people is that their friends just aren’t there for them. More than that, sometimes friends are downright (完全地) rude or even mean. You can’t change people, but you can surround yourself with more positive people. Here are some benefits that spending time with positive friends can provide.
With positive friends, you don’t need to beg for help when you need it. Positive individuals want others to be happy, and will go out of their way to help you when you’re feeling down. As About.com’s Guide to Stress states, “Ideal friendships provide support when you’re down, fun when you’re up, wisdom when you’re lost.”
Compare that to toxic friends, who might snipe (抨击) at you or even laugh at you behind your back. Negative people celebrate the downfall of others, and as a result you’ll end up feeling worse about yourself or the situation you’re dealing with. Friends who aren’t positive will add to whatever amount of stress you are feeling.
Your positive friends will not only help you recover from negative hits you take in life, but they will also inspire you to be the best you can be. For example, perhaps you always wanted to be a writer. The negative people in your life will probably tell you all the reasons why you won't succeed. But who needs that? Chances are you have already gone over the reasons why you might fail and this is what has prevented you from trying. But with positive people in your life, you’ll feel more comfortable sharing these types of goals because your friends will give you the emotional push you need to go after what you want in life.
You naturally attract the kinds of friends who are most like you. So if you’re a downer, you’ll probably find that negative people come to you. The same is true for being positive. The more you are able to maintain a positive attitude, the more like-minded people you’ll attract in return.
1. Your true friends are probably those who___________.| A．you can change gradually | B．will not turn to you whenever in trouble |
| C．will stay with you when you’re in need | D．are always polite and never waste anything |
| A．emphasize the importance of friendships |
| B．point out everyone may meet with difficulties |
| C．compare the differences between success and failure |
| D．explain to us what ideal friendships are in reality |
| A．It is true that everyone is positive in life |
| B．If you are positive, you’ll attract positive friends |
| C．The negative people don’t like the positive ones |
| D．The positive people would like to stay with everyone |
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | B．Friendship is love with understanding. |
| C．Old friends and old wine are the best. | D．Positive friends can benefit you a lot. |
【推荐2】The famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem he has is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
This is both encouraging and discouraging. The fact that we were all born to be artists is certainly exciting, and yet the reality has proven that remaining one is a task that many of us have failed.
Fortunately, some people have seen the problem and want to solve it.
Western educators have suggested that we introduce the concept of “STEAM” instead of “STEM” - traditional “core majors” including science, technology, engineering, and math -since the “A”, which stands for “arts”, is just as important.
And on April 11, China’s Ministry of Education issued a guideline. Colleges and universities are required to provide more art-related courses and students need to earn a certain number of art credits in order to graduate.
These efforts came after many scientific studies had found that art education helps students develop self-confidence and teamwork skills, as well as habits of mind such as problem solving and critical thinking, according to The Washington Post.
It’s true that none of these skills target specific jobs. But as former US ballet dancer Damian
Woetzel told The Atlantic, the purpose of art is “to give kids the tools to become adults who are creative, adaptable, and expressive - capable of having their eyes and ears and senses alive”.And we can now see how we lost track of our born “artist self” on our way to growing up: We failed to keep our capabilities to see, hear and feel, and became blind, deaf and insensitive adults.
Hopefully, art education can help turn things around.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce a famous artist. | B．To summarize the whole passage. |
| C．To lead in the topic. | D．To encourage us to be artists. |
| A．Art is as important as traditional “core majors”. |
| B．All of us should learn art in college. |
| C．Traditional “core majors” are out of date. |
| D．Western education is more helpful. |
| A．More art-related courses will appear in all schools. |
| B．College students will have to gain enough art credits to graduate. |
| C．More students will major in art at colleges and universities. |
| D．Art will become much more important than science. |
| A．Every child is an artist | B．Bringing art to life |
| C．Learning from the artists | D．Life is art |
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武术).
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空闲的) time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.
1. The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.
| A．a child’s schedule is too complex |
| B．activities suitable for kids are limited |
| C．parents are stuck in numerous choices |
| D．children always say no to parents’ advice |
| A．children love to stay at school |
| B．they are popular with children |
| C．children dislike after-school classes |
| D．after-school classes are of poor quality |
| A．Parents want to make up for their own regrets. |
| B．After-school classes develop children’s potential. |
| C．Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children. |
| D．After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent. |
| A．For children’s benefits, the earlier the better. |
| B．Children’s spare time should be carefully designed. |
| C．Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past. |
| D．Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason., |
