Do parents have a constitutional right to homeschool their children? No, according to a California District Court judge, who recently ruled that a child must be schooled "by a person holding a valid state teaching credential for the grade being taught”.
What started as a Los Angeles County child welfare case involving one specific family has gone into proceedings that have actually put on trial the very nature of what constitutes a sound education. “For decades we’ve been happily homeschooling, and then this comes up suddenly,” says Mary Griffith, a homeschooling parent. Griffith says California had traditionally given homeschooling parents the freedom to choose the kind of education they want for their child.
This particular family in Los Angeles had enrolled their children in a private school independent study program not in their home. In response to abuse charges against the family, the children were enrolled in public schools. The parents stated they had a constitutional right to homeschool on religious grounds; that's when the court ruling was issued. However, Griffith says if the ruling ends up affecting anyone, it will mainly be those who also enroll their children in off-site homeschooling. “This won't be far-reaching for homeschooling parents."
That's how organizations like the Homeschool Association of California (HSC) would like to keep it, anyway, and they've hired a team of lawyers to limit the impact of the case. Griffith says the legal team for HSC is trying to establish that while this ruling may indeed be necessary for this particular family, it should not set a precedent for all.
What does this case really mean for homeschooling families nationwide? According to Darren A. Jones, this decision is certain to affect homeschooling on a national scale. Jones claims that it is common for state courts to look to other states’ rulings for assistance in deciding issues where no precedent exists. “A poor legal decision in California could become part of a trend across the nation.’’
1. In Griffith’s opinion, ________.| A．parents don’t have a right to homeschool their children |
| B．a child must be schooled by an expert with a credential |
| C．homeschooling should be forbidden in the whole country |
| D．it is understandable for parents to homeschool their children |
| A．parents happily homeschool their children |
| B．parents don’t have a right to homeschool their children |
| C．a child must be schooled by a person with a teaching credential |
| D．a Los Angeles County child welfare case involves a special family |
| A．To avoid the abuse charges against them. | B．To receive the better education in it. |
| C．To break away from their parents. | D．To cooperate with the expert’s jobs. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Sympatric. | C．Negative. | D．Objective. |
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【推荐1】A man recently connected with me on LinkedIn and sent me this note: “Let me know if you ever need a writer.” I guess he’s a writer? I don’t know. But I do know this phrase “Let me know if you ever need a.” shows up a lot, in my inbox and surely yours, too. I’ve come to think of it as the eight most deadly words in selling oneself because that phrase is the death of opportunity.
Let’s consider the approach. These people are being standoffish. Rather than selling themselves, they’re shifting the burden onto someone else to make the sale. If I need a writer, I should reach out to them. If I need a story, I should ask them for an interview. If I need a customer service solution, I should ask them for details. “Let me know if you ever need a ... ” sounds like an invitation, but it’s really a shrug.
Imagine the situation where I’d assign (分派工作) a story to the writer who used the nine words, “Let me know if you ever need a writer.” I would have needed a writer. Just any writer. Just anyone who can string words together. I would have needed to be in a panic, so desperate for someone to contribute to our magazine that I’d stopped thinking about great writers or good writers, or even serviceable writers and simply settled for a writer. This isn’t a situation that exists. The world is full of good options! We are not living in times of shortage. If we need a job done, there are plenty of qualified people to do it. Our question is: Who’s the best?
If you want to create opportunity for yourself, answer that question convincingly. The first thing to do is show someone you are the opportunity. Hiring you can help them. We also need to stop hiding behind ourselves. Get out in front! Sell yourself and your amazing abilities. Understand someone’s problem, and explain exactly why you are the solution. Avoid saying “Let me know if you ever need a ... ” Instead, start with: “Let me explain how I can help you.”
1. What do we know from the author’s experience?| A．We’d better start our own careers as early as possible |
| B．The author prefers to hire his employees on Linkedln. |
| C．The phrase “Let me know if you ever need a ... ” is polite. |
| D．Many people use the wrong opening sentence to sell themselves. |
| A．Frank and open. | B．Unfriendly and proud. |
| C．Unsure and sensitive. | D．Concerned and confident. |
| A．The author is in desperate need of a writer’s help. |
| B．There are very few great writers available nowadays. |
| C．Anyone who can string words together is a good writer. |
| D．The author isn’t interested in the writer using the nine words. |
| A．A Better Way of Selling Yourself. | B．Full Preparations Matter Most. |
| C．Good Jobs Wait for No Man. | D．Politeness Makes Difference. |
【推荐2】Going against the tide of flocking(蜂拥) to well-known yet generally jam-packed tourist destinations on vacation, a growing number of holiday makers in China tend to spend their leisure time at lesser known resorts to seek unique, relaxed holiday experiences. Reverse Tourism has emerged as a new trend among young holidaymakers in China.
Besides crowds, some vacationers chose less-traveled places to save on the cost of trips to popular destinations, which often require pricey tickets, meals and hotel stays. “Tourism used to be about sightseeing. Now it is about experiences,” said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. He said popular tourist spots are always packed and often raise their prices during holidays. As people become more mature travelers, they are increasingly unwilling to follow the herd. Some of them are simply looking to take a rest somewhere quiet for a couple of days, which is a good way to vacation.
In addition, lesser-known attractions are not as “commercial” and “standardized” as developed ones and are able to offer more genuine experiences and natural encounters, according to social media posts. And unlike popular destinations, some under-explored places with little online exposure can offer more surprises. COVID- 19 is another key factor fueling Reverse Tourism. As precautionary measures continue, traveling has an unpredictable quality. A traveler has no way of knowing what lies ahead before departure, be it a perfect holiday or one interrupted by a sudden outbreak.
“The rise of Reverse Tourism is not a bad thing,” said an opinion piece in Zhengzhou Daily. It means that vacationers now have more options, which brings more possibilities to the tourism market, the article explains. More importantly, the trend is set to force popular destinations to improve themselves instead of resting on their achievements, it noted.
1. What is the feature of Reverse Tourism according to the passage?| A．Popular destinations often raise their prices during holidays. |
| B．Less-traveled places offer relaxed holiday experiences. |
| C．Popular destinations are not welcomed by people nowadays. |
| D．Less-traveled places are increasingly valued among young people. |
| A．Do just what most people do. | B．Be particular about vacations. |
| C．Behave like the best visitors. | D．Seek unique travel experience. |
| A．To create surprises on their own. | B．To explore the original beauty. |
| C．To promote the local tourism. | D．To escape the uncertainty in life. |
| A．The promising future of Chinese tourism. |
| B．The challenges popular tourist spots are facing. |
| C．The way to explore the lesser-known attractions. |
| D．The reason why people prefer Reverse Tourism. |
【推荐3】Every day in the United States animals are beaten, ignored, or forced to struggle for survival. Left in poor conditions with no food or water, they have little hope as they live out their days without the mercy they deserve. Some are found and rescued, given the chance to experience how great life and humans can be; others aren't so lucky. To grow as a nation, we must fight for these abused(受虐待的) animals’ rights and seriously punish heartless owners.
One of the first steps in protecting animals and creating effective cruelty laws is to know what animal cruelty actually is. There are two categories: passive cruelty and active cruelty. The first involves acts of omission, meaning the abuse happens as a result of ignorance or lack of action. Passive cruelty might seem less serious, but that is not the case; it can lead to terrible pain and suffering, and finally death. Examples include starvation, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and the failure to get medical care. Passive cruelty is sometimes due to the owner's ignorance, so many animal control officers will first try to educate ignorant owners on how to properly care for animals before giving them a citation(传票) or putting them in prison.
Active cruelty, on the other hand, is more well-known and disturbing. Sometimes referred to as non-accidental injury, this type of abuse involves purposeful harm on an animal in order to feel more powerful or gain control. Active cruelty against animals should be taken very seriously, since it can be a sign that a person has serious psychological issues and may commit more acts of violence---possibly against humans.
It is hard to tell just what drives people to harm innocent animals. Most animal abusers find some sort of achievement or power in torturing a victim that they know can't fight back. While not all animal abusers become serial killers, it is important to take every case seriously.
As a nation we need to make it our right to come together and ensure the safety of our beloved pets. As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
1. What is the first step to do with the passive cruelty abusers?| A．To throw them into prison. | B．To bring the case to the court. |
| C．To teach them how to treat animals. | D．To give them a strong warning. |
| A．is actually a sign of power or control |
| B．has been taken seriously in the nation |
| C．may lead to serious psychological problems |
| D．may cause acts of violence against humans |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Pessimistic. |
| A．warn those heartless pet owners |
| B．tell people the harm of animal cruelty |
| C．explain the reasons why people harm animals |
| D．call on people to fight for the abused animals |
【推荐1】As a parent, you must have a lot of concerns about the various skills you would like your child to get. Music is one of them.
Another advantage of your child to learn music becomes apparent only at a later stage.
You can start when your child is only a baby, by exposing him or her to a wide range of music at home.
Some parents start their children on a musical instrument(乐器) as early as 3 years of age. This is great if the child is having a good time, especially when a child’s brain has a wonderful capacity for mastering new skills. It goes without saying that you should not have to drag your child to lessons. You can be assured that nothing productive will come out of it.
If you start your child on music lessons by the age of 5, taking care to encourage him or her and not to push him or her, your child will grow up into an accomplished adult with a well-rounded personality.
| A．It can have good effects on your child. |
| B．This is selecting music as a career. |
| C．And your child will have a lifelong dislike of music. |
| D．Otherwise, you’ll completely spoil your child’s future. |
| E．You could ensure that there is a song or tune played in the background. |
| F．One of the advantages of teaching children to play a musical instrument is to make them more concentrated. |
| G．On the one hand, you can encourage your child’s creativity and natural hobby. |
【推荐2】Young people should have the right to control and direct their own learning, that is, to decide what they want to learn, and when, where, how, how much, how fast, and with what help they want to learn it. To be still more specific, I want them to have the right to decide if, when, how much, and by whom they want to be taught and the right to decide whether they want to learn in a school and if so which one and for how much of the time.
No human right, except the right to life itself, is more fundamental than this. A person’s freedom of learning is part of his freedom of thought, even more basic than his freedom of speech. If we take from someone his right to decide what he will be curious about, we destroy his freedom of thought. We say, in effect, you must think not about what interests and concerns you, but about what interests and concerns us.
We might call this the right of curiosity, the right to ask whatever questions is most important to us. As adults, we assume that we have the right to decide what does or does not interest us, what we will look into and what we will leave alone. We take this right for granted, cannot imagine that it might be taken away from us. Indeed, as far as I know, it has never been written into any body of law. Even the writers of our Constitution did not mention it. They thought it was enough to guarantee citizens the freedom of speech and the freedom to spread their ideas as widely as they wished and could. It did not occur to them that even the most tyrannical government would try to control people’s minds, what they thought and knew.
1. To young people the right to control their learning is ______.| A．more fundamental than other human rights | B．less fundamental than other human rights |
| C．not more fundamental than other human rights | D．not any more than other human rights |
| A．we use his freedom of thought | B．we gain his freedom of thought |
| C．we restore his freedom of thought | D．we destroy his freedom of thought |
| A．citizens | B．the writers of our Constitution | C．human rights | D．young people |
| A．The right to ask questions is not interesting. | B．The right to ask questions is taken for granted. |
| C．Freedom of speech is guaranteed. | D．Freedom to spread one’s ideas is guaranteed. |
| A．Education For Young People | B．The Right To Learn |
| C．The Freedom of Thought | D．The Right To Control One’s Learning |
The biggest misunderstanding about teaching jobs is that anyone can be a teacher. In fact, the truth is far from it.
Now it can be really annoying for a teacher if someone says teaching is one of the easiest jobs around, because everyone just needs to be taught for a few hours a day.
All teachers are not the same, as against what is widely believed.
| A．A teacher has many things to do rather than just teach. |
| B．It is true that teachers get a lot more holidays than others. |
| C．A good teacher is one who motivates students to overcome challenges. |
| D．To begin with, teachers are people who perform well in their fields of study. |
| E．A statement that is true for one teacher is not necessarily true for the others. |
| F．And common people even believe teachers are probably overpaid when their days end at 3 pm. |
| G．These teachers give all they can to create an ideal learning environment for their students. |
【推荐1】At first glance, there is nothing unusual about the BingoBox store—shelves stacked with snacks line the walls, tempting passers-by through the glass windows. But on closer inspection, BingoBox is no ordinary store. The door opens only after customers scan a QR code to enter, and there is no cashier to tally up purchases—just a lone checkout counter in a corner. The Shanghai-based company is one of many unmanned store operators opening outlets all over China, hoping to improve slim profit margins in the retail business by reducing staff costs.
“If capital costs rise quickly, that puts greater pressure on low-margin businesses like convenience stores and supermarkets,” said Andrew Song, an analyst at Guotai Junan Securities. “In China, manpower costs have been rising relatively quickly.”
However, the futuristic vision of shopping without a checkout person is still in progress. A reporter who visited a BingoBox store in Shanghai was briefly locked in when he was trying to exit without making a purchase. Although a sign near the exit stated that empty-handed customers can leave by scanning a QR code, no QR code was to be found. Repeated calls to the customer service hotline went unanswered.
Another unmanned operation in China, Take Go, only allows one customer in the shop at a time because of technology limitations in using multiple cameras for scanning customers’ faces.
The idea of unmanned stores first caught the world’s attention when the largest US online retailer announced its cashier-less store, which is only available to employees for now. Since then, some technology companies in China, including the e-commerce firm Alibaba Group, have launched their own versions of unmanned stores.
Embedded with technology such as RFID tags, mobile payment systems and facial recognition systems, such stores collect valuable data that give operators a better idea of consumers’ preference and buying habits, which can then be used to optimize the operation and make more efficient inventory decisions. For BingoBox, lower operating costs also mean it can afford to expand its reach to areas with less foot traffic, according to Chen Zilin, the founder and CEO of BingoBox.
1. What makes the BingoBox store look like an ordinary convenience store?| A．Shelves stacked with goods. | B．A lone checkout counter. |
| C．No cashier to check out. | D．Entering by scanning a QR code. |
| A．The customers prefer mobile payment systems. |
| B．The unmanned stores help improve profit with lower labor costs. |
| C．The employees focus on consumers’ preference and buying habits. |
| D．The operators care more about operations and inventory decisions. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Nowadays all stores should be equipped with advanced technology. |
| B．The operators collect data about consumers’ preference and buying habits. |
| C．BingoBox made wiser decisions based on the data collected in unmanned stores. |
| D．The operators can open unmanned supermarkets in more remote places with low costs. |
【推荐2】Birthday card history is said to be over a hundred years old. There is no record to tell us who sent or received the first birthday card but it is said that the tradition of sending birthday cards began in England a century ago. In those times people used to personally greet a person on a birthday, but when a well-wisher was unable to do so he sent a birthday card. Thus birthday cards were more like an apology at that time.
History of greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese who are said to have started the tradition of sending goodwill messages on New Year Day. Early Egyptians too are believed to have made used papyrus scrolls（纸莎草纸画卷）to send greetings to dear ones. During early 1400 the tradition of exchanging handmade paper greeting cards developed in Europe while Germans at that time were known to have printed New Year's greetings from woodcuts. The advancement in printing technology in 1850s helped to make greeting cards more affordable. No wonder, they soon became popular means of personal communication. During the 1980s non-event cards or the cards not made for any particular occasion became popular and helped card industry reach a new high.
Greeting cards have taken a new form in this present age of Internet technology. Today, they are being increasingly exchanged as electronic or e-greeting cards. Advancement in technology that began in the 1990s has led to a further growth in card industry. People find it easier to send e-cards as a means of exchanging greetings.
Greeting cards are an important means of communicating good wishes and love to a person. They carry a personal touch that makes them lovable and very special.
1. What is the function of the birthday card in England a century ago?| A．To send good wishes. |
| B．To present a personal greeting. |
| C．To make an apology. |
| D．To work as a birthday present. |
| A．the British | B．the Chinese |
| C．the Egyptians | D．the Germans |
| A．The tradition of sending goodwill messages. |
| B．The invention of handmade paper. |
| C．The advancement in printing technology. |
| D．The development in Internet technology. |
| A．The History of Greeting Cards |
| B．The Importance of Birthday Cards |
| C．The Function of Birthday Cards |
| D．The Tradition of Sending Greeting Cards |
“After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” said Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. She explained that genes controlling the amount of glucose(葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day but still spend a lot of time sitting might get more benefits if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single hour.
Still in a study that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, whether they exercised or not. Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.
People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits,” Ekblom-Bak said. “And when they’re in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible.”
1. The underlined word “offset" in Paragraph 6 most probably means_______.
| A．get rid of | B．make use of |
| C．work out | D．turn to |
| A．increase glucose and fat in the body |
| B．make a person become lazy |
| C．destroy the balance of glucose and fat in the body |
| D．make a person unable to exercise enough in a day |
| A．taking a walk around your office |
| B．chatting online or playing computer games |
| C．sending your friends emails |
| D．listening to music while sitting |
| A．More and More People Sit Too Much |
| B．Side Effects of Sitting Too Much |
| C．Don’t Sit Too Much While Working |
| D．Sitting Too Much Could Be Dangerous |
【推荐1】You have just won ten million yuan in a lottery （彩票） - how would you spend it? Before you know it, ten minutes had gone on daydreaming.There is a time and a place for daydreaming, but we don't have much control over that.Isn't it worrying that an estimated 30 to 50 percent of our waking time is spent daydreaming? What if your dentist is having that lottery daydream while removing your rotten tooth?
Some studies suggest daydreaming makes us unhappy because we are not focusing on what is around us but are instead thinking about the past or future.However, a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychologica finds that mind-wandering can be of benefit to us.The researchers measured the brain patterns of more than 100 people using an MRI （核磁共振成像） scanner.This data was compared with tests on creative ability and a questionnaire on how much their minds usually wandered.Those whose minds wandered the most scored higher in creative ability tests and had more efficient brain systems measured in the MRI machine.
Being efficient at mind-wandering means you can zone out and then naturally switch back in without missing any important point or step. Christine Godwin, the lead author of the latest study from the Georgia Institute of Technology, says that if you are focusing on difficult tasks, your performance will drop if your mind wanders. “But when tasks are easy, people who have high cognitive ability can let their minds wander because it does not affect their performance. You may be thinking about upcoming goals or problem-solving. These are some of the positive sides to mind-wandering.”
Mind-wandering can vary between being more practical or more emotional. What mind-wandering seems to be best at, researchers say, is coming up with new solutions to old problems. So, it's not always a waste of time!
1. The first paragraph serves as a（n）______ .| A．explanation | B．introduction |
| C．comment | D．background |
| A．daydreaming makes us unhappy |
| B．we are focusing on the past or future |
| C．mind-wandering is related to creative ability |
| D．MRI scanner is helpful in measuring the brain patterns |
| A．get distracted. | B．focus on. |
| C．be affected | D．have control. |
| A．Mind-wandering might be dangerous. |
| B．Daydreaming might bring benefits. |
| C．Mind-wandering is not a waste of time. |
| D．Daydreaming is hard to be controlled. |
【推荐2】At eleven, I decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y. M. C. A. offering exactly the opportunity. My mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y. M. C. A. pool was safe.
I had a childhood fear of water. This started when I was three years old and father took me to the beach. The huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.
The pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How'd you like to be ducked?” With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits—when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly.
When I came to consciousness, I found myself on bed in hospital. I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by. It deprived(剥夺) me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instructor was finished, but I was not. Sometimes the terror would return.
This went on till July. I swam across the Lake Wentworth. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water.
I laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?”
I had conquered my fear of water.
1. Which of the following brought about the author's fear of water?| A．An unpleasant memory of the pool. | B．An outing to the beach with his father. |
| C．His mother's warning of drowning. | D．His poor skill in swimming. |
| A．He felt that the Y. M. C. A. pool was safe. |
| B．He knew how to swim in the pool. |
| C．He came up with an idea to go upwards. |
| D．He was waiting for others to save him. |
| A．Diligent and cautious. | B．Determined and far-sighted. |
| C．Dependable and adaptable. | D．Demanding and courageous. |
| A．When swimming across the Lake Wentworth, the author's still awfully scared. |
| B．Recovering from hospital, the author showed no interest in water activities. |
| C．At first the author dare not swim on his own and wanted others' company. |
| D．Under the guidance of the instructor, the author could swim freely and bravely. |
【推荐3】Baby Yoda Joins Oregon Firefighters in Battling Wildfires
“Because of all these photos, people are now seeing the human faces behind the wildfires," Tyler Eubanks excitedly told the Washington Post. "It is giving firefighters a huge confidence which is something that's really needed right now."
Sasha agrees, "It's a wonder how one small gesture can create a wave of kindness." She says Carver is excited that everyone likes Baby Yoda and happy that the first responders-many of whom have been unable to see their families for weeks-have a “little friend" to give them a comfort.
The toy, along with a note saying, "Thank you, firefighters. Here is a friend for you, in case you get lonely. Love, Carver," was handed to volunteers on September 12th, 2020. The thoughtful gift brought tears to their eyes. "The fires were close to us, and everyone was really high on emotion," says Tyler Eubanks. "We were all really touched that Carver wanted to give a companion to the people who were out there risking their lives to fight the wildfires.”
Eubanks delivered the toy to a group of firefighters working to contain a 25-acre flames in Colton, Oregon. She had originally intended to take a few pictures of the Baby Yoda in action for Carver, and then bring back the toy to the donation site. However, the firefighters decided to hold on to the doll and share it to lift the spirits of firefighters across the state.
"He's been a really big encouragement” said Jaebyn Drake, a firefighter with the Oregon Air National Guard. "A lot of the people on my crew, I showed them the note and everything, and they just loved it. A couple of people broke down in tears ... It just really meant a lot to us, and it was really emotional for a lot of people.”
1. What is Baby Yoda?| A．A pet. | B．A doll. | C．A card. | D．A baby. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Annoyed. | C．Surprised. | D．Moved. |
| A．It was kept by the firefighters. |
| B．It was taken a few pictures. |
| C．It was delivered to Washington Post. |
| D．It was brought back to the donation site. |
| A．Baby Yoda was clever and popular. |
| B．Their work time was very long. |
| C．The firefighters were all homesick. |
| D．Baby Yoda meant a lot to them. |
