Annoying brother or sister may break your toys, but he or she may help you when you are in trouble. A new study suggests that younger siblings might be good for your health.
Children who didn't welcome a baby brother or sister into the family before first grade had almost three times the likelihood of obesity compared with kids who experienced the birth of a sibling when they were around 3 to 4 years old, the study found.
“It is possibly because when there is a younger sibling in the family, a child might become more active—for example, running around more with their younger sibling,” said Julie Lumeng, a public health researcher at the University of Michigan.
“Maybe families are more likely to take the kids to the park when there is a younger sibling, or maybe the child is less likely to sit, watching TV, when there is a younger sibling to ask them to join more active pretend play,” she added.
Mealtimes might also be different with a second kid at the table.Parents of only child can often focus too much on what their kid eats, which can lead to bad eating habits, some previous research suggests.
“When parents use restrictive or pressuretoeat feeding practices, children have an increased risk of being overweight,” said Jerica Berge, a researcher at the University of Minnesota.
“When a new child is introduced, parents may relax their focus on the older child's eating behaviors, making it possible for the older child to selfregulate their eating,” said Berge. “This selfregulation may lead to a healthier weight for the child with a sibling.”
For their study, Lumeng and colleagues followed 697 U．S. children from birth through age 6.However,the authors acknowledged that their study lacked objectively measured birth weights and information on events such as a divorce, a move or a job loss in the family—all of which can influence the odds of children becoming obese. For more information about this topic, please click here.
1. Compared to children with younger siblings, an only child may .| A．become overweight | B．become selfish |
| C．have a healthier lifestyle | D．get better parental care |
| A．They may refuse to play at home. | B．They may have more physical activities. |
| C．They may feel annoyed and unhappy. | D．They may spend more time with their parents. |
| A．Paying more attention to kids' eating habits. |
| B．Using some restrictive feeding practices. |
| C．Allowing kids to control their eating. |
| D．Letting the older child regulate the diet of the younger child. |
| A．On TV. | B．On the Internet. | C．On the radio. | D．In the newspaper. |
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【推荐1】Food scientists studied what Americans eat. They found that most of the calories people eat come from ultra-processed foods. Processed foods include large amounts of sugar, salt, oils, fats, and other additives. Highly processed foods are a large part of the American diet. Scientists link them to obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other physical diseases.
Some scientists say these foods are not just tempting but also are addictive. Other scientists disagree. A recent journal article explored the science behind food addiction. It also asked if processed foods might contribute to overeating and obesity.
One opinion was that certain foods did create addictive behavior. At the top of the list were pizza, chocolate, potato chips, cookies, ice cream, French fries, and cheeseburgers. These foods share much in common with addictive substances. The bloodstream absorbs them. They light up parts of the brain that regulate reward, emotion, and motivation.
Another doctor says these foods are not addictive. The reason is that processed foods do not change minds the way smoking a cigarette or drinking a glass of wine can affect the mind. Mind-changing substances cause a sensation in the brain that processed foods do not, he says.
This doctor says that food industry drives overeating. It markets more than 20,000 new products every year. People have access to an endless variety of foods and drinks. People are urged to buy and eat. “It is the diversity of foods that is so appealing and causing the problem,” he says.
But you do long for processed food. If you want to kick a processed food habit, you have to do something about it. One idea is to keep a record of the foods you are thirsty for. Keep processed foods out of your house. And, of course, eat healthier foods.
1. What can we learn about ultra-processed foods?| A．They are healthy. | B．They are nutritious. |
| C．They are rich in calories. | D．They are green. |
| A．Amazing. | B．Entertaining. | C．Annoying. | D．Inviting. |
| A．Food variety. | B．Food brand. | C．People’s preference. | D．Social needs. |
| A．Do you like processed foods? | B．Are processed foods addictive? |
| C．Are doctors for processed foods? | D．Do you want to kick a bad habit? |
【推荐2】Scientists in Argentina have created the world’s first cow with two human genes that will enable it to produce humanlike milk.
Genetic engineering was used to introduce the “mothers’ milk” genes into the animal before birth, according to the National Institute of Agribusiness Technology in Buenos Aires.
As an adult, the cloned cow “will produce milk that is similar to that of humans”， which will prove “a development of great importance for the nutrition of infants (婴儿)”， said the institute. “The cloned cow, named Rosita ISA, is the first in the world with two human genes that contain the proteins present in human milk，” said the statement.
In April, scientists in China published details of research showing that they had created dairy cows which produced milk containing proteins found in human breast milk. But the Argentine team said the Chinese only introduced one human gene, while their research involved two, meaning the milk will more_closely_resemble that of humans.
“Our goal was to raise the nutrition value of cows’ milk by adding two human genes, which do good to the immune system of infants，” said Adrian Mutto, from the National University of San Martin which worked with the institute.
Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina, said the scientific institute made all Argentines proud. She also said that she had rejected the “honor” of having the cow named after her. “They came to tell me that the name is Cristina, but what woman would like to have a cow named after her? It appeared to me to be more proper to call it Rosita.”
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The importance of genetic engineering. |
| B．Ways to improve mothers’ milk. |
| C．A cloned cow to produce humanlike milk. |
| D．Advanced agricultural technology in Argentina. |
| A．have more varieties than |
| B．be more similar to |
| C．have more nutrition than |
| D．be more different from |
| A．She was quite satisfied with the research done by the institute. |
| B．She considered it an honor to name the special cow. |
| C．She felt it improper to be named after the cow. |
| D．She refused to give a name to the cow out of selfrespect. |
【推荐3】Health Benefits Of Watermelon
Apart from a juicy and refreshing fruit, watermelon has diverse benefits to its credit. Over 90% of watermelon is water which is soaked with healthy nutrients. It is a rich source of potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B & C. Watermelon juice is the most favorite to all health-conscious people as it is a great source of antioxidants(抗氧化物).
For Radiant Skin
For the Prevention of Some Diseases
Like many other fruits, watermelon too has the goodness of preventing inflammation, muscle soreness, and even cancer. Watermelon has abundant nutrients like lycopene(番茄红素), antioxidants, vitamins and fiber in it.
Since it is already known that the fruit prevents muscle soreness, it also eases the medical condition of muscle cramps which usually occurs to a woman whose baby is due in twelve weeks.
Also, what one cannot ignore is the refreshing property and delicious taste of this fruit. Most people find it difficult to consume healthy drinks because of their unfavorable taste,
| A．These help your organs function well and keep your body healthy and fit. |
| B．For a Mother-to-be with Bone Diseases |
| C．Here are some of the watermelon’s health benefits we rarely realize. |
| D．but that’s not the case with watermelon. |
| E．For Pregnant Women |
| F．Watermelon is abundant in Vitamin A that keeps your skin glowing. |
| G．so it is the same with watermelon. |
【推荐1】Citizen Science is a term used to describe non-specialist research and data collection carried out by private individuals, foundations and organizations using the power of the Internet to cooperate around the globe. Here we offer some remarkable examples of programs.
Rozalia Project
The Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean is devoted to connecting people of all ages to their underwater world, to inspire them to be part of the plastic pollution solution by using underwater robots and sonar（声呐）as well as nets to locate and remove marine debris（废弃物）. Rosalia Project is committed to accurate data collection and working with sailors, fishermen, boaters, concerned citizens, schools, authorities and more to clean up and progress solutions to the marine debris crisis.
Surfrider Foundation
Among its many citizen science initiatives, Surfrider has a chapter-run program called the Blue Water Task Force, a water testing program designed specifically to fill in the data gaps left by agency programs to help with resource distribution in areas with the biggest concerns for public health risk. The Blue Water Task Force citizen science program tests approximately 25 surf spots and streams that discharge onto popular recreation sites.
Hearts in the Ice
Hearts in the Ice is an innovative（创新的）project launched in 2018 that will create global dialogue and social engagement around climate change in the Polar Regions. In August of 2019, citizen scientists Hilde Falun Strom and Sunniva Sorby moved into a 20-square-meter cabin（小屋）known as Bamsebu. The goal of the project is to show rapid climate change and what we can do to reduce the effects. Life at Bamsebu was broadcast and published via Iridium satellite through social media to scientists, school children, adventures, and interested citizen from around the world.
1. For what purpose is Rozalia Project launched?| A．To help people live a green life | B．To warn people of climate change |
| C．To deal with ocean plastic pollution | D．To inform people of the underwater world |
| A．Rozalia Project | B．Surfrider Foundation |
| C．Blue Water Task Force | D．Hearts in the Ice |
| A．They are all state-funded projects | B．They help to improve public health |
| C．They mainly focus on marine life protection | D．They contribute to environmental protection |
【推荐2】In an industry with low margins (利润) where the traditional wisdom is led by Walmart, the key to success is lowering operating costs. A big part of those costs are in labor, so it is no surprise that the retail industry has been a leader in using more part-time workers to keep labor costs down, holding the line on wages, not training, and with few exceptions, seeing employees as a cost to be minimized. There is no doubt that these businesses fight for every dollar of margin. Unlike trend-leading hi-tech companies which spend a lot of money on employees to get them innovated, retail industry can spend very limited money on their employees.
What researchers found was that companies were often staffing their stores far too low, and that many stores tended to perform better with higher staffing levels and were more profitable. Let’s let that sink in for a minute. The stores were making more money (with all other things being equal) when they spent more on employees.
They also found that retailers didn’t do a very good job when staffing levels are just the actual demand in those stores. In fact, they set staffing levels identically across stores, even when the needs of the stores varied considerably. The average store did not appear to be understaffed, but there were enough that were understaffed and effect on overall company profitability was substantial.
Interestingly, the same researchers persuaded the retail chain to run an experiment with them and slightly raise staffing levels to the amount that their analysis of historical data suggests would be ideal. Yes, labor costs obviously jumped when they did that, but so did profits. In retail, labor is a small percentage of costs—the biggest part is the cost of the products they sell. So, the net effect was an increase in profits of $7.4 million across 168 stores on an annual basis.
What can we learn from this? One question worth thinking of is: How can traditional retail industry survive the increasingly severe market? Especially now with the growth of online retail, the one thing stores still have going for them is one to one customer contact with salespeople. If retailers cut that down to almost nothing, then they have effectively eliminated their competitive advantage against online stores.
1. In the first paragraph, Walmart is mentioned to indicate that ______.| A．Walmart is suffering a low return on investments |
| B．Walmart is followed by companies in controlling costs |
| C．Walmart well balances investments and profits |
| D．Walmart should considerably cut costs on its employees |
| A．It focuses on lowering costs of employees. |
| B．It intends to over staff employees in the stores. |
| C．It attempts to maintain high income for the employees. |
| D．It invents a large sum of money on staff training. |
| A．It’s acceptable to have equal staffing levels across stores. |
| B．Understaffing helps the stores to operate profitably. |
| C．Profitability has nothing to do with staffing. |
| D．A little over the standard staffing proved to be profitable. |
| A．For retail industry, cutting product costs is the priority. |
| B．Online retail industry should staff more precisely to be competitive. |
| C．Investment on employees is potentially profitable for retail industry. |
| D．Staffing control is an effective way for retail industry to make profits. |
【推荐3】How much time do you spend doing the research before you make a big decision? The answer for many of us, it turns out, is hardly any. When picking a doctor, for instance, many individuals simply use recommendations from friends and family rather than consulting medical professionals or sources such as healthcare websites or articles on good physicians.
While there are people who go over every detail before making a choice, a fair number of individuals are quick to jump to conclusions. Psychologists call this way of thinking a cognitive bias (认知偏差), a tendency toward a specific mental mistake.
It has been found that hasty (仓促的) judgments often lead to errors in behavior and thinking. Jumpers made more errors than nonjumpers on problems that require thoughtful analysis. Consider this brainteaser: “A baseball bat and ball cost $1.10 together. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?” Many people jumped to the conclusion of 10 cents, but a little thought reveals the right answer to be five cents.
So what is behind jumping? Psychological researchers commonly distinguish between two pathways of thought: automatic, known as system 1, which reflects ideas that come to the mind easily and without effort; and controlled, or system 2, comprising intentional and effortful reasoning that is analytical and mindful. Jumpers and nonjumpers are equally influenced by automatic thoughts. The jumpers, however, do not adopt controlled reasoning to the same degree as nonjumpers.
It is system 2 thinking that helps people counterbalance (抵消) mental biases introduced by the more knee-jerk (本能地做出的) system 1. To put it another way, jumpers were more likely to accept the conclusions they made at first glance without thorough examination or questioning. A lack of system 2 thinking was also more broadly connected to their problematic beliefs and faulty reasoning. Happily, there may be some hope for jumpers: it is suggested that using training to target their biases can help people think more meticulously.
1. How do many people choose their doctors according to paragraph 1?| A．They surf healthcare websites. |
| B．They read articles by good doctors. |
| C．They talk with medical professionals. |
| D．They ask their friends and family for advice. |
| A．By making a prediction. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By introducing a concept. | D．By referring to another study. |
| A．They are less engaged in system 2. |
| B．They are unable to think analytically. |
| C．They think less about maths problems. |
| D．They ignore the errors made in system 1. |
| A．Effortlessly. | B．Specifically. |
| C．Independently. | D．Thoroughly. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Different people use different languages. We Chinese speak Chinese, and, most of us are learning a foreign language. But there is another kind of language we need to know — the language of the body.
All over the world, people “talk with their hand, with their heads and with their eyes.” When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British do? Americans are more informal (不拘小节的) than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable. British people are more reserved (保守的). They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask your name.
When British or American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man, he just smiles, and says, “Hello.” Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.
1. In the passage, the writer thinks that body language is ________.| A．useless |
| B．difficult |
| C．quite easy |
| D．important |
| A．Different countries have the same body language. |
| B．Different countries have different body languages. |
| C．People in Asia share the same body language. |
| D．Many people only use their body language. |
| A．sit straight |
| B．never sits down |
| C．makes fun of you |
| D．sits freely |
| A．impossible |
| B．too easy |
| C．too difficult |
| D．slow |
【推荐2】“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine，newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA(Food and Drug Administration)can require proof under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action, including seizure(查封)of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously, most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings(法律诉讼)，and new devices appear continually. Before buying, it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.
1. It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are . .| A．objective | B．costly | C．unreliable | D．illegal |
| A．The court is in charge of removing dangerous products. |
| B．New products are more likely to be questionable. |
| C．The production of a device must be approved by FDA. |
| D．The promoters usually just care about profits. |
| A．if it is a drug |
| B．if it is a device |
| C．if its consumers make complaints |
| D．if its distributors challenge FDA’s authority |
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
| A．make consumers aware of the promoters’ false promises |
| B．show the weakness of the law on product safety |
| C．give advice on how to keep young and beautiful |
| D．introduce the organization of FDA |
【推荐3】Crime fiction books have been popular with readers for many decades-so popular, in fact, that at a recent London Book Fair sales of the genre (类型) overtook general fiction for the first time ever, a development that had been widely anticipated. Commercial success, of course, does not impress everyone and there are those who believe crime fiction should not be held in such high regard. Well-known in this group is Sebastian Franklin, who has argued that most crime fiction books look more like crossword puzzles than literature. However, increasingly this is a minority opinion as crime fiction is becoming recognized as a rich and dynamic literary genre in around the world.
Crime writing really came to the public’s notice in the 1920s and 1930s with the books of the British author Agatha Christie. Christie was a productive writer, publishing more than 60 detective novels over a 50-year period, beginning in 1920.
Without a doubt, there are certain elements that tend to be repeated in Christie’s books. The stories generally focus on a well-off circle of people, whose peaceful lives are thrown into chaos by an unexplained crime. The location is often a restricted space of some sort: a train, an island, a boat, or a village. This is quite different, for example, to the world of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who often has the entire city of London as his hunting ground.
The books are also action-packed just like today’s most popular thrillers (惊悚小说). Christie mastered the art of the page-turner: events unfold so quickly and unpredictably that we keep reading to find out what happens next. The most significant consequence is that it is so simple to overlook vital clues.
It is worth reading a Christie book a second time just to notice how carefully she hides crucial information about the criminal’s identity.
A survey of contemporary crime writing shows that Agatha Christie’s legacy (遗产) is more important now than at any time previously, at the very point when crime writing has become the most popular of all book genres.
1. What does Sebastian Franklin think of crime fiction books?| A．They are overrated. | B．They are a rich literary genre. |
| C．Their readers are a minority group. | D．Their commercial success is impressive. |
| A．Contrast Christie’s different techniques. | B．Reveal a weakness of Christie’s writing style. |
| C．List some features of a typical Christie story. | D．Identify a famous writer important to Christie. |
| A．Lengthy but understandable. | B．Attractive and exciting. |
| C．Simple and loosely-organized. | D．Quickly-written but popular. |
| A．The Influence of Crime Writer Agatha Christie | B．The Surprising Rise of Crime Fiction Books |
| C．Agatha Christie Enjoys Growing Wealth and Fame | D．Crime Writers Sharpen Their Writing Skills |
Freedom and Responsibility
Freedom’s challenge in the Digital Age is a serious topic. We are facing today a strange new world and we are all wondering what we are going to do with it.
Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies , one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses.
In Greece, in Athens (雅典), a little city in a little country, there were no helpless masses. And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together. They must show each other kindness and pity and the many qualities without which life would be very painful unless one chose to live alone in the desert.The Athenians never thought that a man was free if he could do what he wanted. A man was free if he was self-controlled. To make yourself obey what you approved was freedom. They were saved from looking at their lives as their own private affair. Each one felt responsible for the welfare of Athens, not because it was forced on him from the outside, but because the city was his pride and his safety. The essential belief of the first free government in the world was liberty for all men who could control themselves and would take responsibility for the state.
But discovering freedom is not like discovering computers. It cannot be discovered once for all. If people do not prize it, and work for it, it will go. Constant watch is its price. Athens changed. It was a change that took place without being noticed though it was of the extreme importance, a spiritual change which affected the whole state. It had been the Athenian’ s pride and joy to give to their city. That they could get material benefits from her never entered their minds. There had to be a complete change of attitude before they could look at the city as an employer who paid her citizens for doing her work. Now instead of men giving to the state, the state was to give to them. What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibility were neglected to the point of disappearing. Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business possessed of great wealth in which all citizens had a right to share.
Athens reached the point when the freedom she really wanted was freedom from responsibility. There could be only one result. If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free. Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. It is to be had on no other terms. Athens, the Athens of Ancient Greece, refused responsibility; she reached the end of freedom and was never to have it again. But, “the excellent becomes the permanent”, Aristotle said. Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. A great American, James Madison, referred to: “The capacity (能力) of mankind for self-government.” No doubt he had not an idea that he was speaking Greek. Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it. Somehow in this or that man’s thought such an idea lives though unconsidered by the world of action. One can never be sure that it is not on the point of breaking out into action only sure that it will do so sometime.
1. What does the underlined word “tyrannies” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Countries where their people need help. |
| B．Powerful states with higher civilization. |
| C．Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom. |
| D．Governments ruled with absolute power. |
| A．regard their life as their own business |
| B．seek gains as their primary object |
| C．behave within the laws and value systems |
| D．treat others with kindness and pity |
| A．The Athenians refused to take their responsibility. |
| B．The Athenians no longer took pride in the city. |
| C．The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government. |
| D．The Athenians looked on the government as a business. |
| A．Athens would continue to be free. |
| B．Athens would cease to have freedom. |
| C．Freedom would come from responsibility. |
| D．Freedom would stop Athens from self-dependence. |
| A．The author is hopeful about freedom. |
| B．The author is cautious about self-government. |
| C．The author is skeptical of Greek civilization. |
| D．The author is proud of man’s capacity. |
| A．Freedom can be more popular in the digital age. |
| B．Freedom may come to an end in the digital age. |
| C．Freedom should have priority over responsibility. |
| D．Freedom needs to be guaranteed by responsibility. |
【推荐2】Roald Dahl is a beloved British writer. He is the writer of some of the world’s best-known children’s novels, including James and Giant Peach, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
More than 250 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide. His works have been translated into 58 languages. Tuesday was Roald Dahl Day. People around the world celebrated what would have been Dahl’s 100th birthday. He was born in 1916 in Wales. He died in 1990.
Roald Dahl Day was worldwide on social media(媒体). Many people thanked Dahl for making them truly enjoy reading. One Twitter user wrote, “My childhood was made magical because of the wonderful Roald Dahl. A great storyteller!” Another wrote, “You made me fall in love with reading—a love that has lasted me a lifetime.” Special events and celebrations were held in Britain and other countries in honor of Dahl.
The Oxford English Dictionary marked Dahl’s 100th birthday by officially adding six Dahl-created words to its latest edition. They included words such as “Oompah- Loompah” and “scrumdiddlyumptious.”
Oompah Loompahs are the factory workers in the book—Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They had orange skin and green hair. They danced and played music. Oompah Loompahs became more famous after the 1971 film of the book, which starred Gene Wilder as candy maker Willy Wonka.
“Scrumdiddlyumptious” is a word that appeared in Dahl’s book- The BFG—short for The Big Friendly Giant. It generally means “delicious”. A film of The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released(发行)this year
Earlier this year, Ocford released an entire Roald Dahl dictionary. It included more than 8,000 real and invented words used by the master storyteller.
1. What day was Roald Dahl Day this year?| A．Tuesday | B．Monday |
| C．Friday | D．Sunday |
| A．He changed their whole life. |
| B．He made them enjoy movies |
| C．He made them fall in love with reading |
| D．He brought some events and celebrations for them. |
| A．Musicians |
| B．Film-makers |
| C．The bosses in Dahl’s book |
| D．The factory workers in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. |
| A．He died at the age of 75. |
| B．He had a boring childhood |
| C．His works greatly influenced many people in the world |
| D．He added his words to the Oxford English Dictionary. |
【推荐3】At the age of 26, Amber O’Connor works as an Equipment Health Monitoring & Performance Engineer and Remote Diagnostic Services Program Manager. Not only is she able to interpret a gas turbine’s(涡轮) 3,500 data measurements per minute, but she also leads a team to ensure they’re running faultlessly in every region of the world. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, she’s a mother of two and a champion of diversity.
With her children at a daycare, Amber starts her work as usual by video calling her team. As a global team, remote working tools such as video conferencing are essential. “You can tell how someone’s doing by their body language. It gives you the opportunity to check in on their wellbeing too,” explains Amber.
With over 180 units worldwide in her area of responsibility, regularly updating her customers is a huge task. In the past, it’s taken her to places from the U.S. and Canada to Qatar and across Europe. Today, she checks in with her customers by video calling. These calls are essential to meet their changing needs as well as helping them develop new services, from engineering techniques to greater automation.
Amber also works on another project close to her heart, supporting women entering Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields. She believes education is the way to make them more socially accepted. Amber clearly says, “Unless you see people who look like you in those jobs, you won’t think they’re achievable.” Although she points out it’s not specifically about employing women, but rather to “employ people who are best for the job and that shouldn’t matter what gender (性别) they are.”
“Our world is fragile, and we need to adapt in order to protect it. It’s essential that everyone changes.” Amber said, “I’m not just a female engineer. I'm an engineer — full stop.”
1. What does paragraph 1 function as?| A．To lead in the topic. | B．To present an argument. |
| C．To add to the atmosphere. | D．To introduce background knowledge. |
| A．By communicating with them remotely. | B．By visiting them in person. |
| C．By sending them emails. | D．By interpreting the real-time data. |
| A．We must protect our world. |
| B．There should be more female engineers. |
| C．Nobody can be stable without any changes. |
| D．Everyone can make a difference regardless of gender. |
| A．Update the Data with a Team | B．Amber Fights for Women’s Rights |
| C．Amber’s Busy but Meaningful Life | D．Change to Adapt to the Fragile World |
