【推荐1】For many kids, the Internet is at their fingertips. From computers to smartphones, a web of information is open to them. According to a new report, about three out of four kids aged 12 to 15 connect the Internet using a mobile device from time to time. Many younger kids are online too.

Julian Zeitlinger, 9, from New Jersey, uses his computer to watch videos and play games. To keep him safe online, his parents monitor his web use and discuss Internet safety with him. “I ask my parents whether something is nice or bad，” Julian says.

Mobile devices offer more ways than ever to share personal information. The information can be dangerous in the wrong hands.A study found that 62% of children aged 8 to 17 have had an unpleasant online experience.

Have you ever had to enter a parent's e－mail address when signing up for a website? That safety measure is there because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The law says sites for kids under 13 cannot collect personal information, such as a phone number or full name, without a parent's permission.

This July, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will update COPPA for the first time since the law was created in 1998 when there were no smart phones. The nature of the way kids get online has changed, FTC lawyer Phyllis Marcus said.

When the changes take effect, COPPA will apply to mobile devices and newer forms of advertising. It will expand what falls under “personal information” to include videos, photographs, and services that give users location.

COPPA doesn't cover everything that can go wrong online. That is why kids and parents need to know what to look out for and to stop and think before sharing information online.

“There is a misunderstanding that if a site is following COPPA, it is totally safe,” says privacy expert Shai Samet. He runs kidSAFE, which checks whether a site meets kidSAFE standards and is safe. “It's important that kids know how useful the Internet is but that it also can be dangerous if you are not careful.” he adds.

1. Julian's parents check his web use to make sure ________.

A．he doesn't watch too many videos	B．he doesn't play computer games
C．he controls his online time	D．he stays safe on the Internet

2. What's one of the changes with COPPA?

A．It broadens the concept of personal information.

B．It prevents users from making their location public.

C．It covers everything that goes wrong online.

D．It says no to any kind of advertising.

3. People often hold the wrong idea that ________.

A．formal websites are always safe	B．the Internet is becoming safer and safer
C．COPPA can ensure their complete safety	D．daily checks prevent future online problems

4. Why does the author write the passage?

A．To ask parents to look out for their kids.	B．To talk about online safety for children.
C．To introduce a new law.	D．To sell an online product.

【推荐2】Everywhere we look, we are surrounded by technology. We heavily rely on technology for our day-to-day lives. There are the social media apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, where we are able to see into the lives of everyone around us. There are other more useful apps like Google Maps where you can use a GPS to get from one place to another. It is no wonder that we are constantly looking down at our phones and other devices. And, that is a problem.

Pretty soon, I fear that people will no longer be able to communicate face to face. I personally love being able to sit down and have a conversation with someone sans cell phones and distractions. It shows that you care about who you are talking to and want to involve and listen to them. The cell phone can wait until later.

What I really dislike is that younger and younger children are using technology. Instead of playing outside with friends, they are playing on iPads, iPods, or video games. Instead of having little games or books, children now have electronic devices to use to distract them even if waiting at doctors’ appointments etc. They want cell phones at young ages. They have texting. I overheard sixth graders one day talking about texting, and I was a little sad. At that age, I had to call my friends on the phone in order to talk to them.

We are a society based on technology. And, that isn’t a completely bad thing, given its use in areas such as medicine. But we shouldn’t be addicted to so many of these devices that we forget to look around and see what is happening in the world around us.

1. What can be concluded from the first paragraph?

A．Some tech products leave us unable to focus.

B．Social media apps make people more visible.

C．Many people usually misuse social media apps.

D．Technology provides us with a convenient life.

2. Which can best replace the underlined word “sans”?

A．is need of	B．without
C．is spite of	D．with

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards using technology in medicine?

A．Indifferent.	B．Opposed.
C．Concerned.	D．Supportive.

4. What does the author really want to show in the passage?

A．We should take a step back from constantly using technology.

B．The electronic devices are closely connected with our life.

C．Society should no longer be based on technology.

D．We should say goodbye to electronic devices.

【推荐3】Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone. However, some people argue that Instagram is harmful to teens.

Essena O’Neill seemed to have a perfect life --- at least online. The Australian teen had 500,000 Instagram followers. Her Internet fame led to a modeling contract. Companies paid her to show their clothing in her photos.

But in November 2015, Essena, then 18, shut down her Instagram account. She cut off more than 2000 photos. “I’ve spent the majority of my teenage life being attracted to social media,” she wrote. “ I’m leaving Instagram.”

Essena left a few photos online, and told the truth behind the photos she created. For example, she didn’t eat all day before taking a picture in a bikini(比基尼泳装). She took that photo 100 times to make sure her stomach looked perfect. “Social media is not real life!” she says now.

Seeing perfect-looking Instagram photos can make teens feel like they don’t meet the standard of beauty. And if your photos don’t get many “likes”, you might take it personally. Even Essena worried all the time about what others thought of her. Trying to appear perfect online made her feel alone. One day, she wrote, “I had never been more miserable.”

Not everyone thinks that Instagrem is harmful, though. Some people say it might even be good for teens. Why? Unlike many ads and magazines, Instagram includes photos of all different kinds of people. That means you’re more likely to see a photo of someone who looks like you.

Plus, studies show that many people who use social media feel more connected to friends. And social media users are more likely to know about big events in the lives of friends and family. So maybe it’s OK to love Instagram as long as you love yourself too.

1. According to the text, Instagram brought Essena ______.

A．a healthy lifestyle	B．fame and money
C．many true friends	D．a perfect teenage life

2. Why did Essena shut down her Instagram account at age 18? ______

A．Because she was too busy.	B．Because her shape changed.
C．Because she faced great pressure.	D．Because her photos were deleted

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards Instagram? ________

A．Worried

B．Curious

C．Surprised

D．Supportive

4. What does the text mainly discuss? _______

A．Should you be on a diet to look perfect?

B．Should you make friends on social media?

C．Should you give others “likes” on Instagram?

D．Should you shut down your Instagram account?

【推荐1】I think that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention and especially if it's given from the heart. When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but receive them. Just take them in. Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it.

When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the focus of attention to ourselves. When we listen, they know we care.

I have even learned to respond to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the tissues(纸巾), until I realized that passing a person a tissue may be just another way to shut them down, to take them out of their experience of sadness and pain. Now I just listen.   When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there with them.

This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young at school. I thought people listened only because they were too timid to speak or did not know the answer. A loving silence often has far more power to connect and to heal than the most well-intentioned(善意的)words.

1. When we communicate with others we had better ________________.

A．listen more	B．understand more
C．speak more	D．look here and there

2. If we interrupt what someone is saying,________________.

A．they may think we are too rude to them

B．they must be very angry with us

C．they may know we don’t care about them

D．they must stop and listen to us

3. Passing a person who is crying a tissue perhaps means_______________

A．stopping them from crying any more

B．Stopping them from saying anything

C．advising them to have a rest

D．helping them to accept the sadness

4. It is very difficult for us to learn to listen because _______________

A．we may know the answer

B．we have an interesting topic

C．parents teach us to speak

D．it goes against what we have been taught

5. What is probably the best title for this article?

A．Listening and talking

B．Listen, just listen

C．Listening is not easy to learn

D．How to comfort others

【推荐2】In the United States alone, over 100 million cell-phones are thrown away each year. Cell-phones are part of a growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital assistants. The electronic waste stream is increasing three times faster than traditional garbage as a whole.

Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver. A Swiss study reported that while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comparison to total waste, the concentration (含量) of gold and other precious metals was higher in so-called e-waste than in naturally occurring minerals.

Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals. Even when the machines are recycled and the harmful metals removed, the recycling process is often carried out in poor countries which allow many poisonous substances to escape into the environment, or in practically uncontrolled ways which make more wastes generated.

Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material, up to 100 times more, than the material contained in the finished products. Consider again the cell-phone, and imagine the mines that produced those metals, the factories needed to make the box and packaging it came in. Many wastes produced in the producing process are harmful as well.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that “the production, distribution, and use of products -as well as management of the resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas release.” Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at the start -for instance, buying reusable products and recycling.

In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has been put in place as an incentive(动机)for reducing waste. If producers are required to take back packaging they use to sell their products, would they reduce the packaging in the first place?

Governments’ incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they produce is usually based on money. Why, they ask, should cities or towns be responsible for paying to deal with the bubble wrap(气泡垫)that encased your television?

From the governments’ point of view, a primary goal of laws requiring extended producer responsibility is to transfer both the costs and the physical responsibility of waste management from the government and tax-payers back to the producers.

1. What do we know from the Swiss study?

A．Natural minerals contain more gold.

B．The weight of electronic goods was by no means small.

C．Precious metals account for a great proportion in e-waste.

D．The percentage of precious metals is small in electronic goods.

2. Which way is incorrect to reduce waste?

A．Recycling machines without control.

B．Making as few purchases as possible.

C．Creating products out of finished products.

D．Simplifying the process of manufacturing products.

3. The responsibility of e-waste treatment should be extended ________.

A．from individuals to distributors

B．from producers to governments

C．from governments to producers

D．from distributors to governments

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The creation of e-waste.

B．The increase in e-waste.

C．The seriousness of e-waste.

D．The management of e-waste.

【推荐3】If you walk into a native plant nursery, you must feel defeated because all the little plants look similar. Now we have the shopping guide for you: a set of easy-to-carry flashcards that explain in brilliant color what those little plants will look like when they all grow up.

Native plants just aren't that easy to understand for traditional gardeners. “That's why staff at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants began creating some good information into the world of native plants," said Kitty Connolly. "Everybody needs to learn about natives if we're going to have them, in our future, but it's difficult to get information to everyone at once. We wanted something that would be useful to everyone. "

The group decided to create flashcards only about the size and shape of an iPhone 6. “You can take them apart and put them on a table to see how plants go with other plants. They don't replace a website or great books on the shelf; they're just easier to carry and use for planning, said Mike Evans. While the cards are very small, they include a lot of information. You can find how tall and wide a particular plant will grow, when it blooms, how quickly it grows, what birds and animals it attracts and how much water and sunlight it needs.

The cards don't include all native plants. They don't include milkweed, for example. But they are helpful for people to learn native plants.

The price of the cards is $ 17. They are only sold online. If people have the cards , they can more easily request the plants they want. The director said, “We create the cards with the hope that people can learn more about native plants and grow them."

1. Why do people feel defeated in a native plant nursery?

A．They can't recognize little plants there.	B．The little plants are difficult to carry.
C．The little plants have bright colors.	D．They're forced to buy many plants.

2. How does Mike Evans like the flashcards?

A．They are too big.	B．They are easy to carry.
C．They are too expensive.	D．They are difficult to buy.

3. What can we know about the flashcards from the text?

A．They can be bought in a local food store.

B．They have a bigger size than an iPhone 6.

C．They are helpless for people to learn plants.

D．They show information of some kinds of native plants.

4. Which is the best title of the text?

A．Little Plants Look the Same	B．Native Plants Are Sold Online
C．Plant Nurseries Won't Grow Native Plants	D．Flashcards Will Help You Learn Native Plants

【推荐1】California Condor’s Shocking Recovery

California condors are North America’s largest birds, with wind-length of up to 3 meters. In the 1980s, electrical lines and lead poisoning(铅中毒) nearly drove them to dying out. Now, electric shock training and medical treatment are helping to rescue these big birds.
In the late 1980s, the last few condors were taken from the wild to be bred(繁殖). Since 1992, there have been multiple reintroductions to the wild, and there are now more than 150 flying over California and nearby Arizona, Utah and Baja in Mexico.
Electrical lines have been killing them off. “As they go in to rest for the night, they just don’t see the power lines,” says Bruce Rideout of San Diego Zoo. Their wings can bridge the gap between lines, resulting in electrocution(电死) if they touch two lines at once.
So scientists have come up with a shocking idea. Tall poles, placed in large training areas, teach the birds to stay clear of electrical lines by giving them a painful but undeadly electric shock. Before the training was introduced, 66% of set-freed birds died of electrocution. This has now dropped to 18%.
Lead poisonous has proved more difficult to deal with. When condors eat dead bodies of other animals containing lead, they absorb large quantities of lead. This affects their nervous systems and ability to produce baby birds, and can lead to kidney(肾) failures and death. So condors with high levels of lead are sent to Los Angeles Zoo, where they are treated with calcium EDTA, a chemical that removes lead from the blood over several days. This work is starting to pay off. The annual death rate for adult condors has dropped from 38% in 2000 to 5.4% in 2011.
Rideout’s team thinks that the California condors’ average survival time in the wild is now just under eight years. “Although these measures are not effective forever, they are vital for now,” he says. “They are truly good birds that are worth every effort we put into recovering them. ”
1. California condors attract researchers’ interest because they _________.

A．are active at night

B．had to be bred in the wild

C．are found only in California

D．almost died out in the 1980s

2. Researchers have found electrical lines are _________.

A．blocking condors’ journey home

B．big killers of California condors

C．rest places for condors at night

D．used to keep condors away

3. According to Paragraph 5, lead poisoning _________.

A．makes condors too nervous to fly

B．has little effect on condors’ kidneys

C．can hardly be gotten rid of from condors’ blood

D．makes it difficult for condors to produce baby birds

4. This passage shows that _________.

A．the average survival time of condors is satisfactory

B．Rideout’s research interest lies in electric engineering

C．the efforts to protect condors have brought good results

D．researchers have found the final answers to the problem

【推荐2】One of the problems damaging our planet is the number of things we throw away. Rubbish of all kinds is piling up in landfills and polluting our rivers and oceans. A more recent addition to the list of things we chuck away is e-waste--electronic items that are broken and not recycled. Now solutions are being found to give this stuff a new life.

Many millions of tons of televisions, phones, and other electronic equipment are discarded each year, partly because it's cheaper to replace them than fix them, but also because we lack the skills to repair them. A UN report claims the 50 million tons of e-waste generated every year will more than double to 110 million tons by 2050, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the world.

However, there's a growing trend for repair events and clubs which could be part of a solution to the growing amount of electrical and electronic junk. The BBC visited a Restart Project in London, which is one of many found around the world. One of its volunteers, Francesco Calo, said, “This project allows you to reduce waste, extend the life of objects, and it helps people who cannot afford to get rid of items that have developed a fault. ”

As many electrical items contain valuable metals, another idea is e-waste mining. An experiment at the University of New South Wales involves extracting these materials from electronic gadgets. It's thought that doing this could be more profitable than traditional mining. With phones typically containing as many as 60 elements, this could be part of the solution to our appetite for new technology.

At present, in countries where there is no legislation, much of it just gets dumped. However, the European Union, for example, is trying to tackle the problem by insisting manufacturers make appliances longer-lasting and supply spare parts for machines for up 10 years.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The Restart Project founded to get rid of e-waste.

B．The phenomenon of the sharp rise of electronic junk.

C．The damage caused by quantities of things we throw away.

D．Possible solutions to the growing amount of electronic waste.

2. Which word can replace the underlined word “discarded” in paragraph 2?

A．Produced.

B．Promoted.

C．Recycled.

D．Abandoned.

3. What do we know about the Restart Project according to the text?

A．It aims to reduce e-waste by providing repair service.

B．It offers poor people new devices to replace old ones.

C．It is a project recycling electrical and electronic junk.

D．It intends to make great profits by e-waste mining.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A science textbook.	B．An environmental magazine.
C．A research paper.	D．An economic journal.

【推荐3】There seems to be a general assumption that brilliant people cannot stand routine ; that they need a varied , exciting life in order to do their best . It is also assumed that dull people are particularly suited for dull work . We are told that the reason the present-day young complain so loudly about the dullness of jobs is that they are better educated and brighter than the young of the past .
Actually , there is no evidence that people who achieve a lot desire , let alone live , colorful lives . The opposite is nearer the truth . Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office . Immanuel Kant’s（康德）daily life was a dull routine . The housewives of Konigsberg set their clocks when they saw him pass , on his way to the university . He took the same walk each morning , rain or shine . The greatest distance Kant ever traveled was sixty miles from Konigsberg .
It may be true that work on the assembly line（流水线）dulls the abilities and empties the mind , and the cure is only fewer hours of work at higher pay . But during fifty years as a workingman , I have found dull routine coexisting with an active mind . While doing dull , repetitive work by the water , I could talk with my partners and compose sentences in my mind , all at the same time . Chances are that had my work been too interesting I could not have done any thinking and composing at work or even on my own time after returning from work .
People who find dull jobs unbearable are often dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure . Children and mature people will get used to dull routine , while the adolescent , who has lost the child’s ability for concentration and is without the inner resources of the mature , needs excitement and novelty to get rid of boredom .
1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that __________ .

A．great minds hate to live colorful lives

B．Einstein worked out his theory in a university

C．Kant only took the same walk on rainy and sunny days

D．Kant might pass Konigsberg every day at the same time

2. How does the author feel about his repetitive work by the water ?

A．It made his mind empty .

B．It was well-paid but too demanding .

C．It worked well with his active mind .

D．It was too interesting to think of anything else .

3. The reasons why youngsters dislike dull work include the following EXCEPT that they __________ .

A．are not mature enough

B．think themselves smart

C．often complain about others

D．don’t know how to spend spare time

4. What is the purpose of the passage ?

A．To argue for the benefits of dull work .

B．To present some facts about dull work .

C．To share his own dull working experience .

D．To persuade young people to live a dull life .

【推荐1】Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines, say UK researchers.
Their study found that theobromine, found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine, which was considered the best cough medicine at present.
The Imperial College London researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. “While coughing is not necessarily harmful, it can have a major effect on the quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem,” said Professor Peter Barnes.
Ten healthy volunteers were given theobromine, codeine or placebo, a pill that contains no medicine, during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin, which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicine is stopping coughs.
The team found that, when the volunteers were given theobromine, the capsaicin needed to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they need only slightly higher levels of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo.
The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a nerve activity (神经活动), which causes coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness.
1. According to Professor Barnes, theobromine ______.

A．cannot be as effective as codeine

B．can be harmful to people’s health

C．cannot be separated from chocolate

D．can be a more effective cure for coughs

2. We learn from the text that volunteers in the experiment _______.

A．were patients with bad coughs

B．were divided into three groups

C．received standard treatments

D．suffered little side effects

3. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Codeine: A New Medicine

B．Chocolate May Cure Coughs

C．Cough Treatment: A Hard Case

D．Theobromine Can Cause Coughs

【推荐2】Handling a wad of cash may be as good at killing pain than ibuprofen or aspirin, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota carried out a series of studies which showed those who counted money before taking part in an experiment where they were subjected to low levels of pain felt less discomfort than those who did not.

It’s thought that fondling notes and coins helps ward off pain by boosting feelings of self­worth and self­sufficiency.

Previous studies have shown those with a greater sense of self­worth may be more likely to bear pain. Britain spends at least ￡500 million a year on over­the­counter painkilling pills and the figure is increasing every year. But scientists remain puzzled by why some people appear to feel pain more easily than others. In the latest study, a group of students were asked to count out a wad of cash consisting of 80 one­hundred dollar bills, or just 80 slips of blank paper. They had been told researchers were simply testing their dexterity in handling the notes.

Each volunteer was then asked to dip their hands into a bowl of very hot water, to see how painful they found it and how long they could last. The results, published in a recent edition of the journal Psychological Science, showed those who had handled money reported less pain and lasted longer. The results support other studies highlighting how the brain can be tuned to fight off pain without the use of pills.

A University of Los Angeles team of scientists found just looking at a photograph of a loved one can also be a powerful form of pain relief. They recommended anyone visiting hospital for painful tests or examinations should bring a picture to help them cope.

And patients who have had major surgery, such as a knee or hip replacement, can halve the amount of painkilling medicine they need simply by stroking a pet, according to tests at Loyola University in Chicago.

1. Handling money can prevent pain because ________.

A．we are confident in our usefulness	B．we can afford the expenses of the treatment
C．we can do everything with the money	D．we can’t live without money

2. The phrase “over­the­counter painkilling pills” refer to pills________.

A．that can be obtained outside the drug store	B．that can be bought without a prescription
C．that are placed on the counter of the store	D．that are purchased with a written order from a doctor

3. Which of the following may least kill pain?

A．Counting out a wad of cashes.	B．Looking at the picture of a loved one.
C．Handling a group of blank paper.	D．Walking a pet.

4. What might be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Money Makes Something Impossible Possible	B．Money Has a Magic Power in Treating Patients
C．Money Brings Comfort to Pain Suffers	D．Money Kills Pains Better than Aspirin

5. We can infer that the passage is________.

A．a research report on the role of money	B．a kind of medicine instructions
C．an introduction to a new medicine	D．a description of natural reaction to a medicine

【推荐3】Chicago already has bike sharing and car sharing. Could electric scooter(滑板车)sharing be the next big thing?

With electric scooter sharing already appearing in many cities and the biggest operator eyeing the Chicago market, Moreno is trying to make the rules of the road before electric scooters arrive.” It’s yet another means of transportation and we need to welcome them and make the regulations in advance if we are really serious about reducing traffic and reducing air pollution,”said Moreno.

Moreno said that in other cities, electric scooter riders have ignored helmet rules and traffic laws. They have parked illegally and ridden scooters on sidewalks. Those are the problems he’s trying to avoid. The rules would require related companies to first get an “Electric Scooter Share License”. To get the license, companies would need to provide a minimum of 100 scooters operating at a maximum（最高的）speed of 20 miles per hour.

Bird is the nation’s leading electric vehicle sharing company. It has raised $100 million and begun operations in many cities. Bird ‘s spokesman Kenneth Baer said his company welcomes the Chicago regulations, which can help to avoid the start-up problems it has met with in other cities.

“We follow the laws on the books. It happens to be that in a good number of cities the law is silent or not clear how to treat this new technology. And that causes some troubles,”said Baer. “If the rules of the road are officially made in advance then it is very clear. I think the Chicago regulations really would give the citizens a great way to get around the city.”

1. What can we learn from Moreno’s words?

A．The various means of transportation in Chicago.

B．The popularity of electric scooter sharing.

C．The reasons behind making the rules in advance.

D．The future of Chicago’s traffic.

2. What should the relevant(相关的) companies do to get the “Electric Scooter Share License”?

A．They should provide enough parking spaces

B．They should limit the speed of their scooters.

C．They should raise at least $ 100 million.

D．They should provide helmets for renters.

3. Why has Bird run into problems in some cities?

A．The scooter-sharing laws are too strict.

B．People take no notice of traffic regulations

C．Electric scooter sharing has many disadvantages

D．These cities lack specific rules to deal with scooter sharing

4. What does Baer think of Chicago regulations?

A．They are forward-thinking.

B．They will limit scooter sharing

C．They should be further discussed.

D．They should follow the example of other cities.