【推荐1】Microaggressions are minor racial attacks. Gabrielle, a 15-year-old teenager, knows the pain of microaggressions all too well. “When I was in the seventh grade, this guy told me that my hair looked like a rat’s nest and I needed to comb it. It makes you feel awful and makes you feel like you are dismissed and it makes you feel unheard,” she said.

Microaggressions are being spoken about now by young black teenagers like Gabrielle in light of the racial unrest across the country and amid the new school year. “We’re pretty for black girls,” said other black teenagers, describing microaggressions they have faced. “We’re outspoken to be black.” According to a study, black teenagers experience an average of over five incidents of discrimination a day, specifically teenage girls.

“I do believe that microaggressions and racism are part of a series of continuous events,” Dr. Walker said. “Experiencing acts of microaggression can have an effect on self-respect,” she said. “It starts to affect anxiety and depression and worry.” Black children who are exposed to racism face health risks too, with higher rates of obesity, as well as depression, data shows. The rate of suicide attempts among black teens also continues to rise, while rates among other racial groups have fallen.

Microaggressions can also be complicated, especially if the person who is offending has no intention of being hurtful. Walker’s advice for young black girls is to both take a deep breath and also try to educate other people, when possible. “Take a deep breath and centering yourself,” she said. “They could say, you may not have realized it, but what you said is hurtful.”

Walker says this may take some practice, but it is a skill that can be developed. “I think a lot of times in our society we want to be perfect and things just right for us, but a lot of times, it does take practice, and that’s okay. Just keep at it and lead with sympathy.”

1. Which of the following best describe Gabrielle?

A．She thinks microagressions are not serious.

B．She becomes concerned about her hairstyle.

C．She feels uncomfortable about microaggression.

D．She distinguishes herself among black teen girls.

2. How do black teenagers like Gabrielle sound when talking of their racial identity?

A．Bitter.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Angry.

D．Proud.

3. What does Dr. Walker recommend doing?

A．The offended black girls should voice their feelings frankly.

B．She advises handling microaggressions and discrimination equally.

C．Great importance may be attached to black girls’ mental health.

D．Black teen girls are advised to ignore unintentional microaggressions.

【推荐2】The computer is a powerful tool. With it, teachers can improve the classroom experience in a variety of ways. But misuse of the computer will probably result in disadvantages.

To investigate the way technology is being used in our school district, I recently spoke with Jeanine Lowell, who teaches social studies at Lake Town Middle School. Mrs. Lowell informed me that computers have helped to increase students’ motivation and prepare them for life in a technological society. “These kids are probably going to be using some kind of computer system when they graduate from high school,” Lowell noted. “It’s important that we provide a proper introduction to them in the classroom.” Lowell also observed that the computers have made it easier to promote different areas of learning, so that students can work on a project or topic that relates to more than one subject.

With all of these benefits, however, come a few shortcomings. Although Mrs. Lowell has nearly wallpapered her room with warnings that state: “The computer is NOT A TOY”, not everyone in the class agrees with this idea. Some students get easily distracted (分心) by the internet and are quite good at making it look as if they are doing work when they are really checking their email or watching videos. “You’ve got to be three steps ahead,” she told me, “if you want to stay on top of what they’re actually doing on the computer.”

Some schools use some type of blocking software to ensure that students cannot access improper sites at school. More complex programs use a server-based, network-wide program instead of software that runs on personal computers. Research has shown that in a way these server-based blocking programs provide better security, because some students can disable the software on a personal computer.

However, there is no replacement for the watchful eye of a good teacher like Jeanine Lowell. There are also no electronic cure-alls for any of education’s many challenges. Technology is a useful tool, but that is all it is: a tool.

1. Where is this passage most likely from?

A．A newspaper.	B．An advertisement.
C．A novel.	D．A diary.

2. Which of the following isn’t the benefit of computer use in the classroom?

A．Improved motivation in the classroom.

B．Opportunities for learning across different subjects.

C．Increased preparation for the future use in the workplace.

D．Convenience of sharing ideas with people living across the globe.

3. The best way to prevent students from accessing improper sites on school computers is to ______.

A．post warning signs throughout the classroom

B．use blocking software on personal computers

C．monitor what students do on the computers carefully

D．use server-based software programs on personal computers

4. What is the writer’s opinion on the use of computers in the classroom?

A．It does more harm than good.

B．It is only supported by experts.

C．It contributes to teaching in some way.

D．It is more beneficial to teachers than students.

【推荐1】Green living has become more important than ever and as time goes by,it will only become a more important issue.While it used to roe a matter of making an extra effort to save energy and reduce waste in our homes,this has extended to the professional side of things since.Public buildings,such as schools,hospitals and offices,are under an increasing amount of pressure to make the change and go green,even if it's just a step-by-step process that takes a few years to complete.

There are plenty of reasons for offices to go green and these reasons go beyond the concept that it should be done just for the sake of the environment.While the environment is unbelievable important and vital to our survival and quality of life,sustainable（可持续的）office design can also have positive impacts upon employees and people using the building.

For example,a report carried out last September revealed that the way an office is designed can significantly impact on the health of the staff there.It was also found to have an effect on productivity and could be a contributory（起作用的）factor to the amount of sick leave and staff turnaround within the business.It's fascinating to think that people can be so sensitive to their environments but it also makes a lot of sense.Even the choice of colour in your office can negatively or positively affect the people working there.

Based on this study,it is clear that companies should be making more efforts to improve on the office design while making sure the environment is sustainable and green.There are various little changes that can be made to lead to something bigger,from making sure the lights are turned off at night to recycling the paper your company gets through on a weekly basis.Once these changes are in place,you can start looking at the bigger picture and begin complete changes to design and construction,like having wood fibre insulation（绝缘）fitted.

Along with other sustainable features,insulation can be beneficial in various ways.Not only will an insulated office space be environmentally sound by helping you to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer,reducing the reliance on the thermostat（恒温器）and central heating and saving money,but it can also be an effective form of sound absorption.The study revealed that noise is a contributory factor to productivity problems,and if you work in a particularly busy area,then noise can become a real issue.The aim is to create an environment that is comfortable and calm enough for people to concentrate and work productively.Soundproof walls are an effective and environmentally friendly solution.

1. What is the author's argument in the passage?

A．Green living can help to save energy.

B．Public building should go green.

C．Green living still has a long way to go.

D．It is important to lead a green life.

2. The author mentioned the report carried out last year for the purpose of       .

A．showing us how to design an office

B．telling us the side effects of green living

C．improving the productivity of office workers.

D．proving the benefits of green office design

3. According to the author,what is necessary for companies to do?

A．Allow enough sick leave to their employees.

B．Paint all the walls of their offices green.

C．Make some improvements to their office design.

D．Make their staff more productive than before.

4. The last paragraph mainly tells us about       .

A．the benefits of insulation to offices

B．how to keep an office's temperature constant

C．the advantages of living a green life in the city

D．how to make staff work comfortably and effectively

【推荐2】People’s distrust in science has led many scientists to take up arms (or at least keyboards) to defend their enterprise. But in their efforts to fight back against science denial, some scientists say things that just aren’t true-and you can’t build trust if the things you are saying are not trustworthy.

One popular move is to insist that science is right-full stop-and that once we discover the truth about the world, we are done. Or, as famous physicist Steven Smith said, “Even though a scientific theory is in a sense a social consensus (共识), it is unlike any other sort of consensus in that it is culture-free and permanent.” Well, no. Even a modest familiarity with the history of science offers many examples of matters that scientists thought they had resolved, only to discover that they needed to be reconsidered.

Another popular move is to say scientific findings are true because scientists use “the scientific method.” But we can never actually agree on what that method is. Some will say it is the observation and description of the world. Others will say it is the experimental method. Recently a prominent scientist claimed the scientific method was to avoid fooling oneself into thinking something is true that is not.

Each of these views has its merits, but if the claim is that any one of these is the scientific method, then they all fail. In point of fact, the methods of science have varied between disciplines and across time.

In my view, the biggest mistake scientists make is to claim that this is all somehow simple and therefore to imply that anyone who doesn’t get it is stupid. Science is not simple, and neither is the natural world; therein lies the challenge of science communication. What we do is both hard and, often hard to explain. Our efforts to understand and characterize the natural world   are just that: efforts. Because we’re human, we often fall flat. The good news is that when that happens, we pick ourselves up,   brush ourselves off, and get back to work.

Scientific theories are not perfect replicas of reality, but we have good reason to believe that they capture significant elements of it. And experience reminds us that when we ignore reality, it sooner or later comes back to bite us.

1. Paragraph 2 stresses that _________.

A．scientific theories may change with time

B．the familiarity with science’s history matters

C．the unresolved matters should be reconsidered

D．a social consensus is culture-free and permanent

2. According to the passage, the author might agree that_________.

A．it is critical for scientists to stay true to reality

B．science puts an accurate interpretation on nature

C．the definitions of the scientific method are outdated

D．the credibility of scientific theories is underestimated

3. How does the author persuade readers in this passage?

A．By stressing the importance of science.

B．By comparing opposite opinions on science.

C．By questioning the way scientific discoveries are made.

D．By pointing out the fault in claims made by some scientists.

【推荐3】Thousands of free, popular children’s apps available on the Google Play Store could be violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), according to a new, large­scale study, highlighting growing criticism of Silicon Valley’s data­collection efforts. “This is a market failure,” said Serge Egelman, a co­author of the study. “What we have uncovered points out basic enforcement (执行) work that needs to be done.”

The potential violations were abundant and came in several forms, according to the study. More than 1,000 children’s apps collected identifying information from kids using tracking software whose terms explicitly forbid their use for children’s apps. The researchers also said nearly half the apps fail to always use standard security measures to transmit sensitive data over the Web, suggesting a violation of reasonable data­security measures laid out by COPPA.

Some of the apps in question included Disney’s “Where’s My Water?”, Gameloft’s “Minion Rush” and Duolingo, a language learning app. The findings also suggested that app creators that had been officially recognized as COPPA­compliant (遵守) were no better than any of the other app developers at protecting children’s privacy.

Disney argued that the study doesn’t claim to identify any actual violations. “Protecting children’s online privacy is very important to us and we are confident that our practices comply with the law,” the company said. “We have a sound COPPA compliance program, and we maintain strict data collection and use policies for Disney apps created for children and families.”

Gameloft announced that children's privacy is of “utmost importance” and is investigating the issue. “We have a very strict data­collection policy at Gameloft and always make sure that we are compliant with protection laws,” the company said.

Duolingo did not respond to requests for comment.

Although Google stated that “We are taking the researcher’s report very seriously and looking into their findings”, critics of Google’s app platform say the company has profited greatly from advances in data­tracking technology. “Google has basically looked the other way while it was able to generate revenues off of children’s apps,” said Jeffrey Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “The new, alarming report is further evidence that Google is thumbing its nose at the only federal online privacy law that we have.”

1. How did companies respond to the accusation of violating COPPA?

A．Disney claimed to strictly obey privacy laws.

B．Gameloft questioned the validity of the study.

C．Duolingo planned to adopt strict data­collection policies.

D．Google admitted to the charge and promised to do more.

2. What does the underlined phrase “thumbing its nose at” probably mean?

A．Observing.	B．Disrespecting.
C．Prohibiting.	D．Introducing.

3. The purpose of the passage is to ________.

A．charge app companies with the violation of COPPA

B．inform readers of different ways to violate child privacy laws

C．illustrate the growing criticism of app’s data­collection function

D．highlight the urgency of strengthening enforcement of COPPA