We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends in the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become virtual extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with the latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day-to-day lives as they always had because they had no need to be tech-savvy. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to educate themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request: “ When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to exert their independence.”
Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow when you do choose not to add them to your friends list.
1. Many parents teach themselves social networks because ________.| A．they are not content with their daily life | B．they regard social networks important |
| C．they are curious to explore new technologies | D．they want to view their children’s online activities |
| A．They can’t choose friends around them. | B．They have nothing to hide. |
| C．They don’t want to teach their parents. | D．Their privacy can not be guaranteed if so. |
| A．teens value their privacy and independence | B．a teen’s rejection means they have something to hide |
| C．a teen’s rejection means nothing special | D．independence is everything teens desire |
| A．How to bridge the generation gap. | B．How to make friends on social networks. |
| C．How to explain to parents about the rejection. | D．How to use the social networking sites. |
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【推荐1】I was stopped at a red light only a mile or so from my goal of my brother’s house. We were planning to drive down together to North Carolina to be with my father who was badly ill.
As I waited at the stoplight experiencing this forced slowdown, noticed Sharper’s Florist over to the left. It was the same place where I had experienced many things- floods of memories went through my mind as the light seemed a blessing. I noticed the wine store straight ahead where my father and I had been many times before, picking out the beer of the week. We both liked German beer.
The light finally became green and I made my left turn and drove through the poor section of our hometown. I remembered how each Thanksgiving my family would be together. I also remembered how my father would take some time out of each Thanksgiving to make sure there was no one hungry in the neighborhoods surrounding where we lived. I can remember as a young boy going with him to deliver some food. I was scared. I had never been into this part of town this deeply before.
My father seemed unfazed (泰然自若的) by this and went about his business. The people we went to help seemed to know him and gratefully accepted what he came to offer. My father seemed able to give away the food in a way that honored those he was giving to. This was not an arrogant act. He would stop at each place and talk a little, which I can remember totally pissing me off. I wanted to get the hell out of there. My father wanted to be sure everyone had food. If there were people he found who didn’t have food, he would take the time to go back and get more. That’s the kind of man he was.
1. When the father was ill, he .| A．lived in North Carolina | B．gave away food to the poor |
| C．came to help the poor in his hometown | D．stayed at the home of the author’s brother |
| A．the same taste as his father | B．the life in his childhood |
| C．the experience with his father | D．the birthplace of his father |
| A．his father didn’t stay with him then | B．his father didn’t take good care of him |
| C．he was unfamiliar with the surroundings | D．he had never met so many poor people |
| A．angry | B．proud | C．careless | D．wild |
【推荐2】Kilimanjaro Climb : a Rite of Passage (成人仪式) for Father and Son
Climbing Kilimanjaro is a transformational experience for many people. The things that make the mountain hard are the very things that make it so powerful. In the case of my son Josh and I, the walk up Kilimanjaro proved a powerful symbol of his transition into manhood, and a great change in our relationship.
Day three on the mountain, Josh was hit with massive headaches. He told me every step felt like a nail driving into his head. And then, on the night we climbed the crater (火山口) rim, less than 40 minutes from the summit, Josh fell. I was walking ahead, and did not even see it. He was so tired out that he could not get up. He recalled our guides, debating whether or not they should take him straight down. Josh snapped out of it. He forced himself to his feet, shook the guides off. He set his face towards the peak and just kept marching. Near the summit he caught up with me and we reached the peak together.
“I’ve never been in so much pain and so happy at the same time... he said, as we sat side by side on the frozen rock and looked down over Africa. “You know, in the past when we’d go on camping and rafting trips, you guided and took care of me through it all. But on Kilimanjaro it was different. From the bottom up, I climbed it. I never felt like a kid, even when 1 was in pain. You never acted like a parent.”
“That’s not quite true,” I replied. “When you told me that on the summit you fell and I did not even notice, my first thought was, ‘Oh my God! I’m such an awful parent!’ But then it hit me, ‘He got himself up. He walked to the peak on his own. He didn’t need me to help,”
I realized as I spoke that two people had died that night on Kilimanjaro. A child and a parent. It was just two friends who walked down the mountain together.
1. From the second paragraph we know that ______.| A．Josh had a slight headache. |
| B．Josh reached the top of the mountain with the help of the guides. |
| C．Josh overcame various difficulties on his way to the summit. |
| D．Climbing Kilimanjaro was too hard for such a child as Josh. |
| A．Cheered up. | B．Gave up. | C．Burst out. | D．Ran out. |
| A．Josh felt quite good about his independence. |
| B．Josh appreciated his parents’ company and care. |
| C．The father felt guilty all the time. |
| D．The father should have taken good care of Josh as usual. |
| A．Because two people had lost their lives while climbing Kilimanjaro. |
| B．Because the father and son had become friends. |
| C．Because they had witnessed an accident of a father and son. |
| D．Because two friends had misled him. |
【推荐3】You fight or argue, and then you make up and share secrets-these are just some of the usual scenarios you are quite familiar with if you have a sister. It’s true that growing up with a sister can be annoying.
It helps to shape your character.
It offers you opportunities to learn how to self-regulate (自我调节). Getting in fights with your sister can help in learning how to regulate or control emotions. Laura Padilla Walker, head of the study, said, “If siblings (兄弟姐妹) get in a fight, they have to regulate emotions.
It enables you to communicate more and better. In a separate study conducted in the University of Ulster, it’s revealed that having a sister can help siblings communicate more.
| A．It narrows the age gap |
| B．It benefits your mental health |
| C．That’s an important skill to learn later in life |
| D．Communication helps to improve your emotions |
| E．Having a sister can help you develop some good qualities |
| F．However, there is evidence that having a sister can help make you a better person |
| G．According to the study, males who have a sister are more likely to engage in conversations |
【推荐1】If you plan to learn a foreign language, you might think it’s going to be really challenging. You’ve probably heard a lot of talks about how it’s easier to learn languages as a young child, and that learning as an adult can be difficult. You might even know friends or family members who have tried to learn a foreign tongue and failed. That’s because they are surrounded by the failure. We’re here to cheer you up with some good news and inspire you to get started.
The amazing adult brain: whether you can learn languages at any age? Scientists are always learning about the human brain. Decades ago, experts believed that the brain developed during childhood and then retained that way for life. However, modern studies have shown us that the brain has the ability to continually form new neural (神经的) connections throughout adulthood. A 2010 Swedish study tested two groups of people, one in the range of age 21 through 30 and another between 65 and 80. Remarkably, they found no significant differences in Neuroplasticity (神经可塑性). In other words, this suggests that it’s possible for you to learn new things at any age.
Besides being possible to learn languages, research also suggests that it improves the adult brain in general. In a 2012 Chinese study, experts looked at a group of adults who were learning Mandarin (普通话) over a nine-month period. They found that these adults showed improved integrity in their white matter, the part of the brain that allows neural cells to communicate. The better your neural cells communicate, the easier it will be for you to learn new things.
Why may adults have an easier time learning? Children might be blessed with a naturally high degree of neuroplasticity, but that doesn’t mean learning is necessarily easier for them. In fact, adult brains have a number of great qualities that might actually make learning easier, especially if you take advantage of free language learning apps like Mondly.
1. Why do some adults fail in the language learning?| A．Because they are too old to learn a new language. |
| B．Because languages are too difficult for adults to learn |
| C．Because they are influenced by the adults who failed. |
| D．Because they have no plans for new language learning. |
| A．improved | B．remained | C．changed | D．strengthened |
| A．To tell the difference between children and adults in language learning. |
| B．To state the difference between children and adults in brain development. |
| C．To show that there is no difference between children and adults in learning. |
| D．To prove the former theory about brain development by some experts wrong. |
| A．Brain development and new language learning. |
| B．Analysis about children learning a new language. |
| C．Information about adults learning a new language. |
| D．Some good news for adults to learn a new language |
【推荐2】Every two weeks, the time period after which many people collect a paycheck, a language dies.
So concerning is the potential for language loss that the National Science Foundation this year launched the Documenting Endangered Languages program to advance knowledge related to endangered human languages. The launch of the program is even more urgent given the fact that about half of all current languages being used in the world have been classified at varying degrees of endangerment.
At the University of Arizona, which is an important site for language preservation, a number of researchers are involved in activities meant to document endangered and lost languages. Others are working to help preserve languages classified as "moribund", meaning that no children are learning their native languages as their first languages in their own homes.
A number of UA programs—some of them decades old—are dedicated to language preservation. Most recently, Christian Ruvalcaba, a graduate student, launched "The Language Capital Project "and is creating maps for corresponding website to help non-national language speakers to find and connect with one another.
"Languages allow people to create an identity for themselves and as community members", said Elizabeth Kickham, a visiting professor in the UA Department of Linguistics. "Language is so closely tied to culture: it not only reflects cultural practices, it is also influenced by them. Language and culture influence each other, so it’s difficult to separate them. You can, but you lose something when you do."
"One of the advantages of studying at the University of Arizona is the wealth of linguistic diversity to be found among the student population,” said Kickham, who involved her students in language preservation training this semester.
"Exposure to diverse populations, including languages, enables a richer understanding of the human experience," Kickham said. " Languages are beautiful. When people hear someone speaking a language they needn’t feel that the person doesn’t know how to speak English but rather that person has a wealth of resources."
1. Why did the National Science Foundation launch the program?| A．To bring back lost languages. |
| B．To develop endangered languages. |
| C．To increase understanding of endangered languages. |
| D．To investigate the number of endangered languages. |
| A．Where there is a website for lost languages |
| B．Where non-national language speakers live. |
| C．Where they can learn the national language. |
| D．Where they can communicate in their native language. |
| A．The influence of cultural practices. | B．The importance of diverse languages. |
| C．A need for language preservation training | D．A better understanding of different cultures. |
| A．Language Loss Calls for Preservation | B．Language Reflects Human Self-identity |
| C．Preserving Non-national Language | D．Identifying the Causes of Language Loss |
【推荐3】Glitter has long been a staple of the primary classroom. Space topic art project? Time to break out the glitter. Making cards to send home to parents? Glitter is necessary.
And yet, recent research suggests that glitter is actually bad for the environment. Several schools have even proposed a ban on using glitter in the classroom as a result.
The problem is that microplastics, including glitter, do not break up. When these small plastic are washed down the drain and reach the ocean, they can be eaten by fish,seabirds and other marine life, causing them harm. Now, as a measure to protect marine environments, scientists such as Dr Trisia Farrelly have gone so far as to suggest that “all glitter should be banned”.
Is a ban on glitter really necessary? Kevin O'Brien, Year 6 teacher, said, “I believe it to be a good idea if only to reduce the mess and wastage caused from its use. Many a time I have been told off by my cleaner.” However, Gaynor Bright, a teacher, believes that “Banning glitter in schools won't make a huge difference,” she says. “Producing environmentally safe glitter is the answer.” One thing that O'Brien and Bright agree on, though, is that children should be taught about the harmful impact plastic has on our environment.
Would schools be willing to accept the change? Of the l,092 nursery workers surveyed, only 22 percent were in favour of banning glitter. O'Brien points out that it is perhaps not down to teachers' desire for the glitter, but “I would suggest that there are many more important issues such as a finance for schools, teacher pay and workload that are much more important than whether glitter should be banned or not,” he says.
“A ban on glitter is a step too far,” Gaynor says, “Education, not banning, is the only way to get our next group of potential adults and leaders to think carefully about their environmental impact.”
1. Why do some schools not allow using glitter?| A．It costs students too much money. | B．It is littered everywhere at schools. |
| C．It does harm to the environment. | D．It does harm to students' health. |
| A．Neutral | B．Doubtful | C．unconcerned | D．supportive |
| A．Producers. | B．Students. | C．Teachers. | D．Parents. |
| A．Teacher pay. | B．The ban of glitter. | C．Workload. | D．A finance for school. |
【推荐1】More than a year into the pandemic of Covid-19, many people have grown used to a new lock-down lifestyle:keeping indoors,exercising less and eating more. “All of these contribute to worsening gut(消化道）function,"says Christopher Andrews,the lead physician at the Calgary Gut Motility Center, adding that heartburn is on the rise.
Heartburn is the painful effect of the stomach's acid creeping into the esophagus(食管). Diet is the greatest contributor: acidic foods such as grapefruits, hot sauce or coffee increase the amount of acid in your stomach, while chocolate, alcohol and high-fat foods result in loosened sphincter muscle. If that muscle weakens or is unable to close completely, stomach acid might arise,causing the heartburn. Spicy food can also increase uncomfortable feelings in the gut.
Heartburn occurs in bodies of all sizes, ages and genders, but researchers have found that overweight (超重的)people are two to three times more likely to experience frequent heartburn than those with a healthy weight. This may be because of the increased pressure on the gut,which can push stomach acid up. Changes in diet, such as the recent tendency for people to turn to comfort food in lock-down, can also lead to the problem.
Occasional heartburn isn't a problem, but experiences of frequent indigestion should push you to live a healthier life. According to a recent study of 9,000 heartburn patients, following a five-step health plan-maintaining a proper body weight, eating well, exercising, not smoking and limiting coffee or tea-can decrease symptoms (症状)by 40 per cent. Andrews also tells his patients to avoid eating close to bedtime, “If you lie down when your stomach is full, it's much easier for things to come up."
Though heartburn is currently on the rise, Andrews believes the increase is short-term. “Once life comes back to normal, I'm sure things will get better,” he says.
1. Which of the following is the main cause of heartburn?| A．Staying home. |
| B．The pandemic. |
| C．Unsuitable diet. |
| D．Less exercise. |
| A．Overweight people are at greater risk. |
| B．Stomach upsets will lead to heartburn. |
| C．Comfort food can help improve the situation. |
| D．Stomach acid will put more pressure on the gut. |
| A．Getting enough sleep. |
| B．Saying no to tea. |
| C．Consuming less coffee. |
| D．Having a medical checkup. |
| A．To inform us of a health problem. |
| B．To warn us of a worsening situation. |
| C．To recommend a way of losing weight. |
| D．To introduce a new lock-down lifestyle. |
【推荐2】China is recognized as a world leader in the development of artificial intelligence and facial recognition systems. A Chinese company, the Beijing-based Hanwang Technology Ltd. , says it has created a new facial recognition system that can identify people even if they are wearing masks. Engineers at the company say their system is the first to be created to effectively identify people wearing face masks.
The company told a news agency that a team of 20 people built the system in about a month. The system is based on existing technologies developed over the past 10 years. The process involved adding a collection of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller collection of masked faces, the company said.
The company is now selling two main kinds of products that use the new technology. One performs “single channel” recognition, which is designed to be used at the entrances to buildings. The other product is a “multi-channel” recognition system that uses groups of surveillance (监视) cameras. It can identify individuals in a crowd of up to 30 people within a second.
“When people are wearing a mask that covers the mouth and nose, the recognition rate can reach about 95%, which can ensure that most people can be identified.” said Huang, vice president of the company. He added that the system’s success rate for people not wearing a mask is about 99.5%. However, the new system struggles to identify people wearing both a mask and sunglasses. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough.” Huang said.
People were reacting differently to the new technology. While some citizens have been against using such tools, the majority have accepted the technology as an effective way to decrease crime and catch criminals.
1. What did the company do to build the system?| A．They merely used the latest technology. |
| B．They gathered many face images. |
| C．They employed hundreds of people. |
| D．They spent about a decade building it. |
| A．It is still in the experimental stage. |
| B．It has already been used by the police. |
| C．Its recognition rate of masked faces is about 99.5%. |
| D．It is hard to recognize people with both masks and glasses. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Optimistic. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
| A．Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition. |
| B．China—the First to Create Facial Recognition. |
| C．An Effective way To Decrease Crimes and Catch Criminals. |
| D．A New Recognition System to Identify People with Masks. |
According to an international survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a London-based consulting firm, Calgary was put at the top of a list of 144 cities. It scored 121 points, just above Honolulu’s score of 120. Helsinki（赫尔辛基，芬兰首都） and Ottawa followed at 119.5 and 118.5 respectively.
Three other Canadian cities came in the top 20. Montreal and Vancouver tied for ninth and Toronto came in at 18th.
The scores are based on air pollution levels, availability and quality of hospitals and medical supplies, as well as the efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems.
In America, the lowest scoring city was Atlanta, which was ranked 76th. Athens was the lowest scoring city in Western Europe, ranking 120th because of its air pollution. London was ranked 59th.
1. How many Canadian cities are in the top 20?
| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
| A．Weather conditions. | B．Air quality. |
| C．Waste removal. | D．Medical supplies. |
| A．Atlanta. | B．Athens. | C．London. | D．Helsinki. |
