To know parents’ influence on students’ learning, researchers studied 438 kids and their parents. Before a school year started, the researchers asked parents to write down how anxious they would feel in different situations connected with math like planning their money spending or checking their house’s size. They also checked their children’s math ability and math anxiety in a school year.
The study found kids whose parents were anxious about math learned less math over the school year. And these kids didn’t perform as well on the tests as those who hadn’t been exposed to math anxiety. Besides, these kids also were more likely to become nervous about math themselves. But these kids only “ caught ” that anxiety if their parents had often tried to help with their homework. This is an example of good intentions having a bad result.
The study’s result appeared in Psychological Science. Erin Maloney led the study. As someone who has personally experienced math anxiety, she says, “ I was always very nervous about math, not only taking tests but also learning the new concepts. So I really tried to balk at math, including finding excuses to miss math tests and not wanting to do math homework. ” It was only after she saw how math could be applied to her passion that she started to enjoy math.
Parents with math anxiety should still support their kids as the kids work on math homework, though. But they should know helping kids with schoolwork requires more than just going over facts and concepts. Parents should help kids look for ways to have fun with math, like playing math-based games. When kids have difficulty in learning, encourage them to bravely face it but don’t make them nervous.
What can students do if they’re already nervous about math? Maloney says, “ My earlier study showed that students who wrote about their fears of math for 7 to 10 minutes before taking a math test performed better on that test. After the writing process，many students said their fears weren’t such a big deal. ”
1. The 438 kids’ parents were asked to present ______ .| A．their attitudes to school education | B．their opinions on kids’ math ability |
| C．their ways to solve kids’ math anxiety | D．their math anxiety levels in their daily life |
| A．Kids are more likely to be afraid of math. |
| B．Some parents pay little attention to their kids’ study. |
| C．Kids can pick up negative thoughts about math from their parents. |
| D．Parents should help with their kids’ homework as little as possible. |
| A．Enjoy. | B．Avoid. | C．Learn. | D．Understand. |
| A．Working closely with their math teachers. |
| B．Seeking help during their learning process. |
| C．Sparing some time to go over their notes daily. |
| D．Removing math anxiety by admitting it to themselves. |
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【推荐1】Teachers say that the digital age has had a good influence and a not-so-good influence on American teenagers. More than 2,000 middle school teachers took an online survey. Researchers also spoke with teachers in some groups. Most teachers think the Internet and digital search tools have had a mostly positive (积极的) influence on their students’ research habits and skills. But at the same time, some teachers also point out some problems in teenagers’ using digital search tools.
The Pew Internet Project did the survey with the College Board and the National Writing Project. Judy Buchanan is the director of the National Writing Project and a co-writer of the report. She says digital search tools are helping students learn more, and learn faster. “Both teachers and students really welcome these tools because they make learning exciting. And the goal（目的）is to really help students become creators of something meaningful, and not just users of the online information.”
But one problem the survey found is that these technologies make teenagers have short attention spans (持续时间). As there is lots of information about different subjects on the Internet, teenagers’ attention is easily drawn away from their research.
Another problem the survey found is that many students trust the information they find on the Internet too much. Judy Buchanan says these students have not developed the skills to judge (判断) the online information. They need to learn a lot to tell if the information is believable. It’s something that really has to be paid attention to.
One more problem the survey found is something that might not seem like a problem at all: being able to quickly find information online. Many students think “doing research” now means just doing a quick search on Google. Teachers say the result is a drop in the wish and ability of their students to work hard to find answers. That is, they are depending too much on search engines and do not make enough use of printed books or research librarians.
Many teachers also say that the Internet makes it easy for students to copy work done by others instead of using their own abilities.
1. The result of the survey shows ________.| A．digital search tools need to be greatly improved |
| B．digital search tools are generally good for teenagers |
| C．teenagers have difficulty in using digital search tools |
| D．American teachers enjoy using digital search tools |
| A．less trusting of online information |
| B．more independent in doing research |
| C．more willing to work hard to find answers |
| D．less able to pay full attention while searching |
| A．spend more time searching online |
| B．ask their teachers for more advice |
| C．make better use of printed materials |
| D．learn more knowledge of search tools |
| A．all the students like using digital tools |
| B．the Internet is playing an important role |
| C．teachers encourage their students to use digital tools |
| D．digital tools bring about something helpful and problems |
【推荐2】Business depends on productivity and employee’s interaction(互动) with customers. The more productive a company is and the better its customer service is, the more income it makes. Productivity is measured by the output of employees. No other factor influences productivity and customer interaction more than how the employees think about their job.
Working environments are not the same. Blame Donais, in his book Workplaces That Work, defines culture as “a system of shared beliefs, values and norms(规范) that shape behavior”. This system of shared beliefs creates the atmosphere in which the employees work and determines their worth in the company, their opportunities within the company and their opinions of their managers.
A review of the culture of the workplace helps the management team to create models that inspire a more productive and employee-friendly culture. Understanding the workplace culture gives the management insight（洞察力）as to what hinders(阻碍) production, what can be changed and what policies can be added.
Negative cultures discourage employees, form having opinions. This is generally a result of a management team that only sees employees for their production values. Employees who don’t feel valued move on to companies that encourage their input. The high turnover results in less qualified employees.
Positive workplace cultures keep more employees. Employees who remain in positions for extended periods of time develop relationships with preferred customers and can often be the reason that a customer does business with a company. Motivated employees value the company’s assets（资产）more, and their decisions reflect this value.
Joan Hodgins, a management psychologist, insists that “Research shows organizations that are committed to developing and maintaining a culture of ‘dignity at work’, harvest the benefits in terms of financial results.” Blame Donais advises that large workplaces be aware of subcultures that can develop in different regions in the world. Large companies may need outside help to create national or global platforms to encourage a united culture among all their locations.
1. What influences a company most according to the text?| A．Its customer service. | B．Its efficient production. |
| C．Its managers’ work attitude. | D．Its employees’ opinions about work. |
| A．He thins people have different opinions on negative cultures. |
| B．He thinks large workplaces should maintain a different culture. |
| C．He thinks the system of shared beliefs is not fit for workplaces. |
| D．He thinks subcultures are of great importance to large workplaces. |
| A．The Importance of Workplace Culture |
| B．The Disadvantages of Workplace Culture |
| C．How to Choose a Qualified Company |
| D．How to Employ Qualified Employees |
【推荐3】"Our coffee is loved by millions worldwide." Do you often see this kind of advertising in your country? Statements like these that no one can prove are called puffery. Puffery is legal, even though it cannot be proved. In fact, puffery has been called "a license to lie", as it is regarded as an opinion rather than an objective statement.
Using puffery to raise awareness of products and to increase sales, is a common advertising method. Some people, however, worry about puffery. One of the concerns is whether consumers are misled by false advertising. Therefore, advertisements containing puffery sometimes can be tested in the courts, and the decisions that are made help to tell the difference between acceptable puffery and illegal advertising.
On the one hand, if a company tells the public that it sells the country's best-loved" or favorite product, this is thought to be puffery, rather than an objective description of market share. Similarly, the company does not have to produce proof that such puffery is actually supported by numbers or facts. In other words, advertisements such as the world's best cup of coffee" are impossible to prove. They are too good to be true and thus it is expected that any consumer will understand how subjective they are. Such advertisements are therefore not thought of as misleading. In fact, puffery like this in these advertisements is often considered to add to the entertainment value.
On the other hand, a company that states their products is the safest" or cheapest" needs to show proof, because statements that are objective need to be supported by proof or statistics. Consumer rights organizations can run tests to examine whether or not such statements agree with the fact. Companies should thus be very careful when making factual statements about a product.
A primary function of advertising is to create product awareness. As consumers, we need to know -about competing products, so we can make wise decisions on which one to buy. While it is important that advertisers are monitored to ensure they do not mislead consumers, it can be argued that puffery is a good way of raising awareness of new products. As long as there are effective ways of monitoring advertisements to prevent deliberate deception (欺骗) in safety and quality, it seems that most puffery is relatively harmless. Rather, it has become part of advertising, which most consumers can laugh at rather than being misled.
1. By “ Our coffee is loved by millions worldwide", the passage intends to ______.| A．describe a fact | B．introduce the topic |
| C．present an argument | D．provide background information |
| A．describe products' market share | B．raise awareness of new products |
| C．test the advertisement in the courts | D．run tests to examine the new products. |
| A．It is acceptable with effective monitoring. |
| B．It is misleading for it uses the false information. |
| C．It is harmful for it plays tricks on consumers. |
| D．It is convincing for it helps consumers to choose wisely. |
| A．Functions of Advertising | B．Puffery in Advertising |
| C．Consumers and Advertising | D．The Art of Advertising |
【推荐1】Plastic production has soared over the past 25 years, and the mess it causes has risen sharply. Recycling is one option. Another is biology, and with that in mind researchers have been hunting for creatures that can digest plastics. Several species of fungi and bacteria can do the job, but only slowly. Now Anja Brandon, a student at Stanford University has found that bacteria in the guts（肠）of mealworms can break down polymers（多聚体）much more quickly.
Other researchers had already found that mealworms can digest a particular plastic called polystyrene（聚苯乙烯）. Ms Brand on and Dr Criddle wondered whether polystyrene was uniquely delicious, or whether the bacteria in the worms' guts might be able to eat other sorts of plastic, too. To cheek, they turned to polyethylene（聚乙烯）, which is both more common than polystyrene and very different in chemical terms. If the worms found it nutritious as well, that would suggest their tastes might be usefully wide-ranging.
The researchers divided their worms into groups. Some were given 1.8 grams of either polyethylene or polystyrene. Some were given both. Others had their plastic meals supplemented with wheat b ran（麦麸）, which had been found to increase the rate at which mealworms could digest polystyrene. A control group of worms was fed only bran.
More than 90% of the worms survived the 32-day experiment. Those fed only polyethylene found it very agreeable, polishing off 0.87 of their 1.8-gram belting. That was significantly more than the worms eating polystyrene, who managed just 0.57 grams of the stuff. Best of all were the worms that were given bran with their plastic. They chewed through 1.1 grams of polyethylene and 0.98 grams of polystyrene.
The researchers argue that not only are mealworms probably able to digest a wide range of plates, but that the nature of their gut bacteria should allow them to specialize in a particular sort relatively quickly. A small population of a thousand worms, they find, might manage to consume 0.32 grams of polyethylene or 0.28 grams of polystyrene in a day. That is still not lightning fast. But it is quicker than waiting for it to break down in a landfill.
1. What does the underlined "that" in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Plastic production. | B．The mess. |
| C．Recycling of plastic . | D．Biology. |
| A．Because it is more common. | B．Because it is similar to polystyrene. |
| C．Because it is more nutritious. | D．Because it is hard to be recycled. |
| A．Those eating polystyrene. |
| B．Those eating polyethylene. |
| C．Those eating plastic with wheat bran. |
| D．Those eating both polystyrene and polyethylene. |
| A．Impractical. | B．Poising. |
| C．Ridiculous. | D．Controversial. |
【推荐2】In just a few decades the United States could eliminate fossil fuels（矿物燃料）and rely 100 percent on clean, renewable energy. That's the vision of, a Stanford engineering professor who has produced a state-by-state road map of how the country could rid itself of coal oil, natural gas, and nuclear power.
By 2050, Jacobson expects the nation's transportation network - cars, ships, airplanes - to run on batteries or hydrogen produced from electricity. He sees the winds blowing across the Great Plains powering vast stretches of the country's middle while the burning sun helps electrify the Southwest. "There's no state that can't do this," Jacobson says.
Today only 13% of U. S. electricity comes from renewables（再生性能源）. Jacobson's goal would be one of the nation's most ambitious undertakings. This transformation would cost roughly $15 trillion, or $47,000 for each American, for building and installing systems that produce and store renewable energy.
What would it take? Seventy-eight million rooftop solar systems, nearly 49,000 commercial solar plants, 156,000 offshore wind turbines（风力涡轮机）, plus wave-energy systems. Land-based wind farms would need 328,000 turbines, each with blades longer than a football field,. These farms would occupy as much land as North Carolina.
For now, he says, prospects are encouraging. Thanks in part to government funding and large-scale production, costs are falling. The amount of power generated nationwide by wind and solar increased 15-fold each between 2003 and 2013. This summer Barack Obama moved to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, and Hawaii committed to having all its electricity provided by renewables by 2045.
Still, many experts aren't convinced. “It has zero chance,”Stephen Brick, an energy fellow with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, says of Jacobson's plan. Political, regulatory, and social barriers are huge, especially in a nation where the energy systems - and much of its political influence - is rooted in the oil, gas, and coal industries. Some critics are concerned about whether the resulting grid（输电网）would be reliable. And neighborhood battles would likely occur over wind farms and solar plants. Even outspoken scientist James Hansen, who warned the government a quarter century ago about climate change, insists that nuclear power is essential to rid the country of fossil fuels.
Yet Jacobson’s work at least offers a starting point. Scientists and policymakers may keep arguing about solutions, but as Obama points out, the nation must continue its march toward a clean-energy future even if it's not yet clear how that will look in 35 years. “If we don't do it,” he said this summer, “nobody will.”
1. Which of the following does Professor Mark Jacobson engage in?| A．Organizing projects to build and install solar energy systems state by state. |
| B．Persuading the U. S. President to realize his renewable energy goal. |
| C．Outlining a plan detailing how energy in the U. S. could be carbon free by 2050. |
| D．Arguing about opportunities and obstacles of his plan. |
| A．The huge investment in solar and wind projects. |
| B．The unshakeable foundation of traditional energy systems. |
| C．The job losses in oil and coal industries. |
| D．The inevitable land-use battles between states. |
| A．one state of the U. S. will be first to become carbon free before 2050 |
| B．developing clean-energy industry will drive the world's market |
| C．fossil fuels will soon be eliminated in the U. S. |
| D．there will be no vacant land for wind farms |
| A．has no scientific grounds | B．unreasonably excludes nuclear power |
| C．will be eventually lacking in funds | D．is not feasible in some aspects |
| A．The Coexistence of Fossil Fuels and Renewables |
| B．A Blueprint for a Carbon Free America |
| C．One Man's Dream: Determination and Innovation in Energy Future |
| D．Professor and his Solar and Wind Technology |
The year of 2017 marked the 100th birthday of the honoring Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei.
From museums to business headquarters, Pei had designed many notable buildings around the world throughout his long professional career. According to the organizers of ''Rethinking Pei: A Centenary Symposium (百年纪念座谈会)” held that year, Pei remained one of the most celebrated architects of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
The Hong Kong Bank of China Tower is one of his most famous works in Asia. As the bank itself also celebrated its centenary in 2017, it’s worth examining the building's historical and architectural background to gain a deeper understanding of the architect who changed Hong Kong's skyline forever.
The Bank of China Tower (BOC Tower) was completed in 1989, a year which the "New York Times" called ,•the year of I.M. Pei.” For it was in this same year that Pei also completed the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, the Creative Artist Agency Headquarters in Los Angeles, and other marvellous architectures all around the world.
Pei was commissioned (委托)in 1982 by the Beijing-based Bank of China to design itsheadquarters in Hong Kong, but construction did not start until 1985.
There were many reasons for the delay. One of the biggest was the huge challenges posed by the location. The land parcel had been the address of a Victorian building which served as a prison during Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945. This terrible heritage might be one of the reasons why it was dismantled in 1982.
For I.M. Pei, the challenge of the site was not its past, but its present: the relatively small land parcel was surrounded on three sides by elevated roadways serving high-speed heavy traffic, meaning there was no possible public pedestrian access. Then there was its awkward trapezoidal (梯形)shape and the fact that the site also had a deep north-south height difference.
Another challenge was the unavoidable comparison of the BOC Tower to the neighboring Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters(HSBC), which was also under construction. A spectacular building generously funded, its architect Norman Foster was simply told to create “the best bank building in the world.” At that time it was also the world's most expensive building, costing $668 million. The Bank of China Tower's budget was approximately one fifth of the budget allowed by HSBC.
The Hong Kong government had promised HSBC that no tall buildings would ever be built in front of its headquarters. Besides, in between the site of the Bank of China and the harbor, there were already a few buildings over 70 meters tall blocking views.
Recognizing that going tall was the only way to create a landmark at this site with his budget, Pei came up with an architectural tower design that was simple, expressive, innovative, and upon its completion, the tallest building outside of America and the fourth tallest in the world.
After the Bank of China officially moved into the tower in 1991, noted architect and critic Peter Blake visited the building and declared it to be "probably the most innovative skyscraper structure built anywhere to date."
Now 30 years after the building’s construction, the Bank of China Tower continues to offer valuable lessons of architectural and structural creativity under the most demanding conditions. Most importantly, the tower has become one of the most important cultural icons for the city of Hong Kong.
1. Which of the following descriptions of I.M. Pei is NOT true?| A．I.M. Pei completed the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1989. |
| B．I.M. Pei changed Hong Kong's skyline because he constructed the BOC tower. |
| C．I.M. Pei was universally acknowledged as one of the most celebrated architect. |
| D．I.M. Pei began the construction of BOC Tower directly he got the commission. |
| A．It was the 30th anniversary of the completion of the Bank of China ToweF’s construction. |
| B．The Bank of China officially began to use it as its headquarter in Hong Kong in this year. |
| C．Both Ieoh Ming Pei and Hong Kong and Shangliai Bank celebrated their 100th birthday. |
| D．A Centenary Symposium celebrating the 100th birthday of I. M. Pei was held that year. |
| A．The shape of the land parcel was a challenge to the architect. |
| B．The building of the Bank of China Tower was generously funded. |
| C．The heavy traffic surrounding the site stopped people from entering it. |
| D．The site had been a prison during Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. |
| A．tear down | B．take down | C．tear up | D．take up |
| A．⑦ | B．⑧ | C．⑨ | D．⑩ |
| A．only by getting over great difficulties can architects like LM. Pei achieve success |
| B．the Bank of China Tower was a great masterpiece showing I.M. Pei's creativity |
| C．compared with neighbouring HSBC, BOC Tower is much more extraordinary |
| D．it was the design of the BOC Tower that made I.M. Pei become world-famous |
