【推荐1】Dansh Boyd, who holds positions at Microsoft Research, New York University, and Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, has a pointed message for parents: Most everything we think we know about the way our kids are using the Internet is wrong. Boyd's new book, it's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, makes the case that the Internet isn't nearly as scary or damaging to young people as many moms and dads believe. As the mother of a 16-yaer-old, I found most of it fascinating. Here are two of my biggest takeaways:

Technology is not turning our teens into social misfits.

Although the image persists that young people would rather test than talk, and prefer connecting of Facebook than hanging out in person, Boyd says this isn't true. "Most of the teens that I met ... were desperate for the opportunity to leave their homes to gather with friends," she writes.

The trouble is that in many communities, young people have less freedom than they once did because they are so over scheduled and because parents are worried about their safety. "The era of being able to run around after school as long as you are home before dark is long over." Boyd notes.

To make up for this lost freedom, teens have turned to their computers. "The success of social media must be understood partly in relation to this shrinking social landscape." Boyd explains. Facebook, Twitter. Instagram, Snapchat, and other sites "are not only new public spaces: they are in many cases the only 'public' spaces in which teens can easily communicate with large groups of their peers."

Adolescents aren't as Internet savvy as we like to think.

Although teens have been called "digital natives" for having grown up practically glued to their computers and smart-phones, they still remain simple in many ways about what they find online. After all, they're just kids.

"Many of today's teens are indeed deeply engaged with social media ... but this does not mean that they have the knowledge or skills to make the most of their online experiences," Boyd writes. "The so-called 'digital natives,' far from being useful, is often a distraction to understanding the challenges that youth face in the networked world."

One area in which young people need help is in learning to distinguish between valid and misleading sources of information. "Teens may make their own media or share content online," Boyd observes, "but this does not mean that they inherently have the knowledge or perspective to critically examine what they consume."

Yet many teachers, librarians, and, yes, parents do. "Even those who are afraid of technology," Boyd says, "can offer valuable critical perspective."

As a mom or dad, the most important thing for your kid to plug into is your hard-earned wisdom.

1. Danah Boyd's new book mainly talks about ________.

A．the correct and wise use of the Internet for young people

B．teens' real social lives online and advice for parents

C．measures parents can take to deal with the damaging Internet

D．fascinating takeaways for a mother of a 16-year-old

2. According to Boyd, why are teens nowadays easily considered social misfits?

A．Because they seem to prefer to communicate through social networks.

B．Because they are too over scheduled to hang out with friends in person.

C．Because parents require them to stay at home more for safety reasons.

D．Because social networks offer them convenience of communication

3. An "Internet savvy" person is one who ________.

A．tends to be cheated over the Internet all the time

B．is completely absorbed in social networks all the time

C．knows how to fully and wisely use the Internet

D．has the ability to distinguish right from wrong

4. Boyd may suggest that parents should ________.

A．provide kids with more chances to leave homes and gather with friends

B．build more public places for kids to communicate with their peers

C．provide kids with knowledge and skills to help them to digital natives

D．filter out the misleading sources of information online for their kids

【推荐2】When we talk about healthy brain ageing we are really discussing one of two things: how to minimise ongoing damage to the hardware of the brain, mostly by keeping its blood supply as good as possible; or how to improve the operation of the brain's software.

    1    There is currently no magic bullet to protect the brain, but one area that has been best researched, and about which we can say with reasonable confidence,"this will help", is mental activity.

There is plenty of evidence that older people who stay mentally active, by learning a new language, doing crosswords or taking part in other intellectually challenging activities,preserve full cognitive function for longer. They have spent more time doing cognitively demanding activities over a lifetime, and they are, to some extent, buffered from the physical effects of brain ageing and degenerative diseases. We call this buffer "cognitive reserve"－ a back-up reservoir of brain function that can protect from the consequences of brain damage, allowing us to Continue to perform well. For example, people with a higher IQ, longer education or cognitively challenging employment have been found to have a lower risk of developing dementia.    2    In fact, studies have found that people with higher cognitive reserve who do get dementia exhibit less severe symptoms even when they have more brain damage than those with lower cognitive reserve.

    3     The more we understand about its role in protecting our brain and how to boost our reserve,the more effective we will be in designing interventions to keep the human brain healthier for longer. The good news is that cognitive reserve isn't exclusive to those who have the IQ of a genius or who've devoted their life to theoretical physics.     4    Therefore, taking part in cognitively challenging activities, learning new skills and continuing to “use it or lose it" probably applies no matter how old you are. Crucially,it's never too late to start.

A．We think it can be built up throughout life for everyone.

B．Though there is not enough scientific research about it, many suggestions have been put forward.

C．This is despite the fact that their brains actually show normal amounts of age- and disease-related damage.

D．However, studies about the potential of cognitive reserve for optimising the brain's resilience leave much to be desired.

E．Many ways of doing this have been suggested, but few have scientific weight behind them.

F．Yet there's still much to discover about the potential of cognitive reserve for optimising the brain's resilience.

【推荐1】A study, conducted by David Evans of the World Bank and Anna Popova of Stanford University, looked at 19 programs around the world in which individuals were given cash transfers from the government, either as a handout or as a “reward” for something like getting kids to school on time or taking them to the doctor for checkups．

Evans and Popova looked at the impact those cash transfers had on the family budget and whether or not they led to an increase in spending on alcohol and cigarettes ．What they found was that they almost always led to a reduction in a family’s alcohol and tobacco purchases．

The news may surprise some people, but it’s true, and the researchers have several theories about why．

One theory is that the cash transfer made things possible that once seemed impossible ． Investing in their kids’ education or buying healthier and more expensive foods may be within reach now, but without the cash handout, these goals weren’t even a possibility．So families cut back on other expenses (like alcohol and tobacco) to make those dreams a reality．

Another theory is that people just generally seem to do what they’re told．If they are given money and told to use it for their family’s welfare, in most cases, they will do just that．And that leads to the third theory: These cash transfers are usually given to women, and studies show that when women control the purse strings, more money is spent on taking care of their children．

Whatever the reason for the trend, the data is clear—families that receive cash handouts don’t waste the money on booze   and   cigarettes   as   was   previously thought ． Instead,   they   typically   use   that   money   for   the   benefit   of   their families．And that’s money well spent．

1. The study proves that ．

A．cash transfers help poor families get what would seem unavailable otherwise

B．cash should be given to poor people as a reward for something good for kids

C．given cash handouts, poor people would spend the money on alcohol and tobacco

D．poor people would save the cash given by the government for emergency needs

2. A cash transfer led to a reduction in a family’s alcohol and tobacco purchases because ．

A．the education gained with the cash would help them drop alcohol and tobacco

B．the money previously for alcohol and tobacco would help realize their dream

C．buying healthier and more expensive foods left less money for alcohol and tobacco

D．that was the promise made before the cash transfer was given to the poor family

3. In paragraph 5, when the author said “women control the purse strings”, he just meant “ ”．

A．women are told what to do	B．women are given the money
C．women know what to do with the money	D．women have the final word for money

4. The passage mainly tells us ．

A．how the study was carried out

B．why cash transfer is preferred

C．the findings of a study and explanations to them

D．the theories for a study about cash transfers

【推荐2】LONDON – Hillary Clinton got closer than any American woman to the nation’s top job, but her loss this week has thrown a spotlight back onto the question: Why has the United States lagged behind so many countries around the world in choosing a female leader?

Tiny Sri Lanka became the first to shatter the political gender barrier more than a half-century ago, back when that island nation was known as Ceylon. Its giant neighbor, India, followed a few years later.

Since then women have attained top leadership posts – president, prime minister or its equivalent – in more than 70 countries in Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific. Today women run two of Europe’s most powerful nations, Angela Merkel in Germany and Theresa May in Britain. So why not the United States?

Historians have offered a range of reasons. Many of the earlier women’s pathways were eased because their husbands or fathers were autocratic or charismatic leaders first. Some were chosen via parliamentary deal-making, not direct elections. Others were initially tapped as temporary leaders.

Some scholars theorize that European democracies may view women as more suited to high political office because their governments are known for generous social-welfare programs, something that seems maternal. In contrast, the president of the United States is primarily seen as commander in chief, which is a frame more difficult for women to fit into.

“America is still seen as the policeman of the world, the guardian of the world, and we still have a very gendered version of what leadership means,” said Laura A. Liswood, secretary-general of the United Nations Foundation’s Council of Women World Leaders, a network of current and former female prime ministers and presidents. “Not only do we have to be liked, we also have to be tough.”

Sue Thomas, a senior research scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Santa Cruz, California, said that unlike political leadership posts elsewhere, the U.S. presidency “is seen as a very masculine(男性) institution that for historical reasons is extremely hard for a female to approach.”

Gender was never far from the surface in the protracted presidential campaign, but experts cautioned against seeing the election as merely a referendum(公民投票权) on the idea of a female president.

“It’s hard to build a generalization about women candidates based on Hillary Clinton,” said Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies at Oxford University. “She is such a special case and unique figure, having been around for so long. Did people vote against her because she was a woman or because her name is Clinton? Of course it could be both.”

Still, many experts see an underlying（潜在的）bias that has discouraged American women from seeking political office, impeding the flow of potential female presidential candidates.

“What we have in the United States is a pipeline problem,” said Kathleen Dolan, chairwoman of the department of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Not enough women in the high-visibility, high-credibility offices. Not enough women running for school boards, county councils.”

The United States ranks 97th among 193 nations worldwide in the percentage of women in the lower house of Congress, according to data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

1. The passage mainly focuses on _________.

A．how women are popular in European democracies

B．why there is no female president in the USA

C．when women can come into power in the world

D．what can be done to change women’s status in America

2. The underlined word in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A．crush	B．challenge
C．attack	D．interfere

3. According to historians, many of the earlier women’s pathways were eased because ________.

A．they took advantage of their family resources

B．they were elected directly by the public

C．they were appointed as permanent leaders

D．they gained help from abroad

4. Why women in European countries are recognized as more suitable for high political duty?

A．Women in Europe are much more generous than those in other continents.

B．The democracies in Europe well match women’s roles in society.

C．Women in Europe are better at regulate their governments.

D．The democracies in Europe naturally have a preference for women.

5. From the passage, we can conclude that ________.

A．the president of America is extremely hard for a female to approach for intellectual reasons

B．election can be viewed as merely a referendum on the idea of a female president

C．Hillary Clinton would help set up a generalization about women candidates

D．women in America can’t seek proper ways to be involved in politics

6. The passage is most probably an introduction of ________.

A．conference summary	B．scientific research
C．remarks on current affairs	D．political campaign

【推荐3】Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers’ speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original songs performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intention was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover (营业额) .
These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated.
1. Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?

A．The number of its customers was declining

B．Its customers found the food unhealthy

C．It was in need of financial support

D．Most of its restaurants were closed

2. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Customers of Sparrow restaurants	B．Sparrow restaurants
C．Customers of other fast-food chains	D．other fast-food chains

3. For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?

A．To build a good relationship with the public

B．To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow

C．To lean about customers’ spending power.

D．To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants.

4. The TV ads of Sparrow ________ .

A．changed people’s views on pop stars

B．amused the public with original songs

C．focused on the superiority of its products

D．influenced the eating habits of the audience

5. What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?

A．He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts.

B．He made Sparrow much more competitive

C．He helped Sparrow take over a company

D．He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees

【推荐2】Technology is forever changing the way we get our news. Many people now get a lot of their news on electronic devices, instead of traditional media, such as newspapers, television or radio. Now, there is a new way we get the news: computer-created news readers.

Recently, China's Xinhua launched (推出) the world's first AI news presenters with the Chinese search engine Sogou. The news readers created by machine learning technology are based on two real-life newsmen. One is able to present newscasts in English; the other, in Mandarin Chinese.

One Xinhua's report said machine learning was used to examine video images and sounds of the two newsmen, which look and sound like real people.

Some machine learning experts said the system showed off China's latest progress in voice recognition, text-to-speech technology and data analysis. But several experts suggested that the term AI does not correctly describe abilities of the robotic news readers.

On social media, many Chinese noted that the AI presenters did not seem real. People blamed them for not being more lifelike. Others wondered about the effects robots might have on employment and workers. Some people argued that only low-level jobs requiring heavy labor will be easily replaced by robots. Others praised the technology as a way for companies to make money from low-cost labor machines.

Some businesses have experimented with similar technology for possible use in news operations. Britain's BBC recently released a video that used machine learning to make it look like one of its news readers speaking different languages. The London-based company that developed the system says its goal is to "remove the language barrier" for many different kinds of video across the Internet.

1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 1?

A．Introduce the topic of the text.

B．Summarize the different opinions.

C．Add some data about the AI presenters.

D．Compare different ways of getting news

2. What is the machine learning technology used to do?

A．To keep AI presenters from making any mistakes.

B．To make AI presenters speak more fluently.

C．To ensure images and sounds are like real persons.

D．To bring newscasts up to date every hour.

3. What are some people worried about when AI presenters were launched?

A．Robots will eventually replace human all over.

B．Robots may threaten some people's employment.

C．Robots may endanger most people's health.

D．Robots will rule over the world in the end.

4. From the last paragraph we know that______.

A．BBC has removed the language barrier in newscasts

B．BBC's news readers can speak different languages

C．BBC shows interest in Xinhua's AI news presenters

D．BBC has done similar experiments as Xinhua does

【推荐3】Humans once opposed coffee and refrigeration. Here’s why we often hate new stuff.

Humans have a habit of deliberately delaying their own progress. From coffee to mechanical refrigeration to genetically altered food, history is littered with innovations that caused resistance before they become fixtures in everyday life. But the past 600 years of human history help to explain why humans often oppose new technologies and why that pattern of opposition continues to this day. Calestous Juma, a professor of Harvard University, explores this phenomenon in his latest book, Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies.

Among Juma’s claims is that people do not fear innovation simply because the technology is new, but because innovation often means losing a piece of their identity or lifestyle, and separating people from nature or their sense of purpose—— two things that are fundamental to the human experience.

Juma identified in his research three key sources of opposition to innovation: those with commercial interests in existing products, those who identify with existing products, and those who might lose power as a result of change. The first group is perhaps the most obvious. Many industries have been disrupted by innovation. Just take a look at the pointless efforts of music publishers to stop the shift to digital music. Some consumers might oppose an innovation because the existing product is deeply rooted in their identity, culture or customs. Britons preferred tea time at home to sitting in a coffee shop, for example. Finally, the emergence of new technologies can also result in a shift in economic and political power, redistributing wealth and influence away from some groups, and toward others. The expansion of tractors （ 拖拉机） and other mechanical equipment reduced the need for farm labor, and the shift in population away from rural areas had significant political implications.

Humans make decisions about new innovations with their instinct rather than evidence. Opponents and enthusiasts of a new technology will often make shocking claims to support their arguments. Sometimes these claims are rooted in fact; other times they are not. People once claimed coffee could make you sterile （不育的）. Juma said beneath those arguments was typically an instinctive fear of new technologies, rather than a reasoned response. “People react intuitively, and they collect the evidence to support what they’re doing,”Juma said. “They see a new product and there is an emotional reaction to that product because it challenges their outlook on the world. This has been the story with almost every new product.”

Historically, technologists have been more concerned with the functionality of the products they create, paying less attention to the implications it may have on society at large, Juma contends. Fortunately, that may be starting to change.

1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 1 probable mean?

A．is in favour of

B．is full of

C．encourages

D．is held back

2. We can infer from the first two paragraphs that Juma’s book_____.

A．explores why history often repeats itself

B．focuses on the impact of technology on nature

C．analyzes the role of technology in social progress

D．researches the recurrence of a certain phenomenon

3. Which of the following statements is correct according to Paragraph 4?

A．A successful technological innovation can affect population flow.

B．British people have a strong sense of independence.

C．Opposition to innovation is mainly caused by loss of cultural identity.

D．Young people prefer digital music to traditional recordings.

4. In Juma’s opinion, people’s resistance to new technologies_____.

A．is a natural response

B．is not based on fact

C．arises from fear of challenges

D．reflects their prejudiced view of the world

5. It is implied in the last paragraph that technologists should give more consideration to_____.

A．the functionality of new products

B．the social usefulness of new products

C．the potential danger of new products

D．the social influence of new products