Students at Monument High School are participating in a unique activity called the Independent Project. The program is an “alternative” school that’s completely run by students—no teachers, parents, or adults are allowed—and they’re in charge of deciding their entire courses. What these teens study in the classroom and their homework are all entirely up to them.
Students aren’t taking this lightly—instead of reacting irresponsibly to the freedom to design their own studies, they’re eagerly grasping their own interests by writing poetry collections, learning instruments and taking flight lessons.
“I think the more choices we have in our schools, the more students we will help develop into the kind of citizens that we need,” Principal Marianne Young explains. “And that it’s okay for you to need a little bit of a different approach from mine.”
The only structure to the program is this: On Mondays students come up with questions that interest them about one of their school subjects, and then they spend the rest of the week researching and coming up with potential conclusions to these inquiries. On Fridays, they present this information to their classmates.
Teens express their satisfaction with the program because it accommodates different kinds of learners, even those who don’t always succeed in a traditional academic sense.
“I have dyslexia(阅读障碍), so it’s very hard for me to read, write and do those sorts of things. School has always been a big problem for me,” one student named Sergio explains. “If not for this program, I don’t know if I’d be graduating—I don’t know where I’d be right now. I think this has really been my savior and got me through the last two years of high school.”
1. What can we know about the Independent Project?| A．Normal school courses are a must. | B．There’re no teachers involved in it. |
| C．It aims to help students with math. | D．Students must study courses at home. |
| A．more course choices will benefit top students |
| B．teachers play a key role in students’ education |
| C．different learning styles should be encouraged |
| D．knowledge can be better gained by discussions |
| A．Approving. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
| A．The structure of a learning program. | B．The benefits of interactive learning. |
| C．An unusual educational program. | D．The differences in individual learning. |
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【推荐1】Listening to music was the most popular side activity for teens studying with another task. While we may prefer different kinds of focus music, the following playlist has the magical ability to promote concentration, brain power and creativity.
1. Classical music
A theory “The Mozart Effect” suggests classic music can better your brain’s attention.
There are also several studies done where students listening to classical music did better on tests than students with no music.
Suggestions:
·ClassicFM (a free radio streaming platform playing famous classical pieces)
·“Study Playlist: Classical Music” on Spotify
·“Classical Music for When You’re on a Deadline” on YouTube
2. Video game music
Video game music is designed to keep you absorbed and focused, which is also great for memorizing. When your brain is focused on just melody (旋律), it’s taking a break from trying to break down the lyrics (歌词) of a song and thus increases your performance.
Suggestions:
·“Video game soundtracks” on Spotify
·“Video game music for studying” on YouTube
·Choose favourites from this list and create your own playlist!
3. RnB
If you easily wander (走神), RnB may not be the best music for homework for you. There’s a high chance that you might spend too much time on the lyrics of the song. However, many RnB fans reported feeling more relaxed, focused, and less stressed.
Suggestions:
·“Study R & B Smooth Songs” on Spotify
·“Chill R & B Beats Mix—Beats to Relax and Study (Vol. 1)” on YouTube
4. Nature sounds
Nature sounds relax our nervous system, moods and focus. Some prefer listening to bird calls and animal noises, so feel free to explore if nature sounds aren’t the right music for homework for you.
Suggestions:
·“Nature Sounds For Concentration” on Spotify
·“Relaxing Nature Sounds for Sleeping” on YouTube
1. Which is proved to benefit students who will take exams?| A．RnB. | B．Nature sounds. | C．Classical music. | D．Video game music. |
| A．It aims to help you remember things. | B．Many of its fans feel much more relaxed. |
| C．Its melody leads to your desire to rest. | D．You can have the playlist of your own. |
| A．They are charged. | B．They are all popular. |
| C．They can be chosen as homework. | D．They can be found on Internet. |
| A．A musician. | B．A concert host. | C．A young learner. | D．A we-media developer. |
| A．To instruct. | B．To entertain. | C．To argue. | D．To review. |
【推荐2】How to Make Your Writing Flow?
Writing flow refers to how smoothly text flows from one sentence to the next and one paragraph to another.
1. Vary your sentence structure.
Using only short, choppy sentences creates a disconnected rhythm that disrupts the flow, while a series of long, complex sentences overwhelm readers.
2. Use transition words and phrases.
Transition words and phrases act like bridges between sentences and paragraphs. They create logical connections between ideas. Use transitions like “however,” “therefore,” “similarly,” and “in contrast” to glue sentences and paragraphs together smoothly.
3. Structure paragraphs around a central idea.
4.
Revisiting writing with fresh eyes makes flaws in flow and transitions more noticeable. Let your drafts rest for a day or two to prevent getting stuck reworking the same passage repeatedly. Approaching writing anew allows you to evaluate flow and smooth out imperfections with distance and objectivity.
| A．Don’t leave out the revising process. |
| B．Let completed drafts rest before editing. |
| C．The key is to mix sentence lengths to create fluid variety. |
| D．Place them at the beginning of a sentence or between independent clauses. |
| E．Flowing writing maintains the continuity of ideas and transitions logically. |
| F．Each paragraph should have a controlling idea relating to your overall theme. |
| G．As a writer, it is your responsibility to present your readers with a central idea. |
【推荐3】With schools close in the UK during the COVID-19 outbreak, most children must now be homeschooled. Parents have found themselves not only having to balance work and having the children at home but also having to try and teach them. How can you keep your children focused while learning?
Nicola Anderson — Head of Customer Support at the UK's leading online tutoring service My Tutor, provides new, up-to-date tips to hearten parents at this difficult time and advises how they can structure their children's days.
One is to keep to a regular timetable so it still feels like your child is taking part in the school day. Ms Anderson said, “Children of all ages do well on routine and boundaries; schools provide this in abundance and it will make most children feel secure and happy if they can follow a similar timetable for their homeschooling.”
Another tip is to create an environment which is favorable to learning. She said, “The environment should be free from distractions（分心）and ideally near to an open window, to provide them with appropriate levels of fresh air and natural light. Some children find it comfortable and helpful to have quiet, instrumental music playing in the background to help them to focus, but this isn't for everyone.”
Using technology to help with your child's learning is also advised. Many schools are offering online classes and resources to help and companies are reducing or even not charging their fees during this time.
It is also important to keep physical exercise as a part of your routine. Joe Wicks, otherwise known as The Body Coach, has been keeping kids healthy with daily 10 minute workouts for children on his Youtube channel. Ms Anderson said, “It can be anything from running around the garden, walking the dog, a game of football or dancing around your living room!”
1. Who is the text intended for?| A．Parents. | B．Teachers. | C．Coaches. | D．Students. |
| A．To allow children to adjust schedule freely. |
| B．To offer children peaceful study environment. |
| C．To recommend high-tech to online schools. |
| D．To combine routine with kids' mental health. |
| A．Home schooling. | B．Tutoring service. |
| C．Difficulty time. | D．A regular timetable. |
| A．How to study attentively at home. |
| B．How to obtain online learning resources. |
| C．How to improve homeschooling efficiency. |
| D．How to design a proper schedule. |
【推荐1】Dr. David Hetherington has spent over a decade looking at the feasibility (可行性) of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx (欧洲猞猁) to Scotland. In his new book, The Lynx and Us, Hetherington takes an in-depth look at the many issues surrounding this topic.
Hetherington begins there introduction discussion by establishing the history and ecology of the lynx, in relation to both human-lynx coexistence and geographical variations in distribution. Habitat and range requirements, prey (猎物) preferences and hunting methods are also detailed.
Armed with this background information, the reader is then taken through the nitty-gritty of lynx reintroduction by addressing the potential issues, many of which are based on human-wildlife conflict, such as safety and the impact of wild lynx, with much of the information backed up by conservation and research findings associated with the reintroductions of lynx in Europe. Hetherington addresses the significant problem of man-made barriers such as roads and rails. There are also considerations regarding prey species that are unused to having natural predators (捕食者) in their midst and the impact on prey populations.
The book looks at the feasibility of lynx reintroduction in the UK. While the reintroduction of lynx to Scotland is shown to be ecologically feasible, how desirable is it? Hetherington addresses each of the issues in-turn, using the significant knowledgebase that now exists regarding lynx ecology and the findings of research into lynx and their reintroductions elsewhere.
For anyone with an interest in lynx re wilding, The Lynx and Us is the “go-to” book.
Peter Cairns, director of there wilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, the book’s publisher, says, “With a growing national discussion about the advantages of restoring missing native species, it’s important that we all have access to balanced, factual information on which to base our opinions. That’s what this book sets out to provide.”
1. Which background information is absent from The Lynx and Us?| A．What lynx eat. | B．How lynx live. |
| C．How lynx and people coexist. | D．What lynx reintroduction will lead to. |
| A．The most basic causes. | B．The most useful functions. |
| C．The most important details. | D．The most common methods. |
| A．The popularity of The Lynx and Us. |
| B．The importance of The Lynx and Us. |
| C．The different ways of voicing our opinions. |
| D．The advantages of restoring missing native species. |
| A．A book review. | B．A research report. |
| C．A description of lynx. | D．An introduction to a scientist. |
【推荐2】Despite Ecoador’s tough protection, there have been many giant tortoises(陆龟)killed recently, probably for their meat for financial gains made by wildlife hunters.
For a century, Ecuador’s beautiful and endangered giant tortoises have been protected. Hunting the tortoise is illegal under Ecuador’s laws. These species, living on the Galápagos Islands, are one of the largest living reptiles(爬行动物) with the longest life span of all vertebrates. The oldest tortoise on record was 175 years old.
“This isn’t a solitary incident,” the Galápagos Conservancy, a US-based conservation organization said. “In September 2021, the remains of 15 other endangered giant tortoises were found on Isabela. The reptiles had likely been hunted for consumption.”
The islands are located around 600 miles off the shore of Ecuador’s coast, in the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago(群岛) is considered one of the world’s best places to see wildlife, and it is home to animal and plant species that are found nowhere else in the world.
Their famously fearless wildlife is believed to have been a source of inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution, following his visit to the islands in 1835. The islands were actually discovered by accident in 1535 when a Spanish ship was blown off course while sailing from Panama to Peru. Ironically enough, the ship’s captain was unimpressed by the islands, writing to the king that they were “worthless”. That view, of course, changed over time. Now about 25,000 people live in the four inhabited islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela. San Cristóbal, and Floreana.
There were once at least 250,000 giant tortoises on the islands; there are fewer than 15,000 in the wild today—and two subspecies are already extinct. “Evidence from the 2021investigation showed that the reptiles bad likely been hunted for consumption,” Galápagos Conservancy continued. “Many are worried the population will continue to decrease if serious action isn’t taken soon. We must safeguard giant tortoises and the ecosystems they depend on.”
1. What made Ecuador’s giant tortoises endangered according to the text?| A．Illegal hunting. |
| B．Natural disasters. |
| C．Environmental pollution. |
| D．The decrease in shelters. |
| A．Serious. | B．Demanding. |
| C．Single. | D．Disturbing. |
| A．Darwin’s theory of evolution. |
| B．People living on the archipelago. |
| C．The sailing from Panama to Peru. |
| D．The discovery of the archipelago. |
| A．The way to safeguard the tortoises. |
| B．The further research on the tortoises. |
| C．The long history of the tortoises. |
| D．The urgency of protecting the tortoises. |
【推荐3】“The arrival of ChatGPT will push educators to focus more on teaching subjects that technology is not good at.” Andreas Schleicher said, who is director of education and skills for the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. He welcomes this development and thinks it gives people the chance to concentrate less on tasks that technology can also do well.
The future is not about technology vs humans. The future is about integrating technology with humans. ChatGPT pushes us to think harder of what makes us human.
“The world no longer rewards you just for what you know. Baidu knows everything. The world rewards you for what you can do with what you know, and ChatGPT pushes us to work harder on this. If students are only as smart as a smartphone, it means educators are not doing enough. People should focus on developing human skills that actually are important, such as imagination and creativity.” Schleicher said in an interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the World Digital Education Conference.
The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) really pushes people to think hard about what education is and the purpose it serves, as well as what knowledge, skills, attitudes and values humans have that complement (补充) artificial intelligence.
ChatGPT is not connected to the Internet, so it can’t replace search engines. Search engines such as Google or Baidu simply extract (提取) knowledge, while ChatGPT goes a step further and analyzes a search before providing a single answer.
As a device, ChatGPT is going to make learning much more interesting and powerful, but as a purpose and objective, humans need to work very hard to win that race with technology.
1. What may Schleicher agree with?| A．ChatGPT is fighting against humans. |
| B．Students are just as smart as a smartphone. |
| C．People who can do with their knowledge will be more successful. |
| D．ChatGPT pushes educators to concentrate more on subjects technology is good at. |
| A．ChatGPT has connection to the Internet. |
| B．ChatGPT has the function of analysis. |
| C．ChatGPT is a more powerful search engine. |
| D．ChatGPT knows more than Google and Baidu. |
| A．ChatGPT to Influence Future Education |
| B．The Future Development of ChatGPT |
| C．The Development of Future Education |
| D．The Race between ChatGPT and Humans |
| A．Tourism. | B．Business. |
| C．Education. | D．Amusement. |
