In the United States and other countries, schoolchildren have long learned from one kind of world map. It is called the Mercator projection. This version of map is more than 450 years old. Gerardus Mercator, a European mapmaker, designed it for the purpose of helping sailors and ships on the high seas.
But map experts say the Mercator projection should not be used in schools. They say it does not correctly show the sizes of countries and continents. For example, Mercator maps make Greenland appear bigger than China. In fact, China is about four times larger than Greenland.
Now, school officials in Massachusetts are replacing the Mercator map with the Peters projection. German historian Arno Peters worked on the projection in the 1970s. Peters’ aim was to fix Mercator’s problems with sizes.
Seeing a Peters map for the first time can be a strange experience. Land masses may look stretched (拉伸的) compared to how they look on the Mercator s and some other world maps.
Every map has its purpose. At first, the main purpose of Gerardus Mercator’s map was to help sailors get across the open seas without getting lost. When the Mercator map is used for other purposes than navigating (航行), such as on classroom walls as a representation of the real world, that’s like using a telephone to brush your teeth. The aim of the Peters projection was to show all countries, all regions, all continents, at their own actual sizes.
The Mercator and Peters projections are just two of many kinds of world maps that may hang in school classrooms. Many public schools in China, for example, use a map that shows East Asia near the center. It is human nature to view one’s own place near the center of the world. Mercator himself put Germany—his adopted homeland—near the middle of his map.
Maps are powerful tools. And the map from which students learn about the world can make a big difference in their understanding of others.
1. Why is the Mercator projection said to be unfit for school use?| A．It was designed too long ago. | B．It can’t provide exact information. |
| C．It doesn’t suit the changing world. | D．It only shows the position of the seas. |
| A．To correct the mistakes in the Mercator map. | B．To help students learn about geography. |
| C．To take the place of the Mercator map. | D．To compete with the Mercator map. |
| A．Different characters of their makers. | B．Different realization of the world. |
| C．Their different purposes. | D．Their different times. |
| A．They should put one’s country in the center. | B．They should be the most advanced ones. |
| C．They are the most important materials. | D．They have a great effect on students. |
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【推荐1】How to get rid of back-to-school stress
Get organized by visiting the school and meeting the teachers.
It’s great because you get an idea of what the school year will be like and for the rest of the term, whenever your child talks to you about school you can place a face with the name.
Get the teacher’s e-mail address.
This is how most of the schools communicate in today’s society. In addition, ask for a contact number. It will be very useful in case you have a question about anything at all.
Know bus stop routes and bus stop rules.
If your child is riding the bus, don’t forget to walk with them to the bus stop and describe what type of behavior the school expects of your child at the bus stop and on the bus. If your child is not at least in the fourth grade, you may want to stay there until the bus comes. After the age of 10, he is not going to want you there. Never leave your child at the bus stop alone. Make sure other children are there.
Make plans for a tutor right away.
If you know your child will need a tutor, ask the teacher if she is available for tutoring. If she does not offer tutoring, ask for recommendations. Don’t wait until your child is falling behind others. Private tutors are still the best in my book. They are not at all as expensive as most of the learning centers, especially if it is a retired teacher.
1. What’s the most common way to communicate with the teacher？| A．Going to school in person. | B．Talking on the telephone. |
| C．Sending a message on the Internet. | D．Passing on messages by your child. |
| A．the bus doesn’t arrive | B．no other pupils are there |
| C．your child asks you to | D．your child is under 10 |
| A．Don’t wait until the last minute to find a tutor for your children. |
| B．Children are sure to be safe after the age of 10. |
| C．The teachers are organized for you to meet. |
| D．Your call to the teacher will not be answered. |
【推荐2】Newborns begin to develop language skills long before they begin speaking. And, compared to adults, they develop these skills more quickly. People have a hard time learning new languages as they grow older, but babies have the ability to learn any language easily.
For a long time, scientists have tried to explain how such young children can learn the complicated (复杂的) grammatical rules and sounds of a language. Now, researchers are getting a better idea of what’s happening in the brains of the tiniest language learners. This new information might help kids with learning problems as well as adults who want to learn new languages. It might even help scientists who are trying to design computers that can communicate like people do.
Most babies go “ma ma” by 6 months of age, and most children speak in full sentences by age 3. For many years, scientists have wondered how the brains of young children figure out how to communicate using language. With the help of new technologies, scientists are now finding that babies begin life with the ability to learn any language. They get into contact with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.
Studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world. Starting at around 6 months old a baby’s brain focuses on the most common sounds it hears. Then, children begin responding only to the sound s of the language they hear the most.
In a similar way older babies start recognizing the patterns that make up the rules of their native language. For example, English children who are about 18 months old start to figure out that words ending in “-ing” or “-ed” are usually verbs, and that verbs are action words.
1. The new research in the second paragraph can be helpful in ______.| A．finding successful language learners | B．teaching kids with learning problems |
| C．designing human-shaped computers | D．improving babies’ language ability |
| A．repeating the words of other people | B．remembering the full sentences they hear |
| C．hearing and closely watching others behave | D．figuring out the meaning of different sounds |
| A．why babies pay more attention to sounds |
| B．how babies respond to what they hear most often |
| C．why verbs in a language attract the most attention of a baby |
| D．how babies master the grammatical rules of their native language |
| A．discuss | B．educate | C．inform | D．entertain |
【推荐3】For high school seniors who are admitted to multiple colleges, deciding which one to attend often requires additional research and careful consideration. The traditional decision day of May I is approaching, though some colleges have pushed that date back as campuses shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic (新冠疫情). As deadlines approach, here are some ways that parents can help, starting with their role in the decision process.
Choosing a college is an exciting but stressful process for many tens. Parents should try to be understanding instead of adding more stress. Getting into a good college isn’t about impressing the neighbors. Although it may be easier said than done, parents shouldn’t compare their ten’s college acceptances or rejections with those of their friends’ children, says Christopher Rim, founder and CEO of Command Education. Doing so just adds more stress to the college decision process, he says. “Not comparing is obviously the advice that I give,” Rim says. “Every student is without doubt so special, so unique and has different passions and interests.”
Teens have probably already spent some time looking into the academic offerings of each college they applied to, but experts say it doesn’t hurt for families to do some additional research before making a final college choice. Parents can help their teens research and think through the width and depth of academic opportunities offered at a college, Christine Chu, a premier college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a New York-based education consulting company, wrote in an email. This includes the majors and minors (副修科目) provided, course selections, accessibility of faculty, undergraduate research opportunities and study abroad programs, she said.
Anyway, if parents really want the students to have buy-in into their choice, it needs to be their choice.
1. What can we know about the traditional decision day?| A．It has been postponed owing to the pandemic. |
| B．It is set for parents to choose a college for their teens. |
| C．It has been cancelled because few students care about it. |
| D．It is set for students to decide which college to attend on their own. |
| A．The reputation of a college counts among neighbors. |
| B．The choice of a college has something to do with neighbors. |
| C．Choosing a college actually concerns nobody but the student only. |
| D．Neighbors will applaud a student if he or she is admitted into a good university. |
| A．Considering courses offered first. |
| B．Taking research chances into account. |
| C．Reflecting on employment opportunities. |
| D．Thinking carefully about the future career. |
| A．To inform students of how to apply for a college. |
| B．To stress the importance of making the right choice. |
| C．To urge students to make college decisions cautiously. |
| D．To suggest what parents can do in helping their teens select a college. |
【推荐1】Students leave college without graduating for a variety of reasons. Berklee Online’s Degree Completion program offers them a road back.
When A. David Ucci left Berklee College of Music in 1994, he was six credits shy of graduating. But the music production and engineering student was offered an opportunity he couldn’t miss: an assistant engineering position at the Hit Factory, which got 41 Grammy nominations (提名) that year. The decision was hard to make. Ucci would be leaving school, and he was also leaving behind a small production company he had formed with other Berklee students. Nevertheless, he left.
Berklee doesn’t want its students to regret anything. That’s why it offers something specifically for students like Ucci: Degree Completion. In the program, Berklee staff work closely with former students to create an individually tailored path to graduation.
Online classes are designed to allow a high level of engagement (参与) between teachers and students. Professor Kenn Brass offers internet “office hours” three times a week. Brass says he “pushes the envelope” for his students “every chance I get.” He knows from personal experience that college isn’t always a straight line from start to finish; it took him seven years to earn his bachelor’s degree from Governors State University.
For Ucci, not having a degree didn’t seem like a problem for a while. However, after he worked his way up to general manager of Guitar Center’s flagship store, he began to find it difficult to advance.
After Ucci graduated in 2019, he left Guitar Center for a director of sales position at a wine chain, a position he wouldn’t have even been qualified for without an undergraduate degree. Finishing his degree means his career options are no longer limited by a decision he made to follow his dreams more than 25 years ago.
“Education should be a lifelong effort,” says Carin Nuernberg, Berklee’s vice president of academic strategy. “I’m really proud of the fact that we’re helping students figure out that path to completion.”
1. Why did Ucci drop out of Berklee?| A．He didn’t have enough credits. | B．He obtained a good job. |
| C．He was nominated for a Grammy. | D．He founded a company. |
| A．Appreciative. | B．Casual. |
| C．Caring. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．His career development. | B．His perfect sales skills. |
| C．His engagement in engineering. | D．His devotion to education. |
| A．To advocate learning online. | B．To share the experience of Ucci. |
| C．To introduce an online program. | D．To stress the importance of a degree. |
【推荐2】Our culture is the system we use to build our identity. All living things are part of a culture. Even animals have a culture! So what is culture? It’s the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual family. Within our families we do things to build relationships with each other. This can include routines like daily housework and weekly shopping. It also includes traditions. Traditions are activities that are repeated on a regular basis.
Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community groups. These larger groups are called societies. Every society makes rules for itself. It decides how people should act in different situations. Some of these rules are written down. Some are just things that are naturally expected of all members of that society.
Often, cultures can be recognized by what the people believe. Cultures are also known by what they choose to include in their art. Sometimes a society forms around people who speak the same language. Cultures may also be known for their customs, including the foods they make and the things they do.
Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are very strong feelings connecting us to our own society. Two different cultures may disagree on something, especially if they both feel strongly about it. When that happens, war is a common result.
People are learning better ways to communicate with each other. The more we learn, the more we appreciate the differences in cultures.
1. The underlined word “routines” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.| A．personal hobbies | B．personal behaviors |
| C．family activities | D．daily activities |
| A．In arts. | B．In societies. | C．In families. | D．In languages. |
| A．Culture doesn’t exist in animals. |
| B．Culture is the way we behave. |
| C．Culture may not agree with each other. |
| D．Culture help us understand ourselves. |
| A．By building a wall. | B．By preparing to fight. |
| C．By communicating. | D．By making friends. |
【推荐3】“Why does grandpa have ear hair?” Just a few years ago my child was so curious to know “why” and “how” that we had to cut off her questions five minutes before bedtime. Now a soon-to-be fourth grader, she says that she dislikes school because “it’s not fun to learn.” I am shocked. As a scientist and parent, I have done all to promote a love of learning in my children. Where did I go wrong?
My child’s experience is not unique. Psychologist Susan Engel notes that curiosity — defined as “spontaneous (自发的) investigation and eagerness for new information” — drops greatly in children by the fourth grade.
In Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science, Yale psychologist Frank C. Keil details the development of wonder — a spontaneous passion to explore, discover, and understand. He takes us on a journey from its early development, when wonder drives common sense and scientific reasoning, through the drop-off in wonder that often occurs, to the trap of life in a society that denies wonder.
As Keil notes, children are rich in wonder while they are rapidly developing causal mechanisms (因果机制) in the preschool and early elementary school years. They are sensitive to the others’ knowledge and goals, and they expertly use their desire for questioning. Children’s questions, particularly those about “why” and “how,” support the development of causal mechanisms which can be used to help their day-to-day reasoning.
Unfortunately, as Keil notes, “adults greatly underestimate (低估) young children’s causal mechanisms.” In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.
A decline in wonder is not unavoidable. Keil reminds us that we can accept wonder as a positive quality that exists in everyone. I value wonder deeply, and Wonder has given me hope by suggesting a future for my children that will remain wonder-full.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage in paragraph 1?| A．By listing some statistics. | B．By presenting an explanation. |
| C．By making some comparison. | D．By asking some questions. |
| A．They annoy their parents too often. |
| B．They ask too many strange questions. |
| C．Their desire for fun disappears quickly. |
| D．Their desire to learn weakens sharply. |
| A．They control children’s sensitivity. |
| B．They slightly change in early childhood. |
| C．They hardly support children’s reasoning. |
| D．They develop by children’s questioning. |
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A children’s story. |
