【推荐1】“Don’t be a victim.” That’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot if you take a crime-prevention class. Basically, it means that there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood that you’ll be mugged, assaulted, or otherwise attacked. Don’t wave your cash around like you’re a billionaire. Don’t be distracted on the subway. Walk with a purpose.

That last one is particularly important, because according to a new study from the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, some criminals are very good at sensing weakness based on the way you walk. Actually, serial killer Ted Bundy admitted in a personal interview in 1985 that “he could tell a victim by the way she walked down the street, the tilt of her head, the manner in which she carried herself, etc…” Unfortunately, research demonstrated the reality that criminals do in fact look for, or at least notice certain characters when selecting potential victims. While nothing excuses crime, knowledge is power in the sense that there are things we can do to protect ourselves when we are out alone.

In the report titled “Psychopathy and Victim Selection” the researchers surveyed 47 criminals at a maximum-security prison in Ontario and found that social predators are very good at picking victims based on their posture and gait(步伐). They noted that people might be releasing vulnerability to criminals through their postures, gestures, and exaggerated movements.

The researchers secretly filmed 12 people walking — eight women and four men, some of whom had been attacked before. Then, they showed the video to a group of criminals and asked them whether or not each person would make a good victim. These “victim ratings” were then compared against each person’s actual history of victimization. Sure enough, the people whom the criminals picked as “likely victims” were usually the ones who had been victimized in the past. These people were often said to have “walked like an easy target” — slowly, unfocused, with short steps.

The sample size here is really small. Maybe we shouldn’t give this study’s findings too much weight. Nevertheless, it emphasizes something that seems pretty unconscious. Criminals aren’t looking for a challenge. Rather, they want someone timid and inattentive. So stride down the street like you own it. Your new, aggressive gait may scare off criminals. And even if this study turns out to be total bullshit, you’ll still get where you’re going a lot faster.

1. Why does the author mention the serial killer Ted Bundy?

A．To call on more people to learn psychology.

B．To prove that someone can be a natural criminal.

C．To demonstrate some skills to distinguish criminals.

D．To emphasize the importance of the right walking habit.

2. How did the researchers conduct their research on victim selection?

A．By analyzing crime data in various neighborhoods.

B．By filming people walking and getting criminals’ opinions.

C．By filming criminals as they selected their potential victims.

D．By studying the psychology of crime victims in a maximum-security prison.

3. According to the research which gait will most attract criminals’ attention?

A．Distracted walking with short steps.

B．Purposeful walking with slow steps.

C．Walking with a group of people cheerfully.

D．Walking with confident and exaggerated movements.

4. What’s the author’s attitude toward walking confidently and aggressively?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Disapproving.

D．Indifferent.

【推荐2】In ancient Egypt, the rich soils along the Nile River supported roughly 3 million people. Now there are 30 times that number of people living in Egypt, with the Egyptian population soaring from 45 million in the 1980s to over 100 million now.

Just 4% of Egypt’s land is suitable for agriculture, and that number is reducing quickly due to the urban and suburban development. “It’s not an overstatement to say that this is a crisis,” said Nasem Badreldin, an expert at the University of Manitoba. “Satellite data shows that Egypt is losing about 2% of its farmland per decade due to urbanization, and the process is speeding. If this continues, Egypt will face serious food security problems.” According to one analysis, the amount of farmland near Alexandria dropped by 11% between 1987 and 2019, while urban areas increased by 11%. In recent years, the Egyptian government has promised to end unlicensed building on farmland, which remains a difficult task to fulfill.

Urbanization isn’t the only factor to reduce Egypt’s farmland. Sea level rise of 1.6 millimeters per year has contributed to the salinization (盐碱化) of farmland in Egypt. About 15% of Egypt’s richest farmland has already been damaged by sea level rise and saltwater intrusion (侵入). One response to the loss of farmland has included efforts to green parts of the desert. For instance, Farouk El-Baz, Boston University scientist, has planned to build highways, railways, water pipelines, and power lines to promote the establishment of new farmland in deserts west of the delta.

While that project hasn’t been finished, much of desert has turned into farmland in recent decades. The satellite photos show new farmland along the Cairo Highway. A mixture of center-pivot irrigation (灌溉) and drip irrigation makes farming in this area possible. “It is certainly possible to establish new farmland from the desert by tapping groundwater resources, though it’s a little expensive process,” said Badreldin.

1. What does the underlined “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The urban expansion.	B．The reduction of farmland.
C．The suburban development.	D．The growth of population.

2. How many factors are mentioned that have caused the loss of farmland?

A．Four.

B．Three.

C．Two.

D．Five.

3. What is Badreldin’s attitude to the establishment of new farmland?

A．Uncertain.

B．Optimistic.

C．Disapproving.

D．Unconcerned.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．Food Security Problems in Egypt

B．Urbanization Along the Nile River

C．Agricultural Development Along the Nile River

D．Egypt’s Disappearing Farmland

【推荐2】John, who has ADHD (多动症), was removed from the classroom after he refused to stop using a pair of safety scissors to cut his fingernails.

The practice is known as informal removal, defined by the U. S. Department of Education as an action taken by school staff in response to a child’s behavior that excludes the child for part or all of the school day—or even indefinitely. Informal removals can happen through frequent parent pickups, shortened school days or hours spent in”time-out“ rooms.

Too much use of informal removals amounts to a form of off-the-books discipline-in fact a denial of education that escapes responsibility, legal experts say. It has special meanings for kids with disabilities; Informally removing these students circumvents (规避) federal law that protects them from being repeatedly disciplined or removed from school for behaviors related to their disability.

In the law, if they are suspended (停学) for more than 10 days, families are entitled to a meeting with the school to determine whether the behaviors are a result of the child’s disability. If so, then the school must offer adjustments instead of suspension.

The Education Department’s July guidance made it clear that children who are informally removed have the same rights, such as reviews of whether the students’ behavior was a result of their disability, as those who have been officially suspended.

The Associated Press interviewed 20 families in 10 states who described being called repeatedly and at all hours of the school day to pick up their children. They had to leave work to get their child so frequently that they lost their jobs. Many felt they had no choice but to change schools, or even districts. It’s common and the reason for it is that most parents don’t know their rights, and the consequence for the school system is not enough to make them not do it. Families often do not know who they have to complain to. Sometimes they aren’t aware their child should not have been suspended in the first place.

1. What can be known about informal removal?

A．It is a right of teachers.

B．It only happens to kids with no disabilities.

C．It only lasts for several hours.

D．It’s equal to shaking off responsibility.

2. How should schools legally deal with disabled students who make mistakes?

A．Call their parents to pick them up.

B．Let them go home ahead of time.

C．Keep them in a separate room alone.

D．Talk with parents to find a solution.

3. What should parents do to protect their kids with disabilities?

A．Change their children’s schools for a better one.

B．Educate their children at home by themselves.

C．Protect their children’s rights by means of law.

D．Complain to schools about their practical difficulty.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The rights of kids with disabilities.

B．Informal removal and formal removal.

C．Informal removal for disabled children.

D．Special regulations for children with ADHD.