MOOC, a massive(大规模的) open online course, aims at providing interactive discussion and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user forums (论坛) that help build a community for the students, professors, and teaching assistants.
MOOCs first made waves in the fall of 2011, when Professor Sebastian Thrun from Stanford University opened his graduate-level artificial intelligence course up to any student anywhere, and 160,000 students in more than 190 countries signed up. This new kind of online classes is shaking up the higher education world in many ways. Since the courses can be taken by hundreds of thousands of students at the same time, the number of universities might decrease greatly. Professor Thrun has even imagined a future in which there will only need to be 10 universities in the world. Perhaps the most impressive thing about MOOCs, many of which are being taught by professors at prestigious (声誉高的) universities, is that they're free. This is certainly good news for cash-strapped students.
There is a lot of excitement and fear about MOOCs. While some say free online courses are a great way to increase the enrollment (注册) of students who are lack of resources, some critics (批评者) have said that MOOCs encourage an unrealistic one-size-fits-all model of higher education and that there is no replacement for true dialogues between professors and their students. After all, a brain is not a computer. We are not blank hard drives waiting to be filled with data. People learn from people they love and remember the things that arouse emotion. Some critics worry that online students will miss out on the social aspects of college.
1. What can we learn about MOOCs?| A．It is cheap to take the courses. |
| B．Most courses are about artificial intelligence. |
| C．They have decreased the number of universities. |
| D．Many courses are offered by professors from famous universities. |
| A．fond of money | B．short of money |
| C．careful with money | D．familiar with money |
| A．The limited courses offered around the world. |
| B．The disappearance of traditional course materials. |
| C．The overreliance on professors from good universities. |
| D．The lack of social interaction among students and professors. |
| A．To give an introduction of MOOCs. |
| B．To put an advertisement for MOOCs. |
| C．To describe the influence of artificial intelligence. |
| D．To express a critical attitude towards artificial intelligence. |
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These two young students were experiencing something called test anxiety. Because a student worries and is stressed about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually does. The student cannot write or think clearly because of the severe tension and nervousness.
Now there are special university courses to help students. In these courses, advisors and psychologists try to help students by teaching them to manage test anxiety. Such a course helps students learn to live with stress and not fail because of it. First students take a practice test to measure their worry level. If the tests show that their stress level is high, the students can take a short course to manage the fear. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies. They get training to become calm in very tense situations. By controlling their nervousness, they can let their minds work more easily. Learned information then comes out without difficulty on a test.
Doreen Sykora saw immediate results after taking such a course. She now has enthusiasm about the relaxation methods. “Mostly, what I do is imagine myself in a very calm place. Then I imagine myself picking up a pencil. I move slowly and carefully. I breathe easily and let all the tension out. With each breath, more worry leaves me. It really works too. My grades have improved greatly! I’m really doing well at McGill now. This relaxation method works not only on examinations, but it has improved the rest of my life as well.”
For Hitoshi in Tokyo, the results were much the same. He is enjoying school a lot more and learning more.
1. What is the similarity between Doreen Sykora and Hitoshi Sakamoto?
| A．They both had experiences of test anxiety. |
| B．They failed in all the examinations. |
| C．They are students from the same university. |
| D．They both had the same poor studying habits. |
| A．get an extra paper |
| B．be unable to think clearly |
| C．lose interest in the exam |
| D．refuse to take the exam |
| A．To learn more knowledge about test anxiety. |
| B．To show a stress level experienced by students. |
| C．To help students to reduce test anxiety. |
| D．To have a better understanding of test anxiety. |
Course 1: General English
General English is designed to develop students’ basic communication skills in: Speaking and Pronunciation, Reading, Listening, Writing, Grammar and Vocabulary. Tuesday to Friday: 9:00 am to 11:00 am, $288 per week.
Course 2: Academic English
Academic English is for students who want to take the IELTS exam or for those who need to use English in a professional area. Monday to Friday: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, $ 320 per week.
Course 3: High School ESL
Why not make the most of your time studying in Australia with the help from TIES? We have High School ESL classes each week specifically designed for international students. Tuesday to Friday: 8:00 am to 11:00 am, $ 25 per hour.
Course 4: Night Classes
Do you want to improve your English and get the best possible results in your GRE test? We have two night classes each week designed to meet your needs. Tuesday and Thursday evenings: 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm, $ 60 per day.
Course 5: One on One
If you are interested in some One on One lessons with TIES teachers, we can design a course to meet your needs. One on One lessons can improve your English language skills more quickly and help students who want to take TOEFL. Tuesday to Friday: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, $ 80 per hour.
1. If you are an English beginner, you’d better choose________.
| A．General English | B．High School ESL |
| C．Night Classes | D．Academic English |
| A．Course 1. | B．Course 2. |
| C．Course 3. | D．Course 4. |
| A．$ 200. | B．$ 300. | C．$ 500. | D．$ 600. |
| A．Its lessons are given in the morning. |
| B．It’s especially designed for English beginners. |
| C．It’s more expensive than the other courses. |
| D．Its lessons are designed to only improve writing skills. |
| A．Course 1 or Course 5 | B．Course 3 or Course 4 |
| C．Course 2 or Course 4 | D．Course 1 or Course 3 |
【推荐3】Etiquette Matters Centre presents 2-Day Confidence and Manners Workshop
Always wanted to give yourself the cutting edge that sets you apart from your peers (同龄人)?
Our 2-Day Confidence and Manners Workshop will give you much needed improvement and empower you with the soft skills that will set you apart from your peers and serve you well into adulthood.
This highly-respected, incredibly effective workshop is a hot favourite among parents and children. Through this workshop, our center aims to empower you with confidence in your interaction in various social situations.
Highlight of the Workshop
Day 1
Building self-esteem (自尊) through positive self-talk.
Recognizing the importance of effective listening.
Mastering the art of public speaking with confidence.
Obstacle Course Confidence Challenge.
Day 2
Manners in social media.
Dining manners experience.
Observing respectful manners in social settings.
Presentation of certificates of completion to participants.
Hurry! Slots are Limited!
Dates: 12 December (Saturday) & 13 December (Sunday)
Timing: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Age of participants: 9 to 12 years old
Fees: $650 per child (inclusive of course material and lunch and tea for 2 days)
Early bird discounts: 5% off for participants who register before 1 November and a free goodie bag worth $60.
To register:
Book through sistick.com or come down to our head office at 65 Bras Basin Road.
For more information, please visit our website, call us or follow us on social media.
1. Participants in the workshop can ______.| A．experience the joy of learning | B．build social skills and confidence |
| C．equip the power of soft skills | D．promote their relationship with peers |
| A．Dining manners experience. |
| B．Manners in social media. |
| C．Mastering the art of public speaking with confidence. |
| D．Recognizing the importance of effective listening. |
| A．Course material. | B．A free goodie bag. |
| C．Tea and dinner. | D．A discount for workshop. |
【推荐1】Children spend more time messaging each other on phones and websites than talking in person, a survey has revealed. Text messages and social networking sites have become the common mode of youngsters aged 8 to 14.
A survey of modern childhood found that many youngsters are conscious that they are spending too much time on their computers and enjoy themselves the most when playing outside. But the lure (诱惑) of electronic products proves too strong for a quarter, while a fifth say their parents don’t like them playing outside because they are worried about strangers and injuries.
The “I Generation report” suggested that youngsters are increasingly health-conscious and skeptical (持怀疑态度的) of commercialization, including gender-based labelling on toys and pop videos released by singers. More than half of those questioned care about eating healthily and one in 10 lectures their own parents about the food they are eating or buying, 42 percent of those questioned own a smartphone, with 36 percent admitting spending more time communicating with friends via instant messaging, such as texts or networking websites, than talking in person. Only one child in 100 said that being happy, having a loving family and being clever were taken as the most crucial (决定性的) elements in their lives.
Cary Cooper, the professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said social media were contributing to youngsters becoming more independent. They had a sense of individuality due to exposure to a range of media.
The survey follows major state-backed research which found that youngsters are turning their back on drink, drugs and smoking. It found a dramatic drop in the number of secondary school students trying and regularly using drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Some analysts said that thanks to the rise of social media, millions of teenagers are spending their time at home in their rooms rather than out on the streets.
1. What is the topic of this article?| A．Childhood. | B．Time. | C．Media. | D．Life. |
| A．They are not allowed to hang out long. |
| B．They are protected from strangers and injuries. |
| C．They enjoy themselves most when playing outside. |
| D．They can’t resist the temptation of the products. |
| A．are fans of the pop videos released by singers |
| B．message each other more rather than chat in person |
| C．are doubtful about possessing the latest smartphones |
| D．pay no attention to their lifestyle nowadays |
| A．objective | B．negative |
| C．supportive | D．unclear |
| A．the benefits of social media | B．the drop of taking drugs in youngsters |
| C．the exposure to a range of media | D．youngsters are becoming more conscious |
【推荐2】In today’s youth culture, it seems as if teens are permanently glued to their cellphones, constantly receiving beeping, buzzing and blinking social media notifications (通知). We often hear of the harm of social media to teens and young people, but our latest research on young girls and boys has revealed that social media is not always negative.
In some cases, we found that social media can positively influence their health and well-being, by helping them learn about healthy eating or new workouts to try. Besides, social media provides space for young people to talk to each other about issues of health.
For our study, conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham and Orebro University, we invited over 1,300 young girls and boys, aged 13-18, from ten UK schools. We were interested in better understanding how young people use social media, and how they feel it impacts their health and well-being. To do this, we selected 84 participants from the main sample and had them take part in small group interviews.
The results showed that social media often had a positive influence on young people’s motivation for being physically active and on their ability to make conscious diet choices. Social media also allowed them to access the information they found inspirational, and learn about different apps they could use to be physically active or monitor their progress. They reported that likes, comments, and views on their social media posts also helped them stay motivated to exercise.
Encouragingly, the young people we spoke to were also highly discerning users of social media. They thought carefully about the content they were engaging with online. For instance, the teenagers reported that they would often ignore content that had the potential to lead to harm, such as images or videos that presented unrealistic workouts or expectations for their bodies.
While the risks should certainly not be overlooked, our findings show that social media can have a positive effect on young people’s health and well-being. A benefit of social media is that it provides real-time, low-cost information, and support from their peers. Making young people use social media safely, critically and responsibly may thus help them continue to lead a healthy life.
1. What is the main finding of the latest research mentioned in the text?| A．Young people make better use of social media. |
| B．Teenagers use social media more than expected. |
| C．Social media proves to be of great benefit to young people. |
| D．New evidence adds to the harm of social media |
| A．They made thorough analyses at two universities. |
| B．They collected data from the database of ten UK schools. |
| C．They referred to the findings of several previous studies. |
| D．They conducted group interviews with young girls and boys. |
| A．have great freedom | B．enjoy special privileges |
| C．show good judgment | D．have an influence on others |
| A．Making full use of their online time |
| B．Using social media in a smart way |
| C．Taking full responsibility for their health. |
| D．Keeping informed of low-cost information. |
【推荐3】Portia Kapraun has always seen unwelcome ads on Twitter, usually from major brands pitching (竭力推销) her expensive jewelry or vehicles that she, as a librarian in Indiana, could not afford. Ms. Kapraun was not interested. But she soon saw the ads again. And again. And again. “These feel like low-end ads,” she said. In a shaky advertising market in an uncertain economy, ads that few people want to see suddenly seem to be everywhere.
Advancements in digital advertising technology were meant to improve users’ experience. People interested in shoes are intended to get ads for sneakers and boots, not repeated pitches promoting gold investments. And the technology is supposed to remove misleading or dangerous pitches. But lately, on several platforms, the opposite seems to be happening for a variety of reasons, including a slowdown in the overall digital ad market. As numerous deep-pocketed markets have pulled back, and the softer market has led several digital platforms to lower their ad pricing, opportunities have opened up for less demanding advertisers.
Advertising experts agree that poor-quality ads appear to be increasing greatly. They point to a variety of potential causes: internal troubles at technology companies, weak content moderation (审核), and high-level advertisers seeking other choices. Then, there’s the economy: A recent survey of 43 multinational companies representing more than $44 billion in advertising spending found that nearly 30 percent planned to cut back on their marketing spending last year.
Other factors are also contributing to lower advertising quality. Social media advertising, once only practiced by specialists, is now easily available to anyone. Many of them are avoiding targeted ads—placements intended to reach specific audiences, usually at a higher cost -- in favor of a cheaper spray-and-pray (广撒网式的) approach online, hoping to catch the attention of gullible (容易受骗的) or bored shoppers. Major social media platforms are now like “a mall that used to be good”, Corey Richardson, vice president at a multicultural ad company, says. “But now there’s no longer a mall there —it’s just a place selling anything.”
1. What message does the author want to deliver in Portia Kapraun’s story?| A．Repeated ads have a strong power of persuasion. |
| B．Social media users often encounter unwanted ads. |
| C．Major brands usually prefer social media advertising. |
| D．An uncertain economy leads to lower levels of consumption. |
| A．They are forced to exit the digital ad market. |
| B．They have benefited from advertising experts. |
| C．They work hard to improve their users’ experience. |
| D．They can now advertise at a more affordable price. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unclear. | C．Favorable. | D．Hopeful |
| A．Where is social media advertising heading? |
| B．What is shaking up the online advertising market? |
| C．Why are you seeing so many bad digital ads now? |
| D．How are targeted ads impacting your-purchase decisions? |
