【推荐1】There is no denying that students should learn something about how computers work, just as we expect them at least to understand that the internal-combustion engine(内燃机）has something to do with burning fuel, expanding gases and pistons(活塞）being driven. For people should have some basic idea of how the things that they use do what they do. Further, students might be helped by a course that considers the computer's impact on society. But that is not what is meant by computer literacy.For computer literacy is not a form of literacy(读写能力）; it is a trade skill that should not be taught as a liberal art.

Learning how to use a computer and learning how to program one are two distinct activities. A case might be made that the competent citizens of tomorrow should free themselves from their fear of computers. But this is quite different from saying that all ought to know how to program one.Leave that to people who have chosen programming as a career. While programming can be lots of fun, and while our society needs some people who are experts at it, the same is true of auto repair and violin-making.

Learning how to use a computer is not that difficult, and it gets easier all the time as programs become more "user-friendly". Let us assume that in the future everyone is going to have to know how to use a computer to be a competent citizen. What does the phrase learning to use a computer mean? It sounds like "learning to drive a car", that is, it sounds as if there is some set of definite skills that, once acquired, enable one to use a computer.

In fact,"learning to use a computer"is much more like"learning to play a game", but learning the rules of one game may not help you play a second game,whose rules may not be the same.There is no such a thing as teaching someone how to use a computer. One can only teach people to use this or that program and generally that is easily accomplished.

1. To be the competent citizens of tomorrow, people should_____.

A．try to lay a solid foundation in computer science

B．be aware of how the things that they use do what they do

C．learn to use a computer by acquiring a certain set of skills

D．understand that programming a computer is more essential than repairing a car

2. In Para2 "auto repair" and “violin-making" are mentioned to show that_______.

A．programming a computer is as interesting as making a violin

B．people who can use a computer don't necessarily have to know computer programming

C．violin making requires as much skill as computer programming

D．our society needs experts in different fields

3. Learning to use a computer is getting easier all the time because______.

A．programs are designed to be convenient to users

B．programs are becoming less complicated

C．programming is becoming easier and easier

D．programs are becoming readily available to computer users

4. According to the author,the phrase "learning to use a computer" in Para.3 means learning_____.

A．a set of rules

B．the fundamentals of computer science

C．specific programs

D．general principles of programming

5. The author's purpose in writing this passage is______.

A．to stress the impact of the computer on society

B．to emphasize that computer programming is an interesting and challenging job

C．to illustrate the requirements for being competent citizens of tomorrow

D．to explain the concept of computer literacy

【推荐2】In February, 2015, a South Korean woman was sleeping on the floor when her robot vacuum ate her hair, forcing her to call for emergency help. It surely isn’t what Stephen Hawking warned us that intelligent devices “mean the end of the human race”. But it does highlight one of the unexpected dangers of inviting robots into our home.

There are many examples of intelligent technology going bad, but more often than not, they involve cheating rather than physical danger. Meanwhile, increasing evidence suggests that we, especially children, tend to tell our deepest, darkest secrets to human robots. So how do we protect ourselves from giving-away code?

Once you’ve invited a robot into your home, you need to manage your expectations. Movies and marketing may have told us to expect deep interaction with robots friends but we’ve still got a long way to go before they are as socially aware as described. Given the gulf between expectation and reality, it’s important to avoid being tricked.

The message is clear: as robots became increasingly connected to the internet, and able to respond to natural language, you need to especially cautious about figuring out who or what you are talking about.

We also need to think about how information is being stored and shared when it comes to robots that can record our every move. Some recording devices may have been designed for entertainment but can easily be adapted for more dangerous purposes. Take Nixie, the wearable camera that can fly off your wrist at a moment’s notice and take shots around you in the air. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how such technology could be taken advantage of.

If the technology around us is able to record and process speech, images and movement, or listen secretly to us, what will happen to that information? Where will it be stored? Who will have access?

So, what is the safest way to welcome robots into our homes, public spaces, and social lives? We should be cautiously optimistic that intelligent machines could become enriching companions, while acknowledging that we need to determine strict boundaries for robots. There should be someone to turn to should your robot commit a crime, steal your card... or try to eat your hair.

1. The hair-eating story in Paragraph 1 is intended to ________.

A．introduce the topic of the discussion

B．show the poor quality of the product

C．appeal to us to take pity on the victim

D．warn us to keep far away from vacuum

2. According to the writer, it is wise to _______.

A．put a cautious trust in robots

B．make robots more socially aware

C．have deep interaction with robots

D．tell our secrets to robots straightly.

3. The underlined word “gulf” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.

A．trust	B．distance
C．technology	D．advantage

4. The writer’s attitude to our complete trust in robots can best be described as _______.

A．positive	B．objective
C．critical	D．pessimistic

【推荐1】Digital grounding（限制）is when parents or caregivers limit or completely take away access to technology from children. According to a study conducted by Pew Research, 65% of parents have digitally grounded their teen by taking away their teen’s cellphone or Internet access as punishment.

Because children are so connected with their technologies, digital grounding may seem like a logical step for parents. Take away a child’s most cherished item and they will quickly learn from their behavior. But the idea of digital grounding isn’t as clear-cut as that. Instead, it may be a lose-lose situation for parents and kids, alike.

For most parents, the goal of grounding isn’t to make their children unhappy or sad. It is to teach a lesson in the hope that they won’t engage in whatever behavior got them in trouble in the first place. Unfortunately, though, digital grounding is often just punishment, not discipline. If a child stays out past curfew(约定的最晚回家时间), a punishment would be hitting or yelling at them. Discipline would be not letting them go out the next weekend because they failed to follow rules.

We’ve all been there—we’ve caught our child doing something wrong and in the heat of the moment laid out a strict punishment. We may have been feeling hot-headed, embarrassed, or upset. Often, though, these punishments don’t align（结盟）with the bad behavior.

While digital grounding may solve the problem temporarily, it won’t provide children with the guidance they need to act appropriately in the future. Instead of grounding, show your child what they did wrong and give them the chance to act differently. This way, they will learn from their mistakes in a practical manner and figure out ways to be safe and smart with technology.

There’s no denying it: technology is here for the long-haul. This is why some parenting experts don’t recommend digitally grounding your children. It doesn’t focus on the end goal of safe behavior. They recommend teaching them good habits as soon as possible, rather than taking away their technology. By digitally grounding them, you are putting a bandage over the wound, rather than treating it.

Now, when we say that digital grounding is a lose-lose situation, we’re not saying that disciplining your children in general is a lose-lose situation. Discipline is a great way to teach children lessons, when used appropriately.

1. Which of the following is a proper form of discipline according to the author?

A．Hitting or yelling at children.

B．Laying out a strict punishment in the heat of the moment.

C．Taking away access to cellphones from children completely.

D．Forbidding kids to go out the next weekend if they stay out past curfew.

2. What does the author think of digital grounding?

A．It benefits children a great deal.

B．It is no better than disciplining.

C．Parents can use it to correct kids’ behavior.

D．Neither parents nor children gain benefits from it.

3. What does the author suggest parents do instead of grounding?

A．Give kids more free time.	B．Help kids form good habits.
C．Act appropriately in public.	D．Put a bandage over the wound.

4. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To inform us of ways of punishing kids.

B．To explain what digital grounding means.

C．To show how to parent children in digital times.

D．To prove digital grounding is not a good parenting way.

【推荐2】Every morning, Ben Mumford starts his school day with math. At the age of ten, he is already working at GCSE level, but he does not always bother to get out of his pajamas (睡衣裤) in time for the class. He reads more books than most of his friends, studies science on the beach, and recently built a go-kart (卡丁车) in a technology lesson. Ben is happy and fulfilled, all, his mother believes, thanks to homeschooling.

Homeschooling is not what it used to be. What emerged in the 1970s as a way for Catholic (信天主教的) parents to infuse (灌输) religion into their kids’ education is now probably the fastest-growing form of education in the U.K. The number of homeschooled children has risen by about 40 percent over three years. Here are a handful of reasons why homeschooling makes sense in the 21^st century.

Contrary to the name, homeschooling takes place in an actual home only a small part of time. A great deal of instruction happens in libraries, museums and community colleges. These experiences have the effect of helping kids mature much more quickly and developing a trait of open-mindedness.

The key idea of homeschooling is that kids need to learn at the speed, and in the style, most appropriate for them. Without formal curriculum to guide their education, homeschoolers get the chance to explore a range of topics that might not be normally offered until high school or college. They can study psychology in the fourth grade, or finance in the eighth grade.

The most common misunderstanding about homeschoolers is that they lack social skills. However, social media makes it convenient for homeschoolers of today to have just as much opportunity to make friends as kids studying in traditional schools. Meanwhile, they do not need to deal with the potential problems of being around kids in a school environment, including bullying, which might result in anxiety and depression.

For most people, school is really good, and it works for them because they learn in the way that school teaches. However, there are so many different ways of learning and processing (处理) information and knowledge. It does not necessarily work for everyone.

1. What is the attitude of Ben’s mother towards homeschooling?

A．Favorable.

B．Critical.

C．Indifferent.

D．Doubtful.

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Homeschoolers grow up more quickly.

B．Homeschoolers have trouble making friends.

C．Homeschooled children learn in the way they like.

D．Homeschooled children just stay at home and get knowledge.

3. The underline word “trait” most probably means ______.

A．ability.

B．disadvantage.

C．thought.

D．characteristic.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Homeschooling is on the rise.

B．Homeschooling is not for everyone.

C．Homeschoolers can learn freely.

D．Homeschoolers can make more friends.

【推荐3】A report released this month found that grouping children by ability is on the rise again—teaching students in groups of similar ability has improved achievements for fast and slow learners alike—and who wouldn’t want bright kids to be able to move ahead?

But for most kids, labels (标签) applied early in life tend to stick, even if they are wrong.

Sorting school children by ability has long been controversial. In some countries, especially in Asia, school-wide tracking (分流) remains normal. Children are tested and placed in different schools that direct them toward professional or vocational careers. Movement between the tracks is rare.

School-wide tracking decreased in US schools in the 1960s and 1970s. It never died out, though. Sorting students into separate tracks for math at about junior high school age continues to be common, and other forms of tracking persist as well.

Unlike tracking, which means sorting students into separate classrooms, ability grouping happens within classrooms. When done according to the latest research, it has proven to promote achievements. Ability grouping is changeable and temporary. Within classrooms, students might be divided into different learning groups dealing with materials of different levels. Any students who master concepts can move upward between groups, and the student groups might look different from subject to subject and unit to unit. For instance, a student who stands out in language arts might be at an average or slower level in math. A student who flies through multiplication tables might need extra help with fractions. Students who lag in reading can be pulled out of the classroom in small groups for practice with a tutor until their reading improves.

Research shows ability grouping within classes has more positive benefits than tracking. However, that must be weighed against the challenges involved. In many regular classrooms, the differences between student ability levels are very big. That presents challenges for teachers and low-performing students to constantly compare themselves with students who seem to fly through school with ease.

The rigid ability groups and tracking of the past are still with us in many schools. Likely, labels are applied with more caution than in the bad old days when some teachers gave reading groups not-so-secret code names like “Bluebirds”, “Robins”, “Crows” and “Buzzards”. But kids still know.

1. Why is grouping children by ability becoming popular again?

A．Because most teachers do not like slower learners.

B．Because grouping children should be done early in life.

C．Because it is academically beneficial to different learners.

D．Because fast learners can move ahead without teachers’ help.

2. By saying “Movement between the tracks is rare.” in paragraph 3, the writer really means            .

A．tracking children is normal in Asia

B．school-wide tracking has decreased in US

C．professional and vocational careers are unrelated

D．sorted students can hardly change schools

3. The examples in paragraph 5 are used mainly to illustrate            .

A．a good language learner promises to be good at math

B．a student might join different groups for different courses

C．ability grouping benefits gifted students more than slow ones

D．ability grouping presents no challenge for those slow students

4. What might be the challenge in regular classrooms for teachers?

A．Students’ different levels.	B．Students’ low performance.
C．Constant self-comparison.	D．Application of not-so-secret code.