【推荐1】Most parents of kids under age 8 don't worry about how much time they spend watching TV or using other media, from computers to smart phones to tablets PCs, according to a new survey that found a child's use of media often reflects how much time parents spend in the similar way．
¨We generally found that media use is not a source of conflict in the home" for families with young children, Ellen Wartella, a researcher from Northwestem University, told USA Today． She led a survey of 2,326 parents who have children 8 and younger．It found that in 80 percent of families, children's media use was not a problem, with 55 percent “not too" or“ not at all" concerned about it． It also showed parents have more positive than negative feelings about how media consumption affects a child's learning and the development of creativity．The exception is video games, which are viewed more negatively than TV, computers or mobile devices．“Parents rated video games as more likely to have a negative effect on children's school performance, attention time, creativity, social skills, behavior and sleep than any other medium," the researchers said in a news conference about the survey．
¨The findings exposes a generational shift （转移） in parental attitudes about technology's role in young children's lives," said Wartella．“Today's parents grew up with technology as a central pact of their lives, so they think about it differently than earlier generations of parents, instead of a battle with kids on one side and parents on the other, the use of media and technology has become a family affair． "
The researchers identified three media environments created by parents: media-centric （39 percent of families） , media-moderate （45%）and media-light （16%）． Children in media-centric families spend at least three hours more each day watching TV or using computers, video games and tablet PCs don't make parenting easier．And 88 percent of parents say they are most likely to turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied．Slightly fewer turn to books （79%） and TV（78%）．
The survey didn't look at how media affects children． That's a topic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has handled a number of times． The AAP says studies have found too much media use can lead to attention- problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and being fat． In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．¨By limiting screen time and offering educational media and non-electronic formats （格式）such as books, newspapers and board games, and watching television with their children, parents can help guide their children's media experience． Putting questionable content into context and teaching kids a 70 out advertising contributes to their media literacy （素养） ," it says．
The pediatricians' group says parents should have “screen-free zones" and TV should be turned off during dinner． At most, it recommends children and teens engage with entertainment media for no more than two hours a day and that should be high-quality content． It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies and using their imaginations in free play．“ Kids under 2 should not use television and other entertainment media because their brains are developing quickly and they learn best from direct human interaction," the group says．
An article on screen time by t．he Mayo Clinic also notes problems linked t．o over screen time, including being fat, irregular sleep , behavioral problems , weak school performance , violence and less time for active and creative play．
1. Parents have more negative than positive feelings about media consumption like ．

A．computers	B．smart phones
C．video games	D．tablets PCs

2. Most parents don't worry about kid's media use because        ．

A．they can limit the screen time

B．they want their children happy

C．they also grew up with technology

D．they can teach their children themselves

3. From the data of the survey, we learn       ．

A．children in media-centric families are smarter than others

B．children in media-light families spend one hour watching TV

C．more than half of the parents think children's media use was a problem

D．media-centric children spend more than three hours each day on media use

4. To make parenting easier, most parents probably        ．

A．try to persuade their children to read books

B．ask their children questions while watching TV

C．allow their children watching TV or using computers

D．turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied

5. Which of the following is a suggestion by the researchers?

A．Media use time for babies under 2 should be limited．

B．Entertainment media use should be high-quality content．

C．Schools should provide more time for active and creative play．

D．Home media use should provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．

【推荐1】It's 10:30 pm, and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. The message becomes clear: "R U awake?"

Brandon' s use of technology doesn' t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles (控制台 ) in his room. With so many choices, it' s no surprise that when he isn' t at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices. Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged 8 to18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found.

The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. Today, nearly seven out of ten kids have cell phones. Just five years ago, it was four out of ten.

Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. " If you’ve got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?" media expert Cheryl Olson says.

Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. " It' s a matter of balance," says Olson." You’ve got to work on it. "

Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. "It' s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply, " says Rideout.

With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. " Kids should try," adds Rideout. " But parents might have to step in sometimes. "

1. Why do children spend more time in using electronic devices?

A．Because electronic devices are more exciting than before.

B．Because more electronic devices are available to them.

C．Because they have less other activities.

D．Because they have less homework to do.

2. It is known from the passage that   ____.

A．Brandon Blanco feels very annoyed about his late-night text

B．the teenagers using mobile devices have increased by 30% in the past five years

C．most experts think teenagers should not use electronic devices for their studies

D．Cheryl Olson is not surprised about kids' increasing use of mobile devices

3. Which of the following is an example of multitasking according to the passage?

A．Playing video games on the Internet.

B．Talking on the phone while staying with others.

C．Watching TV while using the computer.

D．Listening to music while relaxing.

4. The underlined phrase "in check" in the last paragraph can be replaced by "____".

A．in order

B．in control

C．in store

D．in sight

【推荐3】Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.

Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.

But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they report each day’s events. In other words, there is a traditional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.

There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the “standard patterns” of the newsroom seem foreign to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.

Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedeses, and trade stocks, and they’re less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.

Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite (精英), so their work tends to reflect the traditional values of this elite. The alarming distrust of the news media isn’t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily conflict of world views between reporters and their readers.

This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums (讨论会) and a credibility project devoted to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class prejudices that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Needs of the readers all over the world.

B．Causes of the public disappointment about newspapers.

C．Origins of the declining newspaper industry.

D．Aims of a journalism credibility project.

2. The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ______.

A．quite trustworthy	B．somewhat conflicting
C．very informative	D．rather shallow

3. The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their ______.

A．working attitude	B．traditional lifestyle
C．world outlook	D．educational background

4. Despite its efforts, the newspaper industry still cannot satisfy the readers owing to its ______.

A．failure to realize its real problem	B．tendency to hire annoying reporters
C．likeliness to do inaccurate reporting	D．prejudice in matters of race and gender

【推荐1】All parents have sky-high hopes for their children. We want them to be confident and content. What can parents do to help their kids grow up to lead happy lives? Experts advise:

Helping them find their talents. In order to succeed, children need to feel they’re good at something. So expose your children to as many interests as possible; then let them choose those they like best.

Applauding their achievements. A study found that students whose parents paid attention to their abilities were far more likely to do well in school—and in life—than students whose parents didn’t show such support. So celebrate your kids’ achievements, no matter how small they are.

Praising their efforts. Kids won’t always come out on top. Still, they deserve kudos for trying their best. Ten-year-old April Cutler, for example, has had trouble with math since the second grade. “She usually gets C’s on her report card, but last year she was determined to get A’s and worked hard at it, ” says her mom. “When the first grading period ended, April was disappointed when she got a B minus in math, ” Lueille continues. “But my husband and I told her we were very proud that she’d improved. That inspired her to try even harder. She got a B plus for the next period!”

Letting them make decisions and mistakes. Making his/her own decisions increases a child’s sense of control and builds his/her self-esteem. And allowing kids to make wrong decisions—so long as doing so won’t harm them—helps kids learn from their mistakes.

Encouraging them to solve their own problems. As they grow, children need practice in communicating, standing up for themselves and compromising. One of the best places to learn these skills is at home. So the next time your child runs to you complaining that her brother is blaming her, step back and let them work it out.

1. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To encourage parents to admire their kids.	B．To show how to praise kids.
C．To help kids study harder.	D．To give advice on how to help kids become mature.

2. What can we learn from the example of April Cutler?

A．Praising kids’ efforts can help them make greater progress.

B．Setting a high goal makes kids feel discouraged.

C．Solving problems by themselves helps kids feel confident.

D．Interest is the best teacher.

3. Why should parents allow kids to make mistakes?

A．Making mistakes is a normal thing for a kid.

B．Adults also make mistakes now and then.

C．Kids can learn something valuable from their mistakes.

D．Making mistakes won’t harm kids.

【推荐2】US enrollment(入学注册)of international students declined for the second year in a row, sending waves of unease across American colleges and universities, which see students from abroad as a buffer (缓冲) against the falling number of US high-school students graduating each year.

The number of new international students enrolling at American institutions fell by 6.6% during the 2017-18 academic year, while a 3.3% decline the year before, according to a report by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The total number of international students in the US plus those working here on a student visa rose by just 1.5% this year. That was down from average annual growth of 6.1% over the past decade. Several factors are driving the decrease. Visa and immigration policy changes by the Trump administration have prevented some international students from enrolling, college administrators and immigration analysts said. A strong dollar has made US college tuition relatively more expensive, Canadian and European universities are competing fiercely for the same students, and headlines about mass shootings also may have prevented some students, said Allan Goodman, president of IIE.

Foreign students are big business. They pumped $42 billion into US college and university coffers (金库) in the 2017-18 school year alone.

1. The US government is expecting for more International students because _________.

A．they need gifted students from all over the world

B．the population in the US is growing older and older

C．they can compete with the universities from all over the world

D．fewer US high-school students graduate each year

2. The number of new international students enrolling at American institutions fell by_____ during 2016-17 academic year.

A．6.6%	B．3.3%
C．1.5%	D．6.1%

3. The decrease of the US enrollment of international students lay in several factors Except that       .

A．the immigration policy has been changed

B．the expense of studying in America is high now

C．there were too many reports about gun shooting

D．the big mountain fire frightened the students away

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．US sees fewer international students

B．America’s new policies

C．Fewer Chinese students study in the US

D．More money will go into the US

【推荐3】Teaching is not an easy career (职业) to go into, yet it’s one of the most important careers in a culture. The future of a country depends on the quality of education that its next generation (代) receives and the character that the children develop. Even though educators are the most important part of our schools, the structure (结构) of the education system in the United States is not set up to fully support them. In fact, it often puts them in difficult situations.

In most careers, salaries (工资) are based on education, experience, and performance. Not so with teaching. In many schools, teachers aren’t paid based on their level of education or experience. Though many go into the career because of their love of teaching and working with children, being fairly rewarded for their work is a problem.

Add to the fact that many teachers have to spend their summers making enough money to support their family, so many teachers are leaving the field. A 2019 study reported that about 8% of teachers gave up the career each year. The result will soon be that there won’t be enough educators.

One of the reasons why teachers are leaving the field is that they don’t get respect in the classroom. Disrespect, in my view, is the biggest problem that our teachers face and it has got worse in recent years.

How to improve this situation? Schools should take care of teachers in them, and our teachers need more of us to support them. They need us to raise our voices for a stronger education system that supports them. They should be offered better salaries and more chances of career improvement. These will encourage more people to be teachers.

1. How does the author like the structure of the American education system?

A．It is unsatisfying.	B．It is full of risks.
C．It fully supports teachers.	D．It puts teachers in good situations.

2. Why do many teachers fail to relax in summer vacations?

A．They need some training in teaching.

B．They have to visit students' parents.

C．They have to look after students.

D．They need to make extra money.

3. What do the teachers need most in the author’s opinion?

A．Enough respect.	B．Increase in salaries.
C．Rights to control students.	D．Teaching methods.

4. What does the author advise in the last paragraph?

A．Requiring kids to work hard at school.

B．Calling for a better education system.

C．Encouraging more people to be teachers.

D．Having a better understanding of books.