【推荐1】Children may not be putting coins in piggy banks for much longer. With the move towards a cashless society, pocket money is moving digital.

To reflect this trend, many mobile budgeting apps for children have sprung up worldwide：GoHenry, Osper, and Gimi, to name but a few. These apps offer a simple money management service for children, often for a monthly fee paid by the parents. Parents can add money to children's accounts, set limits and monitor transactions(交易). Children can choose to save their money or spend it using a prepaid card.

These apps aim to teach young childrenfinancial concepts, such as budgeting, interest rates and income. For instance, the Swedish app Gimi—with 1.2 million users globally—has virtual savings jars where children can deposit money. Parents can pay children interest as they save. There is also a chores feature, where parents can pay children for completing household tasks. The account is attached to a prepaid card that is currently available in Sweden only, but is expected to be launched elsewhere in Europe in 2020.

Haglund, CEO of Gimi, believes the app can teach children responsible spending habits. "You don't become better at money management just because you have a degree in economics. It's more about the attitude and the relationship you have with parents' money when you're 6 to 12 years old," he says.

But Catherine Winter, managing director of financial capability at The London Institute of Banking and Finance, warns that while digital tools can help there needs to be a more structured approach to financial education. The area should "have regular, dedicated, classroom time and ideally should be taught as a standalone subject," she said. “Children would then have the right context and foundation to get the most out of both the apps and their money.”

1. What does the underlined part "this trend" in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Putting coins in piggy banks

B．Pocket money moving digital

C．Mobile budging apps springing up.

D．Money management service being offered

2. What do we know about the Swedish app Gimi?

A．It pays children interest as they save.

B．It has 1. 2 million users all over Sweden.

C．It can teach children concepts related to money

D．It is attached to a credit card available in Sweden only.

3. What can we learn from Winter's words?

A．Digital tools can help a lot with spending habits

B．Money management requires financial capability.

C．A regular classroom-based financial education is needed.

D．Children can get the most out of their money with the apps

4. What's the passage mainly about?

A．The rise of the digital piggy bank.

B．The trend towards a cashless society.

C．The importance of financial education.

D．The popularity of money management apps.

【推荐2】If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the features and apps available on smart phones these days and miss the good old days when mobile phones were simple communication tools, you’ll probably love Light Phone 2, a stylish “ dumb phone” designed to remove time-wasting distractions(使人分心的事物) from your life.

The original Light mobile phone could only be used to make and take phone calls, but its creators recently decided that in order to improve its usefulness while still keeping users safe from smart phone distractions, it needed a few extra features. They recently announced Light Phone 2 is just as tiny and stylish as the original ones, but also features text messaging functions and an alarm clock.

Data from company Flurry shows that people in the US spend around five hours a day on their smart phones, while a study from the firm Asurion found that Americans check their phones an average of 80 times per day. Those are some pretty alarming numbers, and to make matters worse, scientists report that too much screen time has a bad effect on our brains, especially those of children.

Light Phone 2 will never replace your Apple phone, but it can at least help you mitigate the effects of smart phone addiction by allowing you to “go light” every once in a while. You can stay in touch with the important people in your life, but you’ll be free from the apps distracting you from the wonders of the colorful world.

But becoming free of smart phone distractions doesn’t come cheap. The Light Phone 2 is expected to be priced at around $400, which is far more expensive than some smart phones. However, a lot of people seem to think the phone and what it promises to do are worth the price, as evidenced by the success of Light’s latest crowd funding(众筹) campaign. With 24 days left until deadline, the company has already raised $360,000, blowing past its $250,000 goal.
1. Why did the creators of Light Phone 2 decide to add a few extra features to it?

A．To increase its price.	B．To improve its image.
C．To make it more useful.	D．To make it free from distractions.

2. What do Flurry and Asurion discover?

A．Americans heavily depend on the smart phone.

B．Americans’ life can’t live without smart phones.

C．Americans are enthusiastic about real-life communication.

D．American kid’s brains are being greatly damaged by smart phones.

3. What does the underlined word “mitigate” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Overcome.	B．Understand.
C．Reduce.	D．Avoid.

4. What is implied about Light Phone 2 in the last paragraph?

A．It is too expensive to afford.

B．It is sure to be a great success.

C．More money is needed to improve it.

D．The public hold a positive attitude toward it.

【推荐1】Are you a media addict who would go mad after two hours without TV, friend requests, exciting online games and your mobile—or would you easily survive?

Recently, university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged. It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban by unplugging all forms of media devices for 24 hours.

Unplugged is being run by Dr Roman Gerodimos, a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University. The experiment is now over but he doesn't yet know the full findings. However, during the experiment, Dr Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers. He said: “They’re reporting withdrawal symptoms, overeating, feeling nervous, isolated and disconnected.”

During their 24-hour painful experience, three of the experiment’s guinea pigs had to endure one intrusion from the media: a BBC reporter plus cameraman who followed them around for the day. They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day offline, but of course, they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops.

Elliot Day wrote: “Today, my whole morning routine was thrown up into the air. Despite being aware of the social importance of the media, I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers.”

And Charlotte Gay wrote: “I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been my mobile; not only is it a social tool, it's my main access point of communication.”

Earlier in the year, a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media, often plugged into several things at once. And a recent study by Nielson found that on average, US teenagers send and receive over 3,000 texts per month-that's about six texts per waking hour.

So, with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate, how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?

1. What's the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To ask for information.	B．To entertain the readers.
C．To lead to the topic.	D．To present an idea.

2. About Dr. Roman Gerodimos' experiment, we know that ________.

A．volunteers felt uncomfortable in it	B．volunteers didn't want to eat anything
C．the experiment was still going on	D．volunteers were allowed to take their laptops

3. The underlined expression “thrown up into the air” most probably means ________.

A．went on normally	B．was completely disturbed
C．turned out perfect	D．finished just as usual

4. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．Surviving without the Media	B．Unplugging Your Life
C．Valuing Social Communication	D．Setting Aside Time for Sleep

【推荐2】Regrets are often painful. A study suggests that some people can overcome them, said Jia Wei Zhang, a psychology graduate at the University of California. But this isn’t the case for everyone, he said.

The researchers wondered why some people report feeling improvement from regrets but others don’t. Does it lie in how people approach their regrets?

In the study, the researchers focused on self-compassion (自我同情) as a potential factor in why some people have an easier time leaving their regrets behind them.

400 people attended an experiment. First, they were asked to write about their biggest regret. Half wrote something they did but wish they hadn’t done; the other half wrote something they didn’t do but wish they had. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: self compassion, self-esteem and a control group. The self-esteem group was asked to respond by “talking to yourself about this regret from the aspect of confirming your positive qualities”.

The control group was asked to write about their favorite hobby rather than their regret. Then, they were asked about their feelings of forgiveness, acceptance and personal improvement following the exercise.

They found that the self-compassion group reported greater feelings of acceptance, forgiveness and personal improvement, compared with the control group and the self esteem group. In other words, focusing on your best qualities is not what helps you feel better about a regret. Rather, being compassionate toward yourself is what may make a difference, the researchers found.

It’s possible that people who practice self-compassion are able to confront their regrets and see what went wrong, so they can make a better choice in the future, Zhang told Live Science. Self-compassion pushes people to accept their regret instead of running away from it.

The researchers used an example of this from a previous study on breast cancer patients who were asked to try thinking about their treatment in a positive light before it began. The women who did so reported greater feelings of personal growth later on.

1. What does the underlined word “confront” in Paragraph 7 mean?

A．Handle	B．Forget.
C．Ignore	D．Show.

2. What were the students in the self-esteem group asked to do?

A．Think of a way out.	B．Write about their regrets.
C．Record their favorite hobbies.	D．Treat their regrets in positive ways.

3. Why were the participants asked about their good qualities?

A．To cover up their regrets.

B．To see if they have weaknesses.

C．To see if they have self compassion.

D．To help them feel better about their regrets.

4. Why self-compassion people reported greater feeling compared with the self-esteem people and self-control people?

A．They tend to focus on their best quality

B．They tend to be compassionate towards themselves.

C．They tend to refuse to make a choice

D．They tent to run away from the regrets.

5. What was the aim of mentioning the researchers’ study on breast cancer patients?

A．To show the method of the research.

B．To show the value of the acceptance.

C．To show the truth of people’s feeling.

D．To show the difficulty of the research.

【推荐1】Special boxes lie at the bottom of my locked filing cabinet. Deposited there are important letters and cards collected throughout my life, from my grandparents, school friends, parents, wife and son. Since the invention of e-mail though, they’ve been few and far between.

Tonight is New York’s Eve 2029 and there’s a very special box of letters I want to look at. But first there’s something I have to do – The Ritual(惯例).

I go to my trusted computer and start. I begin to type: Dear -- . I leave the name blank for now, anticipating the thrill of typing it in. “I hope you are well and I wonder how this will find you. And you still planning to move to that villa in Portugal? Did your son marry Fiona? Is your mother still alive? Questions surge into my mind.

For the next two hours I sit writing. About what I’ve been doing for the last year, my failing health, my increasing wealth and sometime difficult marriage. Then about my goals and ambitions. Will he be interested? Do I climb Mt. Kilimanjaro? Do I get that novel published? the one that’s been rejected more times than I carte to think about.

Finally, it’s finished. 11:30 pm. I fill in the recipient’s name, print my letter, sign and address it and then seal it up with tape. I then delete the document and empty the trash folder – to avoid the possibility of temptation. That completes the ritual!

I walk over to my “special box”. It contains ten long, white, thick envelopes, all with the same handwriting. I place the one I have just written in at the back and take out the one at the front. It’s dated 2019, and labelled “to be opened 31st December 2029”.

The cycle is finally complete! I open it, trembling with anticipation. I begin to read, my eyes tearing up a little as I do so. Throughout the last ten long, eventful years, of life, death, joy and heartbreak, it has been waiting patiently in this box for me, though I now have no memory of ever having written it.

1. Why does the author receive fewer “important letters” these days ?

A．He has moved from his original address.

B．He is rarely in contact with his friends and family.

C．People communicate with each other less often than before.

D．Electronic communication has largely replaced physical letters.

2. Who does the underlined word “he” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The author himself.

B．The author’s son.

C．The author’s school friend.

D．The author’s book publisher.

3. Why does the author probably delete the completed letter from his computer?

A．So that no one else will be able to read it.

B．So that he won’t read it ahead of schedule.

C．Because he decides at last not to send it.

D．Because he wants forget what has happened.

4. How does the author feel as he is about to open his special letter?

A．Relieved	B．Moved
C．Excited	D．Afraid

【推荐2】I feel it a great honor that you choose to stay at Central International Hotel. We are ideally situated in Zhenru Center, one of the four centers in Shanghai, next to Shanghai West Railway Station. Tube Line 11 is only six minutes walk to our hotel by the sixth exit that can reach Shanghai Disneyland in a beeline. On the east side of our hotel lie bus No. 107 to the downtown People's Square, bus No. 762 to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, bus No. 869 to the National Exhibition Center and Tube Line 2 to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

●Customer Satisfaction Survey(调查)

Please let us know you needs so that we can provide you with better services. Please fill out the customer satisfaction survey forms that can be found in your room.

●Environmental Protection Programs

We are committed to environmental protection and energy saving. We encourage you to participate our environmental protection programs. If you are interested in it, please read the relevant information card in your room.

●Green Hotel

According to the regulations on the Management of Household Garbage on July 1, 2019, hotel management units mustn't actively provide consumers with room one-used daily necessities(必需品). As a five-leaf Chinese Green Hotel, if you need room one-used daily necessities during your stay, please call the Room Service on the phone for free to request or eye the robot’s 2D code(二维码)to buy.

●Room Cleaning

Your room will be cleaned daily. For immediate cleaning, please click the Please Clean Up service or dial Room Service on the phone.

●No Disturbing

If you wish to be left alone, please press the No Disturbing button in your room. If you do not wish to receive any calls, please call the Operator on the phone.

1. How do you reach Disneyland directly from the hotel?

A．By bus No. 762.	B．By bus No. 869.
C．By subway No. 2.	D．By subway No. 11.

2. What can you do to join in the environmental protection program?

A．Press the button.	B．Let us know your needs.
C．Read the related information card.	D．Fill in the customer satisfaction survey.

3. How can you get free daily necessities?

A．By clicking Please Clean Up.	B．By eyeing the robot’s 2D code.
C．By calling the Operator.	D．By calling the Room Service.

【推荐3】

Be a leader in environmental science and engineering through the NEMS programme
NEWRI Environmental Master of Science(NEMS) is a primary graduate education and research programme conducted by Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU’s) NEWRI, with summer attachment at Stanford University. It aims to train engineers and scientists to meet the increasing environmental challenges for Asia and the wider region.	NEWRI-Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute NEWRI is enabling Singapore to be a global center of environmental science and technology in providing technological solutions to the world. It is committed to environmental and water technologies through its ecosystem of education, research and developmental activities. NEWRI is trying its best to pull together NTU’s water and environment-related centres and institutes, gathering one another’s strengths for the benefit of industry and society.
Master of Science Applications ● Applications open now and close on 30 May 2012 for Singapore applicants. ● Graduates having relevant engineering or science background, including final-year students, are invited to apply. ● Applicants are required to have a certificate of GRE. Further information and application materials are available at the Website: http:// www. Cee.ntu.edu.sg/Graduate/NEMS
	Highlights of Programme: ★ Students spend a full summer term at Stanford taking regular courses and continue with the rest of their academic programme at NTU. ★ It is a 12-month full-time course in environmental science & engineering. ★Students under NEMS will have opportunities to do research projects under NEWRI as well as to continue for the Doctor’s degree. ★ Graduating students receive the NTU degree and a certificate from Stanford for their summer attachment.
Scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses at both Stanford and NTU are available
Enquiry contact: Ms Christian Soh Tel：(65) 6861 0507 Fax:(65) 68614606 Email: nems@ntu.edu.sg Information on other graduate programmes available at： www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/program/postgrad.asp

1. If one wants to apply for the NEMS programme, it is essential for him to __________.

A．have passed the GRE test

B．make contact with Ms Soh

C．possess a university diploma

D．major in engineering or science

2. Students admitted to the NEMS Programme __________.

A．will first have regular courses at Stanford

B．needn’t be released from their regular jobs

C．are required to obtain a Doctor’s degree

D．can receive degrees of both NTU and Stanford

3. What’s the main purpose of the NEMS programme?

A．To offer scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses.

B．To strengthen the cooperation between NTU and Stanford.

C．To cultivate experts on environmental science and engineering.

D．To introduce Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute.

【推荐1】Hours&Admission

Open daily 10 a.m.—5 p.m.except major holidays(see below)

July and August only—Thursdays until 7 p.m.

Please note:all MIT Museum sites are wheelchair accessible.

Admission beginning July 1,2018

Adults:$10.00;youth under 18,students,seniors:$5.00;children under age 5:free

Admission is free on the last Sunday of each month,all day,from September 2018 to June 2019.

Evening programs are free with Museum Admission.

Visit our Partner Organizations page for more information about discounts(折扣).

Closed,2019:

January 1:New Year’s Day

May 27:Memorial Day

July 4:Independence Day

September 2:Labor Day

November 28:Thanksgiving Day

December 24&25:Christmas Eve&Christmas Day

December 31:Early Closing for New Year’s Day

1. The information you read above is probably about_______.

A．a park

B．a cinema

C．a museum

D．a cafe

2. How much do they have to pay in total if a family,including grandparents,parent and a child of 8,go together on the last Sunday of November 2018?

A．$0.

B．$25.

C．$30.

D．$35.

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Children under the age of 7 do not have to pay.

B．It is possible for the disabled to go there on wheelchairs.

C．Visitors have to pay some extra money for the evening programs.

D．There are definitely no more discounts besides those listed here.

【推荐2】Two teenagers are lost at sea off the coast of the United States for six days on their small sailing boat. Without any food and drink, the boys drink sea water. They try slipping into the ocean to cool off, but sharks drive them back onto the boat. At night, they use a single wet suit to keep warm.

This is a real story of two American boys. Driscoll and his best friend, 18-year-old Josh Long, were found six days later and more than 100 miles from where they had set off from Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, on April 24. The boys had lost a lot of water and were tired, but otherwise in pretty good shape.

They set out fishing on a 4.3-meter sailboat on a windy day when the National Weather Service had warned small boats to stay out of the water, but they didn’t care. They realized they were in trouble almost immediately and tried to swim back to shore, pulling the boat along with them. Within hours, they were far out to sea.

“We lost our fishing equipment, ” Driscoll said. “So we couldn’t catch any fish. ” The boys’ hopes faded with each day passing. They stood on their boat every time they saw another boat, waving and shouting, but without success. One night they were woken up by water coming into the boat. A large ship was very close to them.

A coast guard boat set out to look for them. The boys got up and made some noise. This time, they were heard.

“What we have is a completely surprising story of survival that’s going to be studied for years to come, ” said Richard Goerling, Long’s uncle, “ I think the boys have a book to write. ”

1. The two boys got lost at the sea because _______.

A．they were not good at boating

B．they were separated from their parents while boating

C．they went far into the sea to catch fish

D．they didn’t take the warning from National Weather Service seriously.

2. During their stay at the sea, the boys _______.

A．swam in the water to cool themselves off in the daytime

B．lived on the fish they caught

C．suffered cold at night

D．fought against sharks

3. We can conclude from the text that _______.

A．the boys went to the sea to go surfing

B．the boys were saved on April 30

C．some boats had found the boys but refused to offer help

D．the boys were sleeping soundly when the boat passed by

4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _______.

A．the boys will write a book

B．children’s safety should be paid more attention to

C．the boys did very well when facing danger

D．something can be learned from the boys’ experience