School Life Made Easier
Making school life simpler and more convenient is becoming a reality with the use of technology, especially in China where many schools are using inventions like AI.
One example is a school in Tianjin, which uses a smart campus (校园) system (系统) from a tech company. In classes, students get hands-on experience using simulation (模拟) devices and VR glasses, exploring rocket launches and the structure inside rockets through fun and interactive (互动的) learning. Similarly, in swimming classes, “By wearing smart earphones, they can receive real-time instructions from the coach underwater, making sure it’s safe, ” Li Rui, the school’s vice-principal, told CCTV.
At a school in Anhui, technology is improving PE classes. Self-testing tools with AI visual analysis (可视化分析) technology are used for activities like running, jumping, sit-ups, and skipping rope. A facial recognition system records students’ faces, allowing them to receive performance results immediately after each exercise. “Before, when I threw the shot put (铅球), the teacher had to use a ruler to measure the distance. Now, the results are produced automatically (自动地). You can also see which parts of your exercise need improvements, with the teacher then helping to guide you to make those improvements, ” said Wu Shengguo from the school.
Besides China, smart campus technologies are getting popularity. A university in Australia uses an app, allowing students to visualize the human heart in 3D. This tool helps students understand the heart’s different parts and blood flow.
Universities worldwide are also using AI to create helpful digital assistants (助手). A college in the UK introduced a chat robot. It provides students with information about attendance records, courses, and class timetables, making it easier for students to manage their school lives.
Smart campuses are not just about “smart” learning；they are changing how students learn, study, and interact with their schools. These technologies are making education more interesting and convenient for students all over the world.
1. What technology does the school in Tianjin use from the tech company?2. When can students at the school in Anhui receive performance results in PE classes?
3. How does the chat robot make it easier for students of the college in the UK to manage their school lives?
4. Would you like to study in a smart campus? Why or why not? (Please give two reasons.)
2 . You may sometimes notice athletes with purple circles on their skin from cupping. Or maybe you know someone who swears (极其信赖) acupuncture for their back pain. More and more people use practices from traditional Chinese medicine like these not only to fight disease, but also to prevent it.
TCM is short for traditional Chinese medicine. It is an ancient system of health and wellness. It’s been used in China for thousands of years. Western medicine focuses mainly on treating disease. But TCM looks at your entire well-being.
Western medicine tends to view the body a lot like a car. It has different systems that need the right inputs and outputs. It’s very specific (具体的) and logical.
TCM is based on balance, harmony (和谐) and energy. There are two central ideas behind TCM. One is qi, the other is yin and yang. Qi is also called life energy or vital energy. The belief is that it runs throughout your body. It’s always on the move and continually changes. TCM treatments often focus on ways to promote and maintain the flow of qi.
Yin and Yang are opposites that describe the qualities of qi. The belief is that everything in life has a little bit of its opposite, too, and balance is the key. For example, a drug from your doctor might cure disease. But it’s dangerous if you take too much of it.
According to TCM, these ideas play out in our bodies. When you balance the yin and yang of qi, you feel healthy and well. If they’re in disorder, you feel sick. TCM aims to create harmony and a healthy flow of qi.
Experts believe it’s safe, if you go to someone who knows what they’re doing. This is especially true of acupuncture, tai chi, and cupping. With a little background on how it’s used, I believe you can make wiser choices to improve your health.
2. What is TCM based on?
3. When do you feel healthy and well according to TCM?
4. If you don’t feel well, would you like to try TCM? Why?
3 . We live in a world where good health is usually related to a certain kind of appearance. But it doesn’t mean it is necessary for good health. How can you tell if you are healthy? Here are some to look out for.
You eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. This simple behavior is a symbol of healthy eating. “It sounds really silly, but many of us can’t do it,” said Geyer. Besides, you should eat a varied diet rich in whole foods. Natural food is much better than processed food. What’s more, eating enough is very important.
Experts suggest 150 minutes’ proper activities every week is good for our health, like quick walking. “Going quickly up two flights of stairs without stopping and feeling good suggests that your body can perform high intensity (高强度的) activity!”
You can face different kinds of emotions. Emotional health is as important as physical heat, and Geyer has a simple way of measuring (测量) it. “I think emotional well-being is facing various emotions and understanding that they’re all normal,” Geyer said. “And remember that no one of them is going to be permanent (长久的).”
You can wake up without an alarm clock. It is not surprising that no enough sleeping is terrible for your health. Lack of (缺乏) sleep increases the risk of illness. That’s why it’s important to sleep for eight hours a night.
You have the energy to do the things you want to do. Geyer said that there was one word that kept coming to her mind when she thought of good heath—energy. “Having the energy to do the things you want to do is usually a very good sign of good health,” she said.
Anyhow, remember that heath is individualized (因人而异的). If you’re worried you’re not healthy or you’re just curious about where you stand, you can go to see your doctor.
1. How many health signs are mentioned in the passage?
Do potatoes play a small role (角色) on your dinner table? Maybe it’s time to make a big change! Potatoes have become China’s fourth staple food (主食) after rice, wheat and corn. Using potatoes as a staple can make us healthier. They do good to us in many ways.
Potatoes are nutritious (有营养的). They are rich in vitamin C. As we all know, vitamin C can help people keep strong. A potato’s vitamin C is as rich as 10 apples. Potatoes are also low in calories — they don’t have as much calories as wheat and corn have, but they have high-quality protein. These are what people are looking for in a healthy diet (饮食).
Also, potatoes are easy to grow. People can plant them in almost every part of China. They can even grow well on barren land. What’s more, potatoes don’t need much water to grow. China is facing water shortage problems, so potatoes are a good choice.
Many Chinese people think potatoes are vegetables. They cook potatoes along with other things, and the dishes made with potatoes are really delicious. As a staple, potatoes can also be cooked differently. Scientists have tried to make noodles and other staple foods with potatoes, just like how we use rice or wheat. Would you like to try potato noodles? They taste pretty good.
Potatoes have many good points, but it doesn’t mean we can eat them every day. Potatoes have a lot of starch (淀粉). If we eat them a lot and do little exercise, we will get fat. Also, too much fried potato food, such as French fries or potato chips, will be bad for our health.
In a word, we are what we eat. No matter how good the food is, we should eat in a right way, then we’ll look good and healthy.
1. What nutrition are potatoes rich in?2. Where can people plant potatoes in China?
3. What have scientists tried to make with potatoes?
4. Would you like to eat more potatoes in the future? Why or why not? (Please give two reasons.)
5 . 
Can a cricket really tell you the temperature outside? Do fish know if it’s going to be a cold winter? You’ve probably heard stories about animals that can predict (预测) the weather. Some of the sayings, like, “if a cat sits with its back to the fire, hard weather can be expected” may sound silly or unbelievable, but some are based on animals that seem to sense (感觉到) more about our environment than we do.
Do animals tell us when a storm is coming? Birds react to the drop in air pressure (气压) before a storm by flying low, and not flying at all an hour or so before the storm hits. Other animals behave strangely before a storm too. Insects stay close to the ground and wolves howl (嚎叫) because their ears can sense the pressure change.
Before a hurricane, sharks will run away from the path of the storm, although they hardly ever leave their home waters. Seabirds also know they should fly inland.
While not really “weather,” earthquakes are also something that animals can predict. You may have heard stories about animals and earthquakes: many are far more sensitive to earthquakes than humans. Unusual animal behavior sometimes can tell us what is about to happen. After the 2005 tsunami in Sri Lanka, it was reported that very few animals were killed. Many of them were also acting strangely the day before the tsunami hit. It seems that they knew something was coming and ran to safety. A good rule is, if the animals are running away, you probably should too.
The sound of crickets chirping (鸣叫) can tell you summer is near, but do you know that it can also tell you how hot it is? Crickets are cold-blooded so when the temperature in the air changes, the cricket’s body temperature changes with it. As the temperature rises, the cricket’s metabolism (新陈代谢) increases. When the heat rises, crickets chirp. To get the exact temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (℉), count the number of chirps in 14 seconds, and add 40.
Do you have a tried and true weather animal that predicts the weather?
1. Can wolves predict a storm?2. What will sharks do before a hurricane?
3. How can we know the exact temperature from a cricket?
4. Why can animals predict the weather?
Into the Deep: Ocean Exploration
Salt water covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface, and yet we have spent much more time exploring the Earth’s mountains, forests, and deserts than studying its oceans. Scientists say that we know more about the moon than we know about our own oceans. And today, we continue to put more effort on space exploration than on ocean exploration.
Why is it that we know so little about the oceans that surround us? Perhaps it is because, for centuries, people thought of the ocean as just a travel network. Ocean exploration was also prevented by the conditions below the surface. The high pressure of the water would kill an unprotected diver. Water temperature on the ocean floor was not inviting either. Openings on the ocean floor have temperatures as high as 123℃.
To explore below the surface of the ocean, humans needed special equipment. Early diving suits from the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century were not very useful. One type enclosed the diver’s body in a cylinder, making it difficult to move around. A later type of diving suit replaced the large cylinder with a heavy metal helmet. Air from above the surface traveled through a tube into the helmet. These early diving suits allowed people to descend (下降) fifty feet below the ocean surface for about an hour.
In 1872, the first ship equipped for ocean exploration set out on a four-year trip around the world. The ship had two labs, and it carried the most advanced scientific equipment of the time. Scientists on the ship tested and gathered information of sea water. They discovered an underwater mountain chain and more than 4,000 new species (物种). The results of this expedition encouraged interest in exploring farther below the ocean surface.
The work of deep-sea explorers has given us a picture of life far below the surface. There is now greater understanding of the diversity of life in the ocean. We are now more aware of the importance of healthy oceans. Still, less than one tenth of 1% of the deep ocean has been explored. Sylvia Earle, one of the leading experts on oceans, says, “We’re in a new century, and most of the planet has yet to be seen.”
1. How much of the Earth’s surface is covered with salt water?
2. What prevented ocean exploration for centuries?
3. What did the scientists on the first ship equipped for exploration in 1872 discover?
4. Do you think people should put more effort on space exploration or on ocean exploration? Why? (Please give two reasons.)
The students of Class 1, Grade 7 are going hiking (徒步旅行) on their field trip. Hiking is good for people’s health. Many hikers like to hike in the countryside (乡村), forests and mountains (高山).
Just walking for fun is the first kind of hiking. Many people like to hike in city parks or just on the sidewalks.
A hike can take a few hours or weeks. People just need clothes and shoes that are good for the weather. At the beginning, hikers should start with walks that they can do in one day. As you get stronger, you can go an overnight hikes. Later you can go longer than that. You can make your hike last for several days or weeks.
For safety(安全), hikers should hike with someone. It is a good idea to have one or two friends with you. Hikers should also carry a map. It’s useful.
Backpacking is another kind of hiking. People carry food, clothes and other things on their backs in a pack. Backpackers can stay many days in the places where there is no food to buy. They carry what they need on their backs.
Now, put on your hiking shoes and take a hike!
1. Is hiking good for people’s health?2. Where do many hikers like to hike?
3. How many kinds of hiking are there in the passage?
4. What should hikers do for safety?
5. Do you want to go hiking? Why or why not?
8 . Nowadays electronic devices are becoming wireless (无线的). We can listen to songs by using earphones without wires. A mouse or keyboard can be run on a computer without wires. Many of them use Bluetooth. Bluetooth is the technology that allows the exchange of data between different devices. However, have you ever wondered why it is called Bluetooth?
Bluetooth was named after Harald Bluetooth, a 10th-century king of Denmark (丹麦). He was famous for uniting Denmark and Norway into one kingdom. His dead tooth, which was a dark blue color earned him the nickname Bluetooth. In 1996, Jim Kardach from Intel suggested Bluetooth as the name because King Harald Bluetooth united two kingdoms just as people wanted to connect computers with other electronic devices. The Bluetooth logo is a combination of Harald’s initials (首字母) ‘H(ᚼ)’ and ‘B(ᛒ)’ written in Nordic runes (古代北欧文字).
Developed in the late 1990s, Bluetooth has become increasingly popular. On May 20, 1999, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) was set up and the first Bluetooth specification (标准), Bluetooth 1.0, was published in the same year. The Sony Ericsson T36 became the first mobile phone to include Bluetooth in 2001. The Bluetooth SIG published the latest Bluetooth 5.3 on July 13, 2021.
Besides Bluetooth headsets, there are more things people can do with Bluetooth. Bluetooth can connect up to seven devices to one master device at the same time and allows users to exchange voice and data transmissions (传送) between two or more devices. For example, we can print wirelessly across the room with a Bluetooth printer. Without Bluetooth, each device would have to be joined together by wires, meaning we could never sit more than a few meters away from the screen.
Bluetooth offers many advantages, but there are drawbacks, too. We have to charge (充电) Bluetooth devices more often because Bluethooth shortens battery life. Besides, Bluetooth technology easily finds nearby devices so hackers (黑客) can see which devices are nearby and attack them, especially in public places like airports, trains and cafes. What’s more, most Bluetooth devices must be within about 10 meters of each other and has slow data speed.
1. Who was Harald Bluetooth?2. When was Bluetooth 1.0 published?
3. Why do we have to charge Bluetooth devices more often?
4. What do you think of Bluetooth? Why?
There are a lot of plants in the world. Plants are very important. This is because plants can make food for us from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals can get their food by eating plants and other animals. Man gets his food by eating plants and animals, too. So animals and man need plants in order to(为了) live. This is why there are so many plants around us.
There are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Almost all the trees around us are flowering plants. You can know some trees from their flowers and fruit. Non-flowering plants do not grow flowers. You cannot see many non-flowering plants around you.
Look carefully at the plants around you, and you can find there are many kinds of plants. Some plants are large and some are small. Most of them are green. Thanks to the plants around us, we can live on earth.
1. Why are plants very important?2. Can we make food from air, water and sunlight?
3. How many kinds of plants are there according to the passage?
4. What color are most of the plants?
5. What’s the passage mainly about?
Scientists have found the world’s largest sea grass meadow (草坪). They did it by using videos taken by some unusual helpers: tiger sharks.
The work should help protect (保护) the sea grass, and it’s also an interesting way to learn about the ocean (海洋).
Sea grasses help clean the ocean’s water, and provide (提供) food and living places for many sea animals. Importantly, they help in fighting global warming.
Scientists want to protect them, but they don’t have a good idea of where and how large they are. Sea grasses can be hard to see because the water is too deep and not clear enough. As a scientist said, “If we don’t know where it is, we can’t protect it.”
So scientists want sharks to help with the research (研究). Tiger sharks are huge, strong, fast swimmers and also spend a lot of time in sea grass meadows. The scientists put cameras on the fins of sharks and then let them go back to the ocean.
The cameras fell off after a few hours and floated (漂浮) to the top of the ocean. Tracking signals (追踪信号) helped the scientists find the floating cameras and collect the videos the sharks had taken. Putting all this information together, the scientists found the largest sea grass meadow.
The research also shows how useful large underwater animals can be in helping to learn more about life under the sea. A scientist said, “Animals like tiger sharks are going to take us to completely new places.”
1. Who are the scientists’ unusual helpers in the passage?2. Why is it hard for the scientists to find the sea grasses?
3. How did the scientists find the floating cameras?
4. What does the writer want to tell us in the last paragraph?
