1 . Auckland University Online Education-What to Expect
Most Auckland University (AU) online programs are 100 percent online so that students do not come to the school campus. Instead, AU has designed a media-rich, easy-to-use learning environment through a Learning Management System (LMS)
Discipline (纪律)
With disciplined work habits, you are likely to succeed as an online student. It is up to you to log on to your course and meet your own deadlines.
Time Management
In order to earn competitive grades, plan on spending a minimum of 20-25 hours a week on each course. AU courses operate on a seven-week schedule, with start dates in January, March, May, July, September and November. Students are able to complete two courses per semester by taking one seven-week course at a time
Professional Connections
Many of the AU faculty (教员) who teach online have connections to industry, so the online learning environment ensures access to diverse expertise and practice. It includes an extensive network of professionals in a variety of industries.
“I work as an IT manager: And right from the very beginning, every class I took was relevant to what I was doing at work. The wide range of courses gave me a strong foundation for my career development.”
——Jim Heilman, Computer Information System graduate
Technology
It goes without saying that technology plays a vital role in online learning. You will need a high-speed Internet connection and basic computer skills. For specifics, please click here to visit our Technology page.
1. How long does it take to complete one course?| A．One semester. | B．Seven weeks. |
| C．Several mouth. | D．At least 20-25 hours. |
| A．To set a good example. |
| B．To recognize an excellent graduate. |
| C．To prove benefits of professional connections. |
| D．To show effective methods of online learning. |
| A．A college website. | B．An academic magazine. |
| C．A course brochure. | D．An online advertisement. |
2 . It was the Olympic final day earlier this month, but this was an Olympics with a difference. Over the last five months, local and regional competitions have been held across Kenya for Maasai men of "warrior" age as part of the Maasai Olympics 2018. December 15 marked the final round with crowds gathering in Kimana, near the Amboseli National Park, about 200 km south of Narobi. Cash prizes and medals are in store for the winning individuals and communities.
International Charity Born Free Foundation is a main sponsor of the event which has been held every two years since 2012 to offer Maasai and warriors an alternative to(作为......
的替代)killing lions as part of their traditional ceremony. It was the idea of the Wildlife Charity Big Life Foundation and eight Maasai elders who wanted to "stop lion hunting by our warriors once and for all, making it a cultural taboo(禁忌)”.
"As soon as we understood the idea for the Maasai Olympics, we were attracted by the excitement, and inspired by the complete sense of this great plan," said Born Free Foundation's CEO Howard Jones. "As human populations grow and our wants seem to increase, with little sympathy for those other species with whom we share the planet, the pressing needed for coexistence is urgent. And examples of how this may be achieved are few and far between."
"About 2,000 lions remain in Kenya, and Born Free works to monitor the population, ease human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence. "added Jones. “The Maasai live and work alongside lions and other wildlife, so they play a key role in their protection and conservation. However, the Maasai also have a 500-year-old tradition of hunting lions when men reach warrior age."
The Maasai Olympics were developed to encourage young men to compete in an organized sports competition based on their traditional warrior skills. They compete in six events (5,000 m, 800m, 200m, high jump, etc.) and there are also two events (1,500m and 100m) for women. As well as the competitive element, the event also aims to educate local people about conserving lions and other wildlife, and the importance of human-wildlife coexistence and tolerance.
1. What do we know about the Maasai Olympics according to the text?| A．They are only accessible to men. |
| B．They had been held four times by 2018. |
| C．They are held in the Amboseli National Park. |
| D．They honour winners with the title of hero. |
| A．It is primitive and unacceptable. |
| B．It is a proof of their being sympathetic. |
| C．It is the result of human-wildlife conflict. |
| D．It is highly regarded by Born Free Foundation. |
| A．To change the lifestyle of lions in Kenya. |
| B．To ease human-wildlife conflict in Kenya. |
| C．To monitor the population of lions in Kenya. |
| D．To promote coexistence of humans and lions in Kenya. |
| A．Humans and wildlife cannot benefit each other. |
| B．The Maasai should not interfere with wildlife. |
| C．Humans should live in harmony with wildlife. |
| D．The Masssai should not give up their old tradition. |
3 . We've all spent time in a hospital, whether through medical issues of our own or those of a loved one. And while we're used to seeing the doctors hurry in and out of the room, displaying varying degrees of attention, it's the constant and reliable presence of the nursing staff and their professionalism that gives the most confidence and relief to those in the room.
So, while doctors and surgeons tend to get most spotlight, nurses are really at the forefront of patient care. They are often called upon to make important, life-saving decisions multiple times a day and work closely with doctors to analyze records and test results to advise on treatment. It's the nurses that are frequently responsible for identifying a condition and matching the right specialist doctor to a patient, and it's the nurses that are often the first on the scene to treat people in an emergency.
A career in Nursing brings job security, a good wage, career mobility, and chance to decide your own career path. You can work part or full time according to your preference. You can be flexible on work location and specialism. If a particular area interests you, you can explore that as there will always be the need for quality nurses across the medical spectrum(医学光谱)with a passion for their work. Jobs in the field are in high demand, with significant opportunities to learn, grow and reach senior leadership positions. However, if you want to undertake a career in Nursing, a good education is compulsory.
The University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing offers high quality and affordable undergraduate and graduate programs reinforced by talented faculty(全体教师), strong clinical partnerships and advanced simulation(模拟)technology. Students do gain much real experience before working in a hospital. Adelphi's College of Nursing and Public Health provides students with a top-rated, comprehensive education grounded in practice, theory and creativity. They are devoted to transforming students' lives through small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning and creative ways to support academic and career success. The Wayne State University College of Nursing, attaching special importance to first-hand experience, is dedicated to providing the highest quality education to a diverse population of graduate students. Graduates from the college are prepared to be nurse leaders in research, education and practice.
1. What can comfort patients most in the hospital?| A．Spending less time there. |
| B．Receiving concrete care from nurses. |
| C．Drawing little attention there. |
| D．Getting timely information from doctors. |
| A．The content of different positions. |
| B．The process of patient care. |
| C．The importance of nursing work. |
| D．The contribution of doctors. |
| A．Low-paid and secure. |
| B．Promising and significant. |
| C．Flexible and tiresome. |
| D．Demanding and dangerous. |
| A．They charge high learning fees. |
| B．They offer small-class teaching. |
| C．They require basic nursing education. |
| D．They provide hands-on learning. |
4 . Large rainforests are extremely important ecosystems on our planet. They are home to a large number of animal and plant species, and they absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide, which helps reduce global warming. These biggest ones in the world are a sight to observe.
Daintree Rainforest
The main river of the rainforest is the Daintree River, and it also includes the Daintree National Park. If you are wondering why everything seems to share the name, the reason is simple-Richard Daintree was a famous Australian geologist and photographer. Plenty of options will take you there, including a ferry.
Valdivian Temperate Rainforest
This rainforest is known to be extremely foggy and humid, but some interesting species live there. Since it is on the coast, you can witness ice sheets and glaciers as well. Getting to the rainforest is most accessible from Santiago, the capital of Chile, and a train ride or a bus is a preferred option.
Congo Rainforest
This rainforest also features a large number of different plant and animal species, including gorillas, forest elephants, and lions. Visiting this rainforest is also recommended by using a tour company, preferably by finding one in the Republic of Congo.
Amazon Rainforest
It is estimated that we can find 16,000 different tree species in the Amazon rainforest.
When it comes to other plants, animals, and insects, the numbers are even more impressive. The especially interesting thing is that there is still a large number of undiscovered species. A tour guide is advised since going through the rainforest can be dangerous, with predatory creatures(食肉动物)running around.
1. Which of the following is named after a person?| A．Daintree Rainforest. | B．The capital of Chile. |
| C．The Republic of Congo. | D．Amazon Rainforest. |
| A．By ferry. | B．By train. |
| C．By plane. | D．By bike. |
| A．A diary. | B．A brochure. |
| C．A novel. | D．A report. |
5 . When I sent my daughter, Emma, off for her freshman year of college a few years ago, I found myself affected by an unbelievable feeling of melancholy. Clearly, I'm not alone. Just last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that more than 90 percent of colleges offer to help moms and dads who are “struggling with the change.”
Between Thanksgiving, winter holiday, spring break and summer break, the first one out of my nest has come fluttering back home nearly every month of the year since she has been away. Good friends like to joke that they see more of her now than they did when she was a senior in high school. In the meantime, Emma calls, texts or e-mails me almost every day.
Given all this, missing Emma seems kind of silly；I've never really gotten the chance. So why, then, have I still felt on some level that I've experienced a great loss?
All summer long before Emma left that first year, I took Emma out for countless mother-daughter breakfasts, lunches, coffees and walks. At the same time, I seemed to find fault with Emma all the time. In my eyes, Emma had spent the weeks leading up to school going out with her friends too much, staying out way too late, making too big a mess, not working enough and, for goodness sake, certainly not spending enough time with me!
Although it's taken quite a while to realize what was happening, I now understand that my unhappiness and anxiety are not a reflection of how much time Emma and I spend together. Regardless of how often she comes home, or how many times a day we chat or text, Emma is now gone in a far grander sense. She is well on the road to adulthood, and from this, she will never return.
1. What does the underlined word “melancholy” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Fierce anger. | B．Deep sadness. |
| C．Extreme excitement. | D．Great satisfaction. |
| A．They keep in touch frequently. | B．Friends like to make fun of her. |
| C．Emma has grown up to an adult. | D．Other parents don't behave like this. |
| A．The untidiness of Emma's room. | B．The passing of Emma's childhood. |
| C．Taking Emma out all too often. | D．Spending little time with Emma. |
| A．Changes in the Parent-Child Relationship | B．The Most Concerned Parents of All Time |
| C．Growing Pains for College Students | D．Struggling to Let Go of My Daughter |
6 . Scientists already know that plants are highly sensitive to touch of any kind. If you've ever touched Mimosa pudica(含羞草), you've already witnessed its fan-like leaves close up. But most of the time, the effect is invisible, or immediately invisible. A recent study found that touching plants causes such a dramatic response in their hormones and gene expression that it could greatly prevent their growth.
The team touched thale cress, a weedy plant, with soft paint brushes, and then analyzed the plant's biological responses. “The lightest touch from a human, an animal, an insect, or even plants touching each other in the wind, causes a huge gene response in the plant,” Jim Whelan, a biologist at La Trobe University in Australia, said in a statement. “Within 30 minutes of being touched, 10% of the plant's genome(基因组) is changed.”
Previous research has suggested that touch could actually be beneficial, because it stimulates(刺激) the plant's immune system. But this study found that the plants used many resources to respond to touch, which are then not available for growing. The researchers found if they touched a plant multiple times, this was enough to reduce its growth rate by as much as 30%. Other papers have similarly shown that touch can change plant growth; a paper released in 2016 found that even a gentle pat could change the expression of thousands of genes within the same plant.
“While plants don't appear to complain when we step on them, or just brush by them while going for a walk, they're fully aware of this contact and rapidly respond to our treatment of them,” said Olivier Van Aken, a plant biologist at the University of Western Australia.
Whelan and his team uncovered more information about the genetic pathways that are activated by touching a plant, which may be useful for developing more resilient(能复原的) plants. Whelan told the Sydney Morning Herald that the findings are likely most useful for the agriculture industry: if plant scientists can find ways to change that defensive response, produce yields(产量) could potentially go up.
1. How does touch prevent a plant growing?| A．By causing genetic changes. | B．By conveying harmful substances. |
| C．By stopping it absorbing nutrients. | D．By damaging its inner structure. |
| A．They are easy to look after. | B．They respond rapidly to any contact. |
| C．They never have feelings for touch. | D．They are allergic to any human activity. |
| A．The significance of the study. |
| B．The approaches to the findings. |
| C．The way to develop resilient plants. |
| D．The information about increasing produce yields. |
| A．Plants' gene expression is defined by touch |
| B．Touch will help increase produce yields |
| C．Something is done to help plants grow |
| D．Plants don't really like to be touched |
7 . A Time for an adventure?
Are you a bit bored with your nine-to-five routine? Have a look at our exciting range of holidays and decide what type of adventure you'd like.
Activity holidays
Our activity holidays are for everyone, people who love danger or who just like sports. We have a huge variety of water, snow or desert holidays. We'll take you SCUBA diving in the Red Sea or kayaking and white water rafting in Canada. If you prefer snow, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the Alps. For those who like warmer weather, we also have sandboarding-he desert version of skateboarding.
Polar expeditions
Take a cruise to the Antarctic or the Arctic; explore a land of white natural beauty and wonderful wildlife. Our experts will explain everything about the two poles as you watch the penguins in the Antarctic or whales and polar bears in the Arctic.
Cultural journeys
Our cultural journeys will help you discover ancient civilizations: India, Thailand, Egypt and many more. Visit temples, palaces and ancient ruins-just remember to bring your camera! Get to know local ways of life by exploring markets, trying foreign foods and meeting local people.
Trekking tours
We have trekking holidays to famous places such as Machu Picchu or the Everest Base Camp Trek, as well as some nearer to home in the Highlands of Scotland. You don't need to be very sporty, just fairly fit. You'll have a great time enjoying nature with a group of new friends. Some of the holidays include camping, but we'll transport the tents for you!
1. Which tour will you choose if you want to watch animals in nature?| A．Activity holidays. | B．Polar expeditions. |
| C．Cultural journeys. | D．Trekking tours. |
| A．Do some sports. | B．Enjoy sandboarding. |
| C．Camp on the mountains. | D．Try snowboarding in the Alps. |
| A．Senior retirees. | B．Young teenagers. |
| C．Regular workers. | D．Successful businessmen. |
8 . There is certainly evidence that actors experience a blending of their real self with their assumed characters. For instance, Benedict Cumberbatch said, “My mum says I'm much more impatient with her when I'm filming Sherlock.”
Mark Seton, a researcher at the University of Sydney, has even coined the term “post-dramatic stress disorder” to describe the lasting effects experienced by actors who lose themselves in a role. “Actors may often prolong habits of the characters they have embodied,” he writes.
A recent finding doesn't involve acting, and it indicates that merely spending some time thinking about another person seemed to rub off on the volunteers’ sense of self led by Meghan Meyer at Princeton University. Across several studies, these researchers asked volunteers to first rate their own personalities, memories or physical attributes, and then to perform the same task from the perspective of another person. For instance, they might score the emotionality of various personal memories, and then rate how a friend or relative would have experienced those same events.
After taking the perspective of another, the volunteers scored themselves once again: the consistent finding was that their self-knowledge was now changed—their self-scores had shifted to become more similar to those they'd given for someone else. For instance, if they had initially said the trait term “confident” was only moderately related to themselves and then rated the term as being strongly related to a friend's personality, when they came to rescore themselves, they now tended to see themselves as more confident. Remarkably, this morphing of the self with another was still apparent even if a 24-hour gap was left between taking someone else's perspective and re-rating oneself.
“By simply thinking about another person, we may adapt our self to take the shape of that person” said Meyer and her colleagues. That our sense of self should have this quality might be a little discouraging, especially for anyone who has struggled to establish a firm sense of identity. Yet there is an optimistic message here, too. The challenge of improving ourselves—or at least seeing ourselves in a more positive light—might be a little easier than we thought. By roleplaying or acting out the kind of person we would like to become, or merely by thinking about and spending time with people who embody the kind of attributes we would like to see in ourselves, we can find that our sense of self changes in desirable ways.
“As each of us chooses who to befriend, who to model, and who to ignore” write Meyer and her colleagues, “we must make these decisions aware of how they shape not only the fabric of our social networks, but even our sense of who we are.”
1. The first two paragraphs mainly ______.| A．state that acting requires skills |
| B．explain the stress that an actor faces |
| C．show that a role leaves a mark on the actor |
| D．stress the importance of devoting oneself to a role |
| A．Influence. | B．Strengthen. |
| C．Confuse. | D．Determine. |
| A．brings changes to one's self-knowledge |
| B．motivates one to better understand himself |
| C．helps people deal with their identity problems |
| D．produces temporary effects on one's character |
| A．It offers instructions on making friends. |
| B．It proposes a means to improve ourselves. |
| C．It gives advice on adjusting one's emotions. |
| D．It presents a way to deal with stress disorder. |
9 . Fashion is a horrible thing. One day you are cool wearing your flared-out jeans and the next one you’re an idiot. You have nothing else to do, but put your favourite jeans in the shelf of out-dated shame. However, now scientists from the University of New South Wales say that your old, worn-out clothes could be turned into building materials-solid panels (嵌板) for floors or walls.
Old, unwanted clothes are actually a huge burden on the environment. They usually end up in a landfill, where they rot away without any use for us, at the same time polluting the environment. Cheap throwaway clothes produce 10 million tonnes of landfill in the US alone each year. However, shredding (撕裂) them we could create new materials. Scientists firstly removed zippers, buttons and other hard pieces, then shredded this old mess of clothing and then added some chemicals to bond these fibers together. The last step was heating and pressing this material to form solid panels. They are strong, water-resistant and not easy to catch fire. Their quality can be further tuned by adding some other materials, such as sawdust, old foam, paper and so on. Different mixtures result in different textures (质地) and colors, some resembling wood, ceramic or stone.
These panels are strong enough to be used on the floor, but their decorative qualities allow them to be used on walls as well. However, scientists still have challenges to overcome before it becomes commercially available. The challenge is consistency—you want your walls to be consistent in colour, which is difficult to achieve when the material is so diverse.
Actually, shredded material could also be used as a heat insulator for walls of the buildings, and it could become filling material for toys or some furniture as well. However, turning old clothing into construction materials could become a business, which would drive this recycling process into a new level.
1. What do we know about old clothes from Paragraph 1?| A．They are cool to wear again. | B．They cost a lot to be recycled. |
| C．They will be fashionable in time. | D．They can be construction materials. |
| A．To strengthen the fibers. | B．To make panels water-resistant. |
| C．To combine the shredded fabrics. | D．To form different texture and colors. |
| A．They can hardly be decorated on walls. |
| B．It is hard to produce them in the same color. |
| C．It is difficult for them to achieve different colors. |
| D．They are not easy to be promoted commercially. |
| A．Its out-dated recycling process. | B．Its potential commercial value. |
| C．The curiosity to find more usage. | D．The urge to protect the environment. |
10 . Isabel Allende doesn’t take anything for granted. The celebrated author grew up moving from place to place as the child of a diplomat; as an adult, she was forced out of her native Chile by political upheaval (动乱). Recently, Allende was honored by the National Book Foundation for her distinguished contribution to American letters—the first such award given to a Spanish-language writer.
Allende’s story is typically American: She came to the U.S. for a new start after living for more than a decade for political shelter in Venezuela. By that time, Allende had already gained international fame for The House of the Spirits, a novel inspired by her family history. Actually, most of her writing comes from the “incurable desire to belong to a place”. Moving from place to place, and surrounded by people with varied lives, she realized that writers need not feel the pressure of making up stories. After all, Allende asks, “What is writing if it’s not an attempt to sort out the confusion of life?”
In her acceptance speech, she said, “As a stranger, I observe and listen carefully. I ask questions, and I question everything. For my writing, I don’t need to invent much; I look around and take notes. I’m a collector of experiences.”
All of this is hardly new advice, but it’s advice that, deserves repeating and listening to. Because in this way, writers and readers can turn weak and uncertain connections into strong and secure ones. “If we listen to another person’s story, if we tell our own story, we realize that the similarities that bring us together are more than the differences that separate us.”
1. Where was Isabel Allende born?| A．Chile. | B．Spain. | C．America. | D．Venezuela. |
| A．A need to live a different life. | B．A desire to belong to a place. |
| C．A wish to move constantly. | D．An effort to solve puzzles of life. |
| A．She enjoys inventing. | B．She has accumulated much before writing. |
| C．She likes collecting notes. | D．She has experienced all kinds of life. |
| A．It encourages people to follow others. |
| B．It inspires people to question their stories. |
| C．It makes people find differences between each other. |
| D．It helps people build close connections with others. |
