1 . Tyson Terry wakes up, gets ready for school, and then turns on his computer. Ifs his first day of seventh grade. But he’s not going anywhere. Nowadays, going to school has become unsafe for him and many other students around the world.
For many students, distance learning has become the usual state. They have to take classes on virtual platforms (虚拟平台). Besides, kids are also stuck at home during their free time. Tyson and his friends can chat with each other only on screens.
A recent study shows that Tyson and his friends aren’t the only young people getting plenty of screen time these days. In April 2020, almost 1,500 parents in Canada reported their kids had less exercise and more screen time. Researchers have found that kids who spend a lot of time on screens are more likely to have eye problems and trouble with reading. Yet right now, screens are the only safe way to learn or socialize. How should they get out of this dilemma (困境)?
“I think to say screen time is bad or good is both dangerous,” says Michelle Guerrero who studies diseases. Different types of screen time have both costs and advantages, she says. You should be mindful of how much screen time you get. But for many families, “right now, staying within two hours is just not realistic.”
Taren Sanders, a health scientist, agrees. “Overall, I’m not too concerned about the additional screen time kids are having,” he says. The things you should be thinking about are the amount of exercise you get and the way you spend your free time.
The biggest problem with screens is that people usually sit without moving while they watch screens. A long time sitting leads to bad changes in one’s body and is more likely to cause health problems. So an important question to ask yourself is not how much screen time you are getting, but how active you are.
1. What does the example of Tyson mainly show?| A．Students want to spend their free time at home. |
| B．Students enjoy the new learning method. |
| C．Students prefer online communication. |
| D．Students have more screen time. |
| A．Students should control their screen time. |
| B．Screen time has a lot to do with health levels. |
| C．Many families are shortening their screen time. |
| D．Distance learning works against many students’ progress. |
| A．Students, poor exercise habits. |
| B．The additional screen time students have. |
| C．More screen time leading to a long time sitting. |
| D．Students having no idea how to spend their free time. |
2 . According to University World News, there are around 200 million students who are affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, great minds did not let the hours go for nothing. As online education was already familiar, chances of establishing the mainstream policy of conducting classes through online increased greatly.
A huge response from all over the world is seen. Many universities and schools started conducting their classes through Ding Talk TV, CCTalk or other conferencing portals (入口). It is known that this procedure will not last if situation becomes stable again as what is now going on is only a “Better than nothing” option, but the appeal and impact of “E-Learning” will definitely remain.
Undoubtedly the online education will make a huge impact on the lifestyle and time consumption of the people as life will become even faster and more comfortable than now. Also the transportation problem of the country will be solved as students will be able to conduct the classes from home. More precisely, wastage of time will be removed completely, which would help the students to become more concentrated and hardworking. Another major problem is the accommodation problem which will be settled completely as anybody can access the classes sitting in their own home.
However this E-Learning method may result in some possible problems in future. Even for the time being, though the credit (学分) hours are counted and the students are graded on the basis of online exams, some courses and subjects should be left out for later to be conducted physically. For example, subjects which do not require practical experiments or are computer related, such as literature, history, law, computer science, mathematics, etc. are completely okay to be conducted in both the classroom and E-Learning. Whereas, chemistry, biology, agricultural science, all the medical departments, etc. or in short, whatever the course is, if that requires practical application, practice and fieldwork, shouldn’t be conducted in the virtual class.
Therefore, all the courses which require lab work or practical application, should be separated and designed as a “Lab Year” and conducted those classes physically when situation becomes normal. Even some of the theoretical courses, such as law, journalism, should have a few courses conducted later for the students’ own benefit in future. In other words, there should be a balanced way of handling the situation.
1. According to the passage, E-Learning is very likely to ________.| A．settle the transportation problem | B．help students find a house to live in |
| C．cause students to waste more time | D．make people’s life less comfortable |
| A．Students can’t be graded fairly based on online exams. |
| B．Some courses requiring practice can’t be conducted physically. |
| C．Computer Science and history have to be conducted online. |
| D．Some subjects should be left out for later to be conducted online. |
| A．Online education will replace the traditional one. |
| B．The effects of “E-Learning” exist for the time being. |
| C．The theoretical courses needn’t be conducted physically. |
| D．Traditional Education will still have a place in the future. |
| A．Online Education: Impact and Practice |
| B．Online Education: Benefits and Problems |
| C．Online Education: Problems and Solutions |
| D．Online Education: Opportunity and Possibility |
3 . Are you one of the increasing number of students who are struggling for college education online?
Many students assume that online classes require less work and are easier than traditional classes.
Arrangement according to class schedule is important. Log on to your course according to the required schedule. Manage your time just as you would in a traditional course.
During class, you are advised to be focused. Read and practice everything. Go through every screen Don’t run through a course skipping videos, animations (动画), and ungraded self-assessment activities. Be comfortable communicating through text. Most communication in an online course occurs through the written word. Discussion board posts, written assignments, and email are all common modes of communication in online courses.
Remember to be active. If you have questions or don’t understand an assignment, tell your instructor.
| A．Follow these tips to help you be a successful online learner. |
| B．Online classes require less work |
| C．You’ll understand the instructor better. |
| D．Be sure you have the required software and hardware. |
| E．Your instructor can help you better if you tell him or her. |
| F．In reality, they’re designed just as demanding as traditional courses. |
| G．This is different from traditional classes, where a lot of communication is oral. |
4 . “Don't delete your browser (浏览器) history,” Lin Kai warns his 11-year-old son, who is supposed to be having lectures delivered by his schoolteachers. Mr. Lin has reason to be anxious.
To contain the spread of Covid-19, the authorities have closed schools and universities. “But study must not stop,” says the education ministry. Under its orders, the country's biggest exercise in remote learning is under way, watched over by parents. Mr. Lin, who lives in the eastern city of Hangzhou, has caught his son being distracted by online games. He wants his son to know that he will inspect the browser for evidence of such naughtiness.
There are other ways to enforce discipline. Liu Weihua, who teaches at Wuhan University of Technology, places more emphasis on how students perform in classroom discussions, which are conducted using video-conferencing platforms such as Ding talk by Alibaba and Ketang by Tencent.
The interruption is felt most keenly by pupils in the final year of secondary school. That is the year leading up to the Gaokao, the university-entrance exam. Many parents feared that online learning is a poor substitute for classroom instruction. Hou Kaixuan, who will sit the Gaokao in the northern city of Zhangjiakou this summer, eagerly waits for the re-opening of his school. “I'm simply more productive in a physical classroom,” he says.
When schools and universities eventually re-open, classrooms may be different, says Yue Qiu, a secondary-school teacher in Beijing. The teacher-student relationship will become “less hierarchical (等级分明的)”, he predicts. That is because China's extended experiment' with online learning is reducing the typical reserve (矜持) between instructor and pupil. Teachers who were previously reluctant to give out their contact details on WeChat, a messaging app, now rely on it to respond to students' questions. At Mr. Yue's school, students may even call their teachers to ask for feedback. If he is right, such a breaking-down of barriers could be one of the few happy by products of Covid-19.
1. What does the underlined word “distract” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．Frightened. |
| B．Attracted. |
| C．Admitted. |
| D．Impressed. |
| A．excellent |
| B．productive |
| C．informal |
| D．inefficient |
| A．When schools reopen, teachers and students will probably feel awkward. |
| B．Teachers and students are willing to contact each other on WeChat. |
| C．The relationship between teachers and students may become better. |
| D．Students may ask their teachers for feedback in real classrooms. |
5 . Online Free Courses
English Grammar and Style
We’ll present materials that cover grammatical principles, word usage, writing style, sentence and paragraph structure, and punctuation. We’ll challenge you with quizzes and writing activities that will give you strategies to enhance the quality of your writing, and invite you to participate in discussions and assess the work of your peers (同龄人).
Length: 8 weeks.
Instructor: Roslyn Petelin from the University of Queensland.
Academic Writing Made Easy
From structuring and organizing an academic text to avoiding common mistakes that can negatively affect your credibility, this course offers a guide for those who want to improve their writing. Each week is comprised of video lessons, followed by exercises and tasks of assessing your peers’ work. The course requires upper-intermediate to advanced English.
Length: 6 weeks.
Instructor: Heidi Minning from the Technical University of Munich.
Preparing to Network in English
Networking in the business world is key to career success. But what is networking? And how do you do it in English? This course helps you understand the basics of networking and why it’s important. You’ll identify the key qualities you should focus on developing. Most importantly, you’ll grow and expand your business network and professional connections.
Length: 6 weeks.
Instructor: Joel Ozretich from the University of Washington.
Using Emails for Networking in English
In this course, you’ll learn important strategies for writing effective emails. You’ learn how to write messages for different audiences and understand when to be formal or direct. You’ll also learn how choice of words can change the way people view your message.
Length: 4 weeks.
Instructor: Daphne Mackey from the University of Washington.
1. English Grammar and Style offers materials on the following EXCEPT ________.| A．grammatical principles | B．word usage |
| C．punctuation | D．pronunciation |
| A．English Grammar and Style. |
| B．Academic Writing Made Easy. |
| C．Preparing to Network in English. |
| D．Using Emails for Networking in English. |
| A．Both last for one and half months. |
| B．Both involve some peer review tasks. |
| C．Both require upper-intermediate English. |
| D．Both are offered by the same university. |
| A．Roslyn Petelin. | B．Heidi Minning. |
| C．Joel Ozretich. | D．Daphne Mackey |
| A．Improving email-writing skills. |
| B．Giving tips on academic writing. |
| C．Exploring grammatical principles. |
| D．Introducing the basics of net working. |
6 . Online master gardener programs allow you to learn more about plants and gardening. Some of them can also provide certification to those who wish to benefit their community in broader ways.
Advanced Permaculture Design
* Price: About $ 495（Plus $ 60 registration free）.
* Experience Level: Suitable for experienced learners.
* Reasons: If you are looking for something more in-depth, then these courses offer more advanced instruction in permaculture.
* Advantages: Opportunity to advance skills in permaculture; aid in professional development.
* Disadvantages: Not suitable for beginners.
Garden Tutor
* Price: Free.
* Experience Level: Suitable for beginners.
* Reasons: This course is free and it is suitable for beginners.
* Advantages: Completely free of charge; suitable for complete learners.
* Disadvantages: No route to certification; simpler and less comprehensive than paid courses.
Cornell Gardener Program
* Price: About $675 for a six-week organic gardening course.
* Experience Level: Suitable for beginners through to more experienced gardeners.
* Reasons: This is one of our top picks because of the institution’s excellent reputation.
* Advantages: Focus on organic, eco-friendly gardening, flexible online learning; small class sizes.
* Disadvantages: Costly option; full master gardener certification only available to local residents.
Skillshare Gardening Courses
* Price: Low prices which vary in courses.
* Experience Level: Suitable for beginners.
* Reasons: These courses offer various opportunities to learn more about gardening. If gardening is a hobby, taking one or more of them could be a great alternative to a full maste gardener program.
* Advantages: Affordable; flexible online schedules.
* Disadvantages: No route to certification.
1. Which of the following online programs charges nothing?| A．Advanced Permaculture Design. | B．Garden Tutor. |
| C．Comell Gardener Program. | D．Skillshare Gardening Courses. |
| A．It only offers a short-term course. |
| B．It doesn’t charge any registration fee. |
| C．It is known for environmental protection. |
| D．It is intended for learners of different levels. |
| A．Its teaching method. | B．Its route to certification. |
| C．Its flexible online schedules. | D．Its experienced masters. |
7 . Gerardo Ixcoy is a 27-year-old teacher in Guatemala. He teaches in the area where having electricity is something of a luxury and students have no access to mobile apps or computers, which became a problem when Guatemalan government had to choose distance education for students at home because of COVID-19 in mid-March.
Gerardo Ixcoy felt that he had to teach those children living far from the digital world. After all, education is a universal right. But what was the solution?
Gerardo bought himself a secondhand tricycle with his savings. Once he had the tricycle, the next step was to change it into a classroom on wheels. He put a roof with a solar panel（太阳能电池板）on it, along with a screen to avoid the spread of COVID-19. He fixed a whiteboard on it so he could explain to the students the basics of primary education： math, the local language and the national language Spanish.
The purpose of the solar panel is to provide constant power for a small loudspeaker so he can teach from a distance. It's a matter of respecting the healthy distance required to be safe from the virus. He, the teacher, stays outside, and the student participates from his or her house.
He tries to visit his students at least twice a week, riding his classroom — cycle. The children he serves say that, although he visits them for only a few hours a week, they look forward to it. They appreciate his visit because they know he has limited time he can devote to them. They must take advantage of it to learn.
1. What happened to Gerardo Ixcoy's students because of COVID-19?| A．They chose to have classes in groups. |
| B．They had to stop all the classes. |
| C．They continued to have classes online. |
| D．They started to learn about computers. |
| A．Because healthy distance is reqired. |
| B．Because he doesn't want to see his students. |
| C．Because he wants to show his authority. |
| D．Because the local custom reqiries him to. |
| A．In his own house. | B．In his student's house. |
| C．On the school playground. | D．Outside his student's house. |
| A．Love breaks down barriers. | B．Hard work pays off. |
| C．Time is money. | D．Education is the key to success. |
8 . The night before the first day of school is usually an exciting and sleepless one for me. This virtual (虚拟的) school year, however, didn't give me that same feeling. In my mind, I couldn't communicate with my classmates, and I couldn't have conversations with my favorite teachers. So I went to bed, filled with more curiosity (好奇) and uncertainty than anything else.
I woke up the next day at 9 a. m., as my first class that day didn't start until 10 a.m. I sat at my desk waiting for my first online class of the day: AP Statistics. The class could only be described as two things: awkward and a bit boring. Awkward because of the lasting silence that often fell over us, as most of the students, myself included, refused to discuss their summers, and boring because I had to look at a screen instead of truly communicating with my teacher.
I would have preferred sitting in a classroom wearing my picked first-day clothes, but, I didn't say anything. I knew it was much safer for us to learn from home.
Once the class ended, my one-hour lunch block began. My virtual lunch was at 11:20 a.m.
My next two classes flew by. They had the same awkwardness and boredom, with different levels of enjoyability based on the subject and teacher.
At the end of the day, I felt strange, and like I hadn't done anything at all or even actually gone to school. I never felt like I hadn't done anything with myself that day before. I didn't even feel like a student on a “pursuit (追求) of knowledge.” I just felt like I was watching something on my computer screen.
It wasn't my favorite thing in the world, but, it's the new normal (常态), and I and my classmates will have to get used to it.
1. How did the writer feel the night before the first day of school?| A．He was too excited to fall asleep. |
| B．He couldn't wait to meet his classmates. |
| C．He was unsure about what would happen. |
| D．He was looking forward to online learning. |
| A．He couldn't have real communication with the teacher. |
| B．He couldn't understand what the teacher said. |
| C．He felt the unhappiness of his classmates. |
| D．He thought the class was valueless. |
| A．He had got used to the new school life. |
| B．He preferred to have a class online. |
| C．He hated to do much homework. |
| D．He felt empty in his heart. |
| A．By giving examples. |
| B．By giving instructions. |
| C．By following time order. |
| D．By providing research results. |
9 . Welcome to the Electronic Village to explore new ways of language teaching and learning.
Electronic Village Program (Thursday, June 18, 2015)
Nearpod
◇ 9:00 am to 10:00 am
◇ Room 501
Nearpod is a software program that creates a rich context for students to learn vocabulary. The presenter will show how to use it.
TEO
◇ 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
◇ Room 502
Our students come from different backgrounds but have the same desire to learn on-line. The presenter will use examples from his first on-line class to explain how any teacher can begin teaching on-line with TEO.
Kahoot
◇ 10:30 am to 11:00 am
◇ Room 601
Kahoot software can be used to create grammar tests which can be graded on a network. It can provide students with instant feedback(反馈), including reports about their strengths and weaknesses.
Prezi
◇ 3:00 pm to 4:20 pm
◇ Room 602
Uses of Prezi in listening and speaking courses draw students’ attention to speaking more fluently. The presenter will show how students can use Prezi to confidently present on all kinds of topics, including introducing family, friends, and hobbies.
1. What can Nearpod be used to do?| A．Offer grammar tests. | B．Teach listening on-line. |
| C．Help vocabulary learning. | D．Gain fluency in speaking. |
| A．Room 501. | B．Room 502. | C．Room 601. | D．Room 602. |
| A．Nearpod. | B．Kahoot. | C．TEO. | D．Prezi. |
10 . The other day, I came home from work to find my son Lucas ignoring me. When I asked him what he was up to, he said he was working on some school stuff and couldn’t talk. Hearing this, I decided to see what he was up to. After sitting next to him for a minute, I too was lost in focus, trying to observe and remember as many details of the crime scene as possible. This is my son’s school. He logs in with his iPad, and does all his school work online.
After completing this “assignment”, Lucas decided he wanted to go out and play some basketball and then jammed out on his guitar. He may only be 15, but he sets his own schedule. He has shown he is responsible when it comes to this.
Last summer, my wife needed to develop a website for her new business. We had looked into some services online, but my son insisted he knew how to do it. We decided to give him a try, but when we saw the final results, we were floored. We could not believe a 15yearold child created this professional looking site.
I could not be happier with our decision to send Luccas to an online school. He is learning far more than he would be at his public school. He is well behaved and respectful, and I don’t worry who he is hanging out with. I’m grateful we had this opportunity. If you never considered online school an option, you may want to start looking into it. It could be the change your child needs to be successful.
1. What was Lucas doing when the author came home the other day?| A．He was doing his homework online. |
| B．He was playing computer games. |
| C．He was watching a movie about crime. |
| D．He was focusing on a novel about crime. |
| A．the author was very strict with his son |
| B．the author’s wife was doing online business |
| C．the author was proud of his son |
| D．the author’s son lacked skills in developing websites |
| A．Pleased. | B．Excited. |
| C．Worried. | D．Surprised. |
| A．His relationship with his son. |
| B．The behavior of his son. |
| C．Online school is worth attending. |
| D．How to bring up a child. |
