1 . Sleep deprivation(缺失)is an important hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.
It is a particular problem in richer countries with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedroom late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious problem that lessons have to be dragged down to a lower level to suit sleep-deprived learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9- and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being negatively affected.
In literacy(读写能力) tests there were 76% of 9- and 10-year-olds lacking sleep. This was much higher than the international average of 47% of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57% among the secondary age group.
Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. High-performing Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. Countries with the best records for getting enough sleep include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan and Malta.
The analysis was part of the huge date-gathering process for global education rankings, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study(PIRLS)
“I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show,” says Chad Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.
“It’s the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition,” says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. “If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your best level, because your mind and body are in need of something more basic. Sleep is a fundamental need for all children. If teachers report such large proportions of children suffering from lack of sleep, it’s having a significant impact. But worse than that, teachers are having to adjust their instruction based on those children who are suffering from a lack of sleep. The children who are suffering from a lack of sleep are driving down instruction.”
That means that even the children who are getting enough sleep are still suffering from this sleep-related lowering.
1. What did the researchers of Boston College try to findA.Why children don’t get enough sleep |
B.How many hours children sleep every night |
C.The relationship between sleep and test results |
D.The relationship between sleep and health |
A.they sit in front of the TV for too long |
B.they can hardly sleep soundly and deeply |
C.their homework occupies too much of their time |
D.modern technological devices consume a lot of their time |
A.Japan | B.Malta |
C.Finland | D.Portugal |
A.Because they are disturbed by sleep-deprived students |
B.Because teaching is driven down by sleep-deprived students |
C.Because they have to spend time helping sleep-deprived students |
D.Because the teachers waste time disciplining sleep-deprived students |
Fascinating as their skills of flight are, migrating behavior has been difficult to study in insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground. Only recently have scientists developed technologies that can detect (测出) such little creatures at such great heights.
To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive travelers on the winds. In autumn, for example, most light winds blew from the east, but the insects somehow sought out ones that carried them south and they positioned themselves to navigate directly to their wintering homes.
Even in the spring, when most winds flowed northward, the insects didn’t always go with the flow. If breezes weren’t blowing in the exact direction they wanted to go, the insects changed their body positions to compensate (补偿). Many migrating birds do the same thing.
The study also found, butterflies and moths actively flew within the air streams that pushed them along. By adding flight speeds to wind speeds, the scientists calculated that butterflies and moths can travel as fast as 100 kilometers an hour. The findings may have real-world applications. With climate warming, migrating insects are growing in number. Knowing how and when these pests move could help when farmers decide when to spray their crops.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Insects migrate with the seasons. |
B.Wind helps insects greatly in migrating. |
C.Windsurfing insects have real direction. |
D.Scientists have trouble in observing insects. |
A.insects always waited for their favorable winds |
B.insects chose the winds they wanted to ride |
C.insects were just blown about by the wind |
D.insects positioned themselves in the winds |
A.the little creatures can fly very fast |
B.they have no regular migrating courses |
C.the wind’s direction is hard to foresee |
D.their flight is long and high above ground |
A.insects fly in the way birds do |
B.insects travel more easily in autumn |
C.insects never position themselves when flying low |
D.insects rest a lot when the wind pushes them along |
A.increase insects in number | B.instruct farmers when to spray |
C.prevent climate warming | D.help protect insects |
It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.
My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.
This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.
Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.
By Ariel Lewiton
1. When the author walked through her parents’ house, she _______.
A.was frightened that she had no idea what she wanted from life |
B.started to think about her own life |
C.realized I should buy a house. |
D.wondered why her parents had settled down early |
A.Their attitude toward high technology. |
B.Their ways of making their way to the top. |
C.Their attitude towards responsibility. |
D.Their ways of gaining experience. |
A.It’s all right to try more before settling down. |
B.It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier. |
C.It involves too much effort to rise vertically. |
D.It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”. |
A.The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age. |
B.Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships. |
C.“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and love to be taken care of by their parents. |
D.The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better. |
A.The sudden realization of growing up. |
B.A comparison between lifestyles of generations. |
C.Criticisms of the young generation. |
D.The factors that have changed the young generation. |
(China Daily, March 3, 1996) the biggest shopping center will open on March 8.Every body with today's China Daily will get a small present that day. You are welcome. Telephone: 38990688; address: No. 6 Xidan Road …… |
(ENGLISH NEWSPAPER, March 19) English Newspaper needs a foreign editor. He (She ) must have worked in China for more than 2 years. British nationality is necessary. The salary is $ 100,000 a year. The term is 3 years. In ten days this piece of advertisement will not be useful. Telephone: 3890666; addresses: No. 6 Xinling Road … |
(CHINA FOOTBALL, February 3, 1996) Shanghai Shenhua Team Vs Beijing Guo'an Team TIME: February 8.Sunday (3:00) PLACE: Hongkou Stadium TICKET PRICE; RMB 25 yuan (for adults ) RMB 15 yuan (for students) NAME: China Cup Football Contest COACHES: Xu Genbao, Jin Zhiyang … |
1. If an Englishman who has worked in China for 3 years comes to English Newspaper office to ask for the job in April, he will _____.
A.get the job | B.not get the job |
C.be a good editor | D.not be useful |
A.165 | B.135 | C.196 | D.255 |
A.The shopping center is at NO. 6 Xidan road. |
B.The telephone number of English Newspaper is 3890666. |
C.The match was between Beijing Team and Guo'an Team. |
D.Xu Genbao is a coach. |
Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can’t be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation(模仿)leads on to deliberate(有意的)imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
It is a problem we need to get out teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world .Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.
1. Before children start speaking________________.
A.they need equal amount of listening |
B.they need different amounts of listening |
C.they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions |
D.they can’t understand and obey the adult’s oral instructions |
A.may have problems with their listening |
B.probably do not hear enough language spoken around them |
C.usually pay close attention to what they hear |
D.often take a long time in learning to listen properly |
A.an expression of his moods and feelings |
B.an early form of language |
C.a sign that he means to tell you something |
D.an imitation of the speech of adults |
as speech________________.
A.is important because words have different meanings for different people |
B.is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually |
C.is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age |
D.is one that should be completely ignored(忽略)because children’s use of words is often meaningless |
A.parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds |
B.children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak |
C.children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly |
D.even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating |