1 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words with Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms (平台).
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual (虚拟的) worlds, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To summarize the text. | B.To tell about true friends. |
C.To bring up a discussion. | D.To encourage online friendship. |
A.In any case. | B.In person. | C.In this way. | D.In advance. |
A.Worried. | B.Unconcerned. | C.Confused. | D.Positive. |
A.It`s wise to turn to friends online. |
B.It`s easier to develop friendships in reality. |
C.Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. |
D.Social media help people stay closely connected. |
2 . It takes time to really get to know someone, but first impressions often determine whether someone is willing to spend more time learning about you. In fact, people’s first impressions are made within seven seconds of meeting someone new.
Show respect. People want to feel respected before they show you the same respect.
Be enthusiastic.
Try to avoid the bad days. If something unfortunate happens, you don’t have to follow a scheduled meeting on the day.
A.Make others feel lucky. |
B.Instead, you can set another time. |
C.Pay attention to your body language. |
D.Show interest in the person you meet. |
E.When you go out for dinner, be polite to waiters. |
F.Be polite and show manners with “please” and “thank you”. |
G.Here are some tips on how to make a good first impression. |
3 . Harper Lee (1926—2016) was an American novelist widely known for To Kill a Mockingbird (published in 1960), which won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. The 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck won three Academy Awards.
For decades, the book was Lee’s only major work of published fiction, but it was hugely influential for generations of U.S. readers. It has sold more than 10 million copies, and is one of the most widely taught novels in the U.S. schools. In 2007 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to literature.
Lee wanted to live a simple life and was never comfortable with the attention the novel won her, and she practically disappeared from public life after it appeared. The world, however, continued waiting for a new novel from her, and on occasion she suggested that she was working on another story.
In 2015, a book did come out. Go Set a Watchman was more of a first draft, featuring Scout, the young girl who was the main character of To Kill a Mockingbird. Go Set a Watchman tells a story of Scout as adult.
Though Lee moved to New York in 1949, she spent many years guarding her privacy (隐私) in Monroeville, which served as the clear inspiration for the setting in To Kill a Mockingbird.
In 2007, Lee suffered a stroke (中风), but recovered and later settled in Monroeville permanently to care for her sister, Alice, who died in 2014. She was said to eat breakfast every morning at the same fast-food spot, and was friendly with her neighbors. The countless Americans knew her only through her works, and they will undoubtedly miss her.
1. What can be learned about Harper Lee from the first two paragraphs?A.She was regarded as the greatest writer in America. |
B.She made great contributions to American literature. |
C.She once starred in a film adapted from her own novel. |
D.She is the most popular writer in American schools in history. |
A.She tried to get out of criticism. |
B.She wanted to write another novel. |
C.She suffered a stroke and was in recovery. |
D.She felt uneasy about her novel’s influence. |
A.It is based on her own life story. | B.It is adapted into a famous film. |
C.It won her lots of honors and awards. | D.It continues the story of her earlier novel. |
A.Influential but simple. | B.Ill-tempered but productive. |
C.Caring but stubborn. | D.Inspiring but struggling. |
4 . The Inuit (因纽特人) live in the far north of Alaska. It is a cold and snowy place. Yet people have survived there for thousands of years. The Inuit have many ancient cultural traditions. However, their way of life has changed. For example, people now have video games and televisions. Young people prefer these to their cultural traditions. Now, the customs and traditions of the Inuit are disappearing. But people are trying to find ways to continue indigenous (土著的) traditions in Alaska. One of these groups is the Cook Inlet Tribal Council.
The Cook Inlet Tribal Council wanted to teach young Inuit people about their traditional stories and cultural history. So they decided to make an educational video game. They began working with Sean Vesce of K-Line Media. He had created many successful video games. Vesce and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council created the world’s first indigenous video game. They called this game Never Alone. Vesce describes the game to the news organization NPR:
“The main story is based on a traditional story called Kunuuksaayuka. It is the story of a snow-storm that never ends. This blizzard is causing a family some problems. In the traditional tale, the son wants to find what is causing this unusual weather. The story goes that this boy goes out. After some time, he finds the cause of the blizzard. He finds a way to stop the blizzard by using his intelligence.”
Soon after the game came on the market, people could play Never Alone. It won many awards. And many gamers gave Never Alone good comments. They said it beautifully designed and interesting play. But the game is also reaching its goal of connecting people to traditional culture.
1. Never Alone was created to________.A.please young Inuit people | B.retell a traditional Inuit story |
C.keep indigenous tradition alive | D.show the changes of Inuit people |
A.He was familiar with indigenous traditions. |
B.He is experienced in creating games. |
C.He was very good at playing video games. |
D.He had created indigenous video games before. |
A.rain | B.wind |
C.snowstorm | D.story |
A.Never Alone is on the market |
B.Never Alone is quite successful |
C.more comments are needled on Never Alone |
D.people have just started to play Never Alone |
5 . Nowadays technologies benefit us a lot in our daily life, but if not properly used, they can affect our health.The bed is supposed to be reserved as a place for sleep, but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep.
Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment.For five days in a row, the people read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep.Their sleep patterns were monitored all night.Before and after each trial period, the people took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin(褪黑激素) was in their blood at any given time.
When subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books, they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning.People also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights, and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion(分泌) was delayed by an hour and a half.
The researchers conclude in today's journal article that given the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents, more research into the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed.Czeisler and colleagues go on, in the research paper, to note "Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk".
However, software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day, and there are also glasses that are made to filter(过滤) short wavelengths.While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users, it needs more research.
1. In Charles Czeisler's experiment, what were all the subjects asked to do?A.Sit in a row and receive the strict tests. |
B.Have their sleep patterns observed all night. |
C.Read a paper book and an iPad at the same time. |
D.Have their blood tested per hour during the trial. |
A.They felt less sleepy and tired in the day. |
B.They fell asleep more easily after reading. |
C.They became less energetic the next morning. |
D.They had a lot more melatonin secretions. |
A.It can remove the blue light from your devices completely. |
B.It can help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelengths. |
C.It can weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading. |
D.It can be used in all the e-things widely and safely. |
A.Wrong behaviors before bedtime. | B.New software for night e-readers. |
C.No games on the iPad in bed. | D.No e-reading in bed before sleep. |
6 . Kids Nature and Survival Camp
Set free your kids’ imagination and spirit of adventure at this camp, as they learn about the natural environment and the important skills of survival.
Activity overview
*4–Day Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains
*Basic Survival Skills: Shelter, Water, Fire, Food
*Set your own custom(定制的)camp date
Details
*The camp will run for 5 hours each day: 9 am-2 pm.
*This class is 100% hands-on and very active. Everything your kids learn, they will do – no indoor classrooms or long lectures.
Dates offered
– We offer 1 public camp date each summer for ages 8–12. For 2019, that date is August 5 – 8 (9 am – 2 pm each day).
– We also arrange custom/private camp dates for both kids and teens all year round.
Extra information
**4–Day Camp: $395
**Add shuttle ride to/from downtown Santa Cruz for $160 ($40 per day)
**At this time we do not have shuttle service from the Silicon Valley side of the hill, but we do work to help organize carpools(拼车)from the Los Gatos/Saratoga/ Campbell area each year for interested parents.
1. What will kids learn if they join the camp?A.How to do long lectures. | B.How to survive in the wild. |
C.How to organize a camp. | D.How to improve their imagination. |
A.It is free for all children. |
B.Children could learn it online. |
C.It is based on practicing in person to learn. |
D.Kids could book a public camp date each spring. |
A.Los Gatos. | B.Santa Cruz. | C.Saratoga. | D.Campbell. |
7 . In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of(用光了...) money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast.
After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet. The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,”the owner said. The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West.
On the way out of town, he began to understand what the owner did. Maybe nobody dropped the money at all.“Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使尴尬)me. So I just made a promise to help other people if I can.”
Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man. Now he lives near Kansas City. Each year he gives away thousands of dollars. He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants. Last year, he gave more than $50,000 away in Kansas City.
1. The young man was traveling across the country in 1971 to ______A.look for a good restaurant | B.improve his life |
C.show his new car to others | D.hand out dollars |
A.It was very lucky of him to get his lost money back. |
B.It was very honest of the owner to return his money |
C.the owner helped him in a way that didn’t hurt his feeling |
D.another person who had breakfast in the restaurant lost the money |
A.the man did carry out his promise |
B.the man was not successful in the end |
C.the owner was paid back the money |
D.Santa give the man money each year |
A.One good turn deserves another |
B.Where there is a will,there is a way |
C.He who travels far knows much |
D.Give love wings(翅膀) and it may fly higher |
8 . Because of the spread of COVID-19, many students are forced to study at home. But parents are worried about how their children can learn more efficiently. The following websites might give you a clue.
Scratch
With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community. Scratch can be downloaded free of charge. Scratch is designed especially for ages 8 to 16, but is used by people of all ages. Scratch is used in more than 150 different countries and available in more than 40 languages.
Mr. Bob
Mr. Bob is a science teacher, author, maker, and presenter that knows how to share the world of science. Bob encourages parents and teachers to practice Random Acts of Science by providing instructions and videos for interactive science experiments on his website. Bob has also coauthored a very popular series of science adventure books for kids.
Oxford Owl for School
Oxford Owl for School is home to online teaching, learning and assessment resources and expert support for primary schools. Free teaching, learning and assessment resources are provided, including book recommendations, storytelling videos, activity sheets and teaching notes. With a library of free, tablet-friendly eBooks, you’ll find the perfect eBook for every pupil.
The National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization to explore and protect our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations. Our yellow border serves to explore the farthest reaches of the Earth and beyond. We reach millions of people around the world, with our television networks in 172 countries and our publications available in 41 languages.
1. Which website is most suitable for science lovers?A.Scratch. | B.Mr. Bob. |
C.Oxford Owl for School. | D.The National Geographic Society. |
A.It owns a library in America. | B.It offers materials for students only. |
C.It provides online books for free. | D.It is suitable for students of all ages. |
A.They have users worldwide. | B.They choose books for kids to read. |
C.They are designed especially for kids. | D.They are both nonprofit organizations. |
9 . As traditional Chinese art,paper cutting has a long history. The first and earliest paper cutting was found in China 1 ,500 years ago. But this traditional art is at risk of disappearing now.
Luckily, Vivian Woo, a Chinese immigrant in America, is trying to bring this art back to life. One Saturday in 2017, Ms. Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She got much fun and peace doing it. She hoped more people would enjoy it. Ms. Woo began to study the art of paper cutting as a 14-year-old girl in her hometown in China. She said all the students at school had to learn paper cutting. But she had a deep love for it. So her teacher spent
more time teaching her after class. Later, she won the second prize in a national painting and art competition. Ms. Woo went to America after she finished college in 2008. Soon after that, she took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting. And then she was invited to show the art in many important activities. “It is important to promote this art to Americans or anyone who is interested in it. Maybe it will make this art more popular. ”Woo said.
From the art of paper cutting, people can know about Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people' s life. Ms. Woo uses the art as a tool to show Chinese culture to people who know little about it.
Chinese art is not only for Chinese, but also for people all over the word.
1. What did Ms. Woo do in 2017?A.She won the second prize in a national painting and art competition. |
B.She was invited to many activities to show paper cutting. |
C.She held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. |
D.She took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting. |
A.when she was fourteen | B.after she got to America |
C.when she was in college | D.after she finished college |
A.very popular in America | B.very popular in China |
C.for people who know about it | D.in danger of disappearing |
10 . There are many gardening tips. Some suggest playing music for your house plants, having conversations with them, or even giving them a gentle touch now and then. Most of these practices are probably more for the benefit of the gardener than the garden, and generally harmless enough but except the last one. Your plants really dislike it when you touch them.
A new study out of the La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food has found that most plants are extremely sensitive to touch, and even a light touch can significantly stunt(阻碍) their growth. “The lightest touch from a human, animal, insect, or even plants touching each other in the wind, can cause a huge gene response in the plant,” Jim Whelan, who led the new study, said. “Within 30 minutes of being touched, 10% of the plant’s genome(基因组) is changed. This involves a huge expenditure(消耗) of energy which is taken away from plant growth. If the touching is repeated, then plant growth is reduced by up to 30%.”
Whelan and his team are still trying to find out why plants respond, at the genetic level, so strongly. They do have some theories, however. We know that when an insect lands on a plant, genes are activated(激活) preparing the plant to defend itself against being eaten ,” said Dr. Yan Wang, co-author of the study.
Until more research is done, it’s just a guess at this point. Still, the findings might already lead to new methods for how agriculturalists deal with their crops, to best promote healthier growth.
It’s worth noticing that while the study found that plants often respond to just a single touch in negative ways, it’s really repeated touching that causes lasting stunted growth. That’s because the plants are looking for patterns in the touching, to tell harmful touch from random touch. So it doesn’t matter if you accidently brush up against a bush during a walk through the woods.
1. How is the passage mainly developed?A.By comparing |
B.By giving examples |
C.By listing numbers |
D.By showing results of studies |
A.It leads to the plant’s energy expenditure. |
B.It makes the plant sensitive to threats. |
C.It causes a genetic disorder in the plant. |
D.It prevents the plant absorbing nutrients. |
A.It gives us more useful gardening tips. |
B.It helps find ways to ensure plants’ healthy growth. |
C.It contributes to the further study on genes. |
D.It uses data to warn people not to touch plants. |
A.Something is done to help plants grow. |
B.Plants’ genome can be changed easily. |
C.Plants don’t really like to be touched. |
D.What we do every day may destroy plants. |