A.Violence sports are the source of social instability. |
B.Violence sports are to blame for crime and school bullying. |
C.Violence sports serve as an escape for negative emotions. |
D.Violence sports won’t attract many people’s interest in the long run. |
2 . More than a decade ago, cognitive scientists John Bransford and Daniel Schwartz, both then at Vanderbilt University, found that what distinguished young adults from children was not the ability to retain facts or apply prior knowledge to a new situation but a quality they called “preparation for future learning.” The researchers asked fifth graders and college students to create a recovery plan to protect bald eagles from extinction. Shockingly, the two groups came up with plans of similar quality (although the college students had better spelling skills). From the standpoint of a traditional educator, this outcome indicated that schooling had failed to help students think about ecosystems and extinction, major scientific ideas.
The researchers decided to go deeper, however. They asked both groups to generate questions about important issues needed to create recovery plans. On this task, they found large differences. College students focused on critical issues of interdependence between eagles and their habitats. Fifth graders tended to focus on features of individual eagles (“How big are they?” and “What do they eat?”). The college students had cultivated the ability to ask questions, the cornerstone (最重 要部分)of critical thinking. They had learned how to learn.
Museums and other institutions of informal learning may be better suited to teach this skill than elementary and secondary schools. At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, we recently studied how learning to ask good questions can affect the quality of people's scientific inquiry. We found that when we taught participants to ask “What if?” and “How can?” questions that nobody present would know the answer to and that would spark exploration,they engaged in better inquiry at the next exhibit-asking more questions, performing more experiments and making better interpretations of their results. Specifically, their questions became more comprehensive at the new exhibit. Rather than merely asking about something they wanted to try,they tended to include both cause and effect in their question. Asking juicy questions appears to be a transferable skill for deepening collaborative inquiry into the science content found in exhibits.
This type of learning is not confined to museums or institutional settings. Informal learning environments tolerate failure better than schools. Perhaps many teachers have too little time to allow students to form and pursue their own questions and too much ground to cover in the curriculum. But people must acquire this skill somewhere, Our society depends on them being able to make critical decisions about their own medical treatment, say, or what we must do about global energy needs and demands. For that, we have an informal learning system that gives no grades, takes all comers,and is available even on holidays and weekends.
1. What is traditional educators interpretation of the research outcome mentioned in the first paragraph?A.Students are not able to apply prior knowledge to new problems. |
B.College students are no better than fifth grader in memorizing facts. |
C.Education has not paid enough attention to major environmental issues. |
D.Education has failed to lead students to think about major scientific ideas. |
A.they have learned to think critically. |
B.they are concerned about social issues. |
C.they are curious about specific features. |
D.they have learned to work independently. |
A.It arouses students’ interest in things around them. |
B.It cultivates students’ ability to make scientific inquiries. |
C.It trains students’ ability to design scientific experiments. |
D.It helps students realize not every question has an answer. |
A.train students to think about global issues |
B.design more interactive classroom activities |
C.make full use of informal learning resources |
D.include collaborative inquiry in the curriculum |
3 . This Is How Scandinavia Got Great
Almost everybody admires the Nordic model. Countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland have high economic productivity, high social equality, high social trust and high levels of personal happiness.
Nordic nations were ethnically homogeneous(同质的) in 1800, when they were dirt poor. Their economic growth took off just after 1870, way before their welfare states were established.
The 19th-century Nordic elites did something we haven’t been able to do in our country recently. They realized that if their countries were to prosper they had to create truly successful “folk schools” for the least educated among them. They realized that they were going to have to make lifelong learning a part of the natural fabric of society.
Today, Americans often think of schooling as the transmission of specialized skill sets — the student can read, do math and recite the facts of biology.
The Nordic educators worked hard to cultivate each student’s sense of connection to the nation. Before the 19th century, most Europeans identified themselves in local and not national terms.
That educational push seems to have had a lasting influence on the culture. Whether in Stockholm or Minneapolis, Scandinavians have a tendency to joke about the way their sense of responsibility is always nagging at them. They have the lowest rates of corruption in the world. They have a distinctive sense of the relationship between personal freedom and communal responsibility.
A.Bildung is the way that the individual matures and takes upon him or herself ever bigger academic responsibility. |
B.What really launched the Nordic nations was generations of phenomenal educational policy. |
C.Bildung is designed to change the way students see the world. |
D.But the Nordic curriculum conveyed to students a pride in, say, their Danish history, folklore and heritage. |
E.They look at education differently than we do. |
F.The Nordic educators also worked hard to develop the student’s internal awareness. |
4 . This era of “Industry 4. 0” is being driven by the same technological advances that enable the capabilities of the smartphones in our pockets. It is a mix of low-cost and high-power computers, high-speed communication and artificial intelligence. This will produce smarter robots with better sensing and communication abilities that can
In the manufacturing industry, where robots have arguably made the most headway of any division, this will mean a(n)
For large-scale manufacturers, Industry 4. 0 means their robots will be able to sense their environment and communicate in an industrial network that can be run and
For
While these machines are getting smarter, they are still not as smart as us. Today's industrial artificial intelligence operates at a
What's coming next is known as “deep learning”. Similar to big data analysis, it involves processing large quantities of data in real time to
A.compare with | B.adapt to | C.pick out | D.hold on |
A.extensive | B.accidental | C.convenient | D.dramatic |
A.Traditional | B.Removable | C.Fashionable | D.Potential |
A.temporarily | B.thoroughly | C.eventually | D.initially |
A.arranged | B.evaluated | C.monitored | D.composed |
A.gradually | B.collectively | C.similarly | D.approximately |
A.identify | B.reserve | C.exploit | D.indicate |
A.dominating | B.imposing | C.eliminating | D.scheduling |
A.high-speed | B.mass-produced | C.small-to-medium | D.multi-cultural |
A.multiple | B.feasible | C.profitable | D.independent |
A.promotions | B.improvements | C.highlights | D.resolutions |
A.separate | B.peculiar | C.narrow | D.mysterious |
A.come up with | B.account for | C.give way to | D.make decisions about |
A.difference | B.commission | C.phenomenon | D.expectation |
A.introduced | B.described | C.prepared | D.demonstrated |
5 . Never in recorded history has a language been as widely spoken as English is today. The reason why millions are learning it is simple: it is the language of international business and,
David Graddol, the author of English Next, says it is
An important question one might ask is: whose English will it be in the future? Non-native speakers now
Professor Barbara Seidlhofer, Professor of English and Applied Linguistic at the University of Vienna, records and transcribes spoken English interactions between speakers of the language around the world. She says her team has noticed that non-native speakers are
Those who insist on standard English grammar remain in a(n)
But spoken English is another matter. Why should non-native speakers bother with what native speakers regard as correct? Their main aim,
Professor Seidlhofer says, “I think that what we are looking at is the
A.however | B.therefore | C.otherwise | D.instead |
A.relieving | B.shocking | C.tempting | D.disappointing |
A.accept | B.oppose | C.mind | D.doubt |
A.outnumber | B.overlook | C.upgrade | D.underestimate |
A.attentive | B.agreeable | C.energetic | D.present |
A.diagnosis | B.comprehension | C.disturbance | D.concentration |
A.creating | B.improving | C.varying | D.obeying |
A.edited | B.neglected | C.avoided | D.required |
A.mistakes | B.coincidences | C.exceptions | D.excuses |
A.fear | B.object | C.agree | D.fight |
A.ignorance | B.evolution | C.correctness | D.guidance |
A.honored | B.mysterious | C.falling | D.powerful |
A.by comparison | B.after all | C.on purpose | D.in reality |
A.disappearance | B.emergence | C.criticism | D.evaluation |
A.less good | B.less lonely | C.more alive | D.more adapted |
6 . For the longest time, the predominant description about renewable energy featured awkward technologies, high costs, and burdensome allowance. In the
But now that these technologies have come of age, a new story is being written. Around the world, businesses, governments, and households are taking advantage of more cost-effective low-carbon technologies.
As in any rapid transition, a full understanding of what is happening has
To be sure,
As the green transition comes of age, it will offer solutions to all of humanity’s energy needs, placing a clean, prosperous and secure low-carbon future well within reach. Yet even as we hug
A.license | B.absence | C.application | D.promotion |
A.invisible | B.unbelievable | C.inevitable | D.unaffordable |
A.Instead of | B.Owing to | C.In case of | D.According to |
A.resources | B.revolutions | C.prospects | D.priorities |
A.caught up with | B.compared with | C.taken place of | D.fallen behind |
A.relevant | B.inferior | C.synthetic | D.experimental |
A.mixture | B.caution | C.conflict | D.approval |
A.in case | B.so that | C.even though | D.the moment |
A.significance | B.invention | C.happiness | D.progress |
A.dramatically | B.economically | C.independently | D.equivalently |
A.interaction | B.modernization | C.motivation | D.transformation |
A.natural | B.potential | C.positive | D.original |
A.influence | B.optimism | C.estimation | D.extension |
A.starting | B.failing | C.emerging | D.continuing |
A.sustainable | B.traditional | C.available | D.industrial |
A.The man bad poor imagination because of the car accident |
B.The man must have advised the woman to wear the seat belt |
C.The woman was likely to have got seriously injured in the car accident |
D.The woman wasn’t wearing the seat belt when the accident happened |
8 . There was a time when we thought humans were special in so many ways. Now we know better. We are not the only species that feels emotions, or follows a moral code. Neither are we the only ones with personalities, cultures and the ability to design and use tools. Yet we have all agree that one thing, at least, makes us unique: we alone have the ability of language.
It turns out that we are not so special in this aspect either. Key to the revolutionary reassessment of our talent for communication is the way we think about language itself. Where once it was seen as an unusual object, today scientists find it is more productive to think of language as a group of abilities. Viewed this way, it becomes apparent that the component parts of language are not as unique as the whole.
Take gesture, arguably the starting point for language. Until recently, it was considered uniquely human - but not any more. Mike Tomasello of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and others have collected a list of gestures observed in monkeys and some other animals, which reveals that gestures plays a large role in their communication. Ape(猿) gestures can involve touch, vocalising or eye movement, and individuals wait until they have another ape’s attention before making visual or auditory gestures. If their gestures go unacknowledged, they will often repeat them.
In an experiment carried out in 2006 by Erica Cartmill and Richard Byrne from the University of St Andrews in the UK, they got a person to sit on a chair with some highly desirable food such as banana to one side of apes and some undesirable food such as vegetables to the other. The apes, who could see the person and the food from their enclosures, gestured at their human partners to encourage them to push the desirable food their way. If the person showed incomprehension and offered the vegetables, the animals would change their gestures - just as a human would in a similar situation. If the human seemed to understand while being somewhat confused, giving only half the preferred food, the apes would repeat and exaggerate their gestures - again in exactly the same way a human would. Such findings highlight the fact that the gestures of the animals are not merely inborn but are learned, flexible and under voluntary control - all characteristics that are considered preconditions for human-like communication.
1. It is agreed that compared with all the other animals, only human beings ________.A.own the ability to show their personalities |
B.are capable of using language to communicate |
C.have moral standards and follow them in society |
D.are intelligent enough to release and control emotions |
A.involve some abilities that can be mastered by animals |
B.is a talent impossibly owned by other animals |
C.can be divided into different components |
D.are productive for some talented animals |
A.Apes can use language to communicate with the help of humans. |
B.Repeating and exaggerating gestures is vital in language communication. |
C.Some animals can learn to express and communicate through some trials. |
D.The preferred food stimulates some animals to use language to communicate. |
A.Language involves gestures! | B.Animals language - gestures! |
C.So you think humans are unique? | D.The similarity between humans and apes. |
Probably the most exciting tech development of recent times, virtual reality (VR) has arrived, with sufficient options available to the consumer who’s searching for an extra amount of high-tech fun. The cheapest way to get a high-end VR experience comes courtesy of Sony. Its PlayStation VR doesn’t require a tricked-out PC or expensive phone – it works with the Playstation 4 control board and comes with a few great games in its library. There is some equipment you can purchase to enhance the experience, but if you’ve already got a PS4 you can enter the world of VR for just $400. Other high-end offerings like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, as well as mobile options like Samsung’s Gear VR, will get your head in the game.
Wireless headphones
Combining ease of use with the ability to move wild around your home, gym or workplace, wireless headphones just make sense. And there are plenty of practical options to suit any budget. The Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are definitely worth a test drive, though. The full-size, around-ear Bluetooth headphones highlight active noise cancellation and double as a headset for making phone calls. They’ve even earned the Editor’s Choice award at Cnet.com and can be purchased for less than $400 online.
Digital cameras
While your phone is a worthy assistant, there’s no substitute for a real camera when it comes to taking the perfect picture. And these days you can get quality specifications in a package that’s almost as small as your smartphone. The shiny design of the Fujifilm X70, $699, makes it the perfect companion, or you could go retro with the Olympus PEN-F ($1,200) that offers old school looks alongside cutting edge technology. Domestically, it’s worth checking out Xiaomi’s mirrorless Yi M1 for a more affordable option. With a high-end 20-megapixel (兆像素) sensor and the ability to host multiple lenses, it’s available from just 2,199 yuan.
1. Sony can provide high-tech fun at the lowest cost because________.A.players can play free games online | B.PS4 owners don’t need any other device |
C.it gives players adequate experience | D.players have purchased expensive PCs |
A.They have various types to meet users’ needs. |
B.Users can reduce noise manually. |
C.They work better in the wild. |
D.Users can make phone calls with the headphones. |
A.A smart phone. | B.Fujifilm X70. |
C.Olympus PEN-F. | D.Yi M1. |
10 . Welcome to Adventureland!
Everyone loves Adventureland! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore (探索), enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing to come back. What are you going to do this time?
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life. Visit the Amazon jungle (丛林) village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives, and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing ...
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we’ll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and climb into our simulator (模拟装置) for the Journey to Mars.
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several. In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then there is still the Aviary to see ...
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventureland. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center. Come here for information and ideas too.
1. The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors ______.A.realize the importance of travelling |
B.become familiar with mountain countries |
C.learn how to make things such as fishing nets |
D.learn something about different places in the world |
A.the Travel Pavilion | B.the Future Tower |
C.the Safari Park | D.the Pyramid |
A.The Pyramid. | B.The Nature Park. |
C.The Future Tower. | D.The Travel Pavilion. |