1 . Imagine a horizontal line. The very left is marked one thousand and the very right is marked one billion. On this line, where would you add a marker to represent one million? If you said somewhere in the middle, you answered the same as the roughly 50 percent of people who have done this exercise in a number line study. But the answer is actually much closer to one thousand since there are one thousand millions in one billion.
This error makes sense because “our human brains are pretty bad at comprehending large numbers,” says Elizabeth Toomarian, an educational neuroscientist at Stanford University. Our brain is built to understand how much of something is in its environment. But comprehending the national debt or imagining the size of our universe? “We certainly can use our brains in that way, but we’re recycling these sorts of evolutionarily (进化地) old brain architectures to do something really new,” she says. In other words, it’s not our fault that we have trouble wrapping our heads around big numbers.
So what can we do about the struggle to understand big numbers? It is suggested to use metaphors, analogies (类比) and visualizations. These techniques bring big numbers down to a more comprehensible scale (比例) and ideally make it relevant to something in our daily lives. For example, it may be difficult for most people to accurately place the extinction of the dinosaurs on a timeline between the Big Bang and humans because the first two both seem to be placed to the distant path. But when conceptualizing (概念化) these events using a “calendar”, it becomes easier. The Big Bang occurred at 12 a.m. on January 1st on the calendar. Dinosaurs were only present for roughly the last week of the year. And humans only emerged in the last eight sends December 31st, at 12:59:52 p.m. It’s clear now that dinosaurs are much closer to humans than the Big Bang on a timeline.
These metaphors and analogies are important if people are to really weigh the costs and benefits of events in their lives. The concept not only applies to long-term decisions, but public policies.
1. Why does the author mention the example in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To explain the main idea. |
| C．To make a summary of the text. | D．To make comparisons with other topics. |
| A．The lack of conceptual techniques. |
| B．The unwillingness to learn something new. |
| C．Our low ability to evaluate and compare. |
| D．Our inborn nature due to evolutionary factors. |
| A．Making them related to each other. |
| B．Wrapping our heads around them. |
| C．Using techniques to put them to a smaller scale. |
| D．Applying a calendar to present them. |
| A．How to make long-term decisions. |
| B．How metaphors and analogies help solve public problems. |
| C．How to weigh the costs and benefits in our life. |
| D．How important public policies are in our life |
The Yingge dance is a combination of opera, dance and wushu. Typically, the dance
On Chinese New Year, a Yingge team
The dance team’s commitment
So far, the Yingge dance
Every week I save all the change and $1 bills I have in my purse. Then every Christmas I cash it in for as many $100 bills as the saved money gets me. I then wait for a family in need. I split the money in half and give half to the family in need and the other half to my nine-year-old son, Say’ Veon, who puts it in his savings account, to teach him about delayed satisfaction. Then he helps me get gifts or give the money to the family.
I adopted Say’ Veon after his mother, a close friend of mine, passed away from cancer before his fifth birthday. Even though Say’ Veon has dealt with great loss and sadness at such a young age, his generous spirit and loving heart shine through. He has given money to someone else who needs it more, such as his friends or classmates. Say’ Veon’s acts of kindness always blow me away and I feel blessed to have him in my life.
This week I got a call from a friend, DeeDee, who is 77 years old. She was upset because she had been cheated, and the cheaters took all the money out of her checking account which she lives on, and now she didn’t have the money to pay her rent and bills.
This morning, I took the money and showed Say’ Veon how much I saved this year. I told him what happened to DeeDee, and then asked him if he would be willing to give his half along with my half and donate it to her as our person in need this year.
He said, “Yes, of course.” This year our total was $400.
We went to visit DeeDee and my son handed her a Christmas card with the money. She opened it and said, “Thank you.” She then looked again and stared at the $100 bills.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
DeeDee froze there with her eyes wide open.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Suddenly, Say’ Veon said to DeeDee, “You are our family!”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Robert Mendez Jr. is a football coach. Despite being born without limbs (四肢), he has spent his life on what he can
This year, Robert
As Robert accepted the
He said, “If there’s any
When talking of
Robert may have been born without arms or legs, but he was
| A．imagine | B．do | C．tolerate | D．benefit |
| A．sponsored | B．valued | C．created | D．received |
| A．deserving | B．demanding | C．formal | D．fortunate |
| A．player | B．individual | C．match | D．witness |
| A．donation | B．challenge | C．proposal | D．award |
| A．shared | B．obtained | C．repeated | D．proved |
| A．chance | B．joy | C．message | D．warning |
| A．intelligent | B．far | C．respectful | D．fit |
| A．write down | B．talk about | C．advocate for | D．focus on |
| A．competing | B．coaching | C．giving | D．learning |
| A．potential | B．shortcoming | C．question | D．secret |
| A．comfortable | B．enthusiastic | C．pleased | D．sure |
| A．last | B．happen | C．change | D．spread |
| A．eventually | B．similarly | C．obviously | D．merely |
| A．persuade | B．understand | C．defeat | D．motivate |
5 . Top Family Vacation Destinations Everyone Will Love
Think of taking a vacation and need some inspiration for where to travel? We have you covered. Here are some of our top picks for kid-friendly destinations.
Anaheim, California
California is a great family vacation destination that you will remember forever. Additionally, there are many other places to visit around the Anaheim area besides Disneyland Park. Other attractions like Knott’s Berry Farm, a water park and museums are close by as well, so you are sure to have lots of family adventures.
Panama City, Florida
If you’re looking for some family beach fun, why not try Panama City in Florida? You’ll find white sand and a beautiful tropical climate. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself.
Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria
One of our top family vacation destinations outside of the United States is Salzburg. You can visit Mozart’s home and catch a concert show. Or, if you’re looking for a snowy outdoor adventure, then Austria is also a great place to go during the right time of year. Austria has some great family hotels. Some even offer baby monitors and child care available.
Dublin, Ireland
If you’re looking for peace and quiet, and beautiful surroundings, why not go to Dublin? It’s a place where your kids can run around wild and free and it also has a romantic feel. There are attractions to visit as well, such as Clara Lara Amusement Park, located in the Wicklow mountains and many other outdoor activities kids can take part in.1. Which of the following destinations is suitable for kids fond of coastal life?
| A．Anaheim, California. | B．Panama City, Florida. |
| C．Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria. | D．Dublin, Ireland. |
| A．White sand. | B．Wildlife. | C．Music. | D．Water. |
| A．They both feature theme parks. |
| B．They both offer child care service. |
| C．They are both perfect places for museum lovers. |
| D．They both provide visitors with a romantic feeling. |
6 . Wilber stole Staci Greene’s heart years ago. The donkey (驴) was an unusual gift that left quite an impression.
Years later, after
Hee Haw Place has had as many as thirteen
She makes sure the new
Donkeys require little
But they need more than
Donkeys are relatively easy to train for riding and for pulling things. Staci
Staci’s animals always walk in the parade held during Mule Days every May in Bishop, California. They also
| A．moving | B．looking | C．dropping | D．changing |
| A．getting in | B．taking in | C．putting in | D．turning in |
| A．neighbors | B．farmers | C．friends | D．animals |
| A．owns | B．knows | C．makes | D．needs |
| A．palaces | B．homes | C．gardens | D．schools |
| A．worried | B．curious | C．honest | D．serious |
| A．catch up | B．work out | C．break down | D．run over |
| A．water | B．care | C．sleep | D．effort |
| A．eat | B．keep | C．cut | D．grow |
| A．money | B．trust | C．space | D．advice |
| A．dreams | B．names | C．jobs | D．gifts |
| A．calls | B．leaves | C．misses | D．trains |
| A．courage | B．peace | C．comfort | D．purpose |
| A．pay for | B．show off | C．focus on | D．go through |
| A．thanks | B．chances | C．prizes | D．projects |
7 . A scientist goes to a forest to study monkeys. He or she wants to study their habits and behavior. But the problem is: how to know who’s who?
In the past, scientists had to make marks on each of the animals to distinguish them. But in the future, they may have a much easier way to tell them apart thanks to facial recognition technology.
A research team from China’s Northwest University is using facial recognition technology to identify thousands of snub-nosed monkeys (金丝猴) that live on Qinling Mountain in Shaanxi province.
Similar to human facial recognition, the technology that is used to identify monkeys uses their facial features to create a database that includes every monkey, Xinhua reported.
“When the system is fully developed, we can connect it with cameras set up in the mountains. The system will automatically recognize the monkeys, name them and analyze their behavior,” said Zhang He, a member of the research team.
“For each snub-nosed monkey, we have 700 to 800 image samples, and the recognition success rate is 94 percent,” Zhang added.
Compared with facial recognition technology for humans, facial recognition technology for monkeys is more complicated because monkeys have hairier faces. The color of their hair causes them to blend into their environment. These factors make it harder for computers to do the job.
“Monkeys do not cooperate with researchers in the same way humans do. It is difficult to take high-quality pictures and videos of them, which are needed to improve the system,” said Li Baoguo, leader of the research team.
Currently, there are about 4,000 snub-nosed monkeys living on Qinling Mountain. The team’s goal is to successfully identify every monkey that lives there.
1. What problem do scientists face while studying monkeys?| A．How to mark them. | B．How to tell them apart. |
| C．How to understand their behavior. | D．How to use facial recognition technology. |
| A．It needs to be connected to cameras to work. |
| B．It works better than human facial recognition. |
| C．It was developed by a research team in Shanxi province. |
| D．It requires a database of about 700 to 800 pictures of monkeys. |
a. image samples b. hairy faces c. hair color d. the environment
| A．ab | B．ac | C．bc | D．bd |
| A．A scientific study of snub-nosed monkeys on Qinling Mountain. |
| B．The use of facial recognition technology for studying monkeys. |
| C．The difficulties of using facial recognition technology for monkeys. |
| D．Different ways to identify snub-nosed monkeys on Qinling Mountain. |
8 . Edward rose early on the New-year morning. He looked in every room and wished a Happy New Year to his family. Then he ran into the street to repeat that to those he might meet.
When he came back, his father gave him two bright, new silver dollars.
His face lighted up as he took them. He had wished for a long time to buy some pretty books that he had seen at the bookstore.
He left the house with a light heart, expecting to buy the books. As he ran down the street, he saw a poor family.
“I wish you a Happy New Year.” said Edward, as he was passing on. The man shook his head.
“You are not from this country.” said Edward. The man again shook his head, for he could not understand or speak his language. But he pointed to his mouth and to the children shaking with cold, as if (好像) to say, “These little ones have had nothing to eat for a long time.”
Edward quickly understood that these poor people were in trouble. He took out his dollars and gave one to the man, and the other to his wife.
They were excited and said something in their language, which doubtless meant, “We thank you so much that we will remember you all the time.”
When Edward came home, his father asked what books he had bought. He hung his head a moment, but quickly looked up.
“I have bought no books”, said he. “I gave my money to some poor people, who seemed to be very hungry then.” He went on, “I think I can wait for my books till next New Year.”
“My dear boy,” said his father, “here are some books for you, more as a prize for your goodness of heart than as a New-year gift.”
“I saw you give the money cheerfully to the poor German family. It was nice for a little boy to do so. Be always ready to help others and every year of your life will be to you a Happy New Year.”
1. Edward expected to ________ with the money he got from his father.| A．help the poor family | B．buy something to eat |
| C．buy some pretty books | D．learn another language |
| A．He couldn’t understand the boy | B．He wouldn’t accept the money |
| C．He didn’t like the boy’s language | D．He was too cold to say anything |
| A．One dollar | B．Two dollars | C．Three dollars | D．Four dollars |
| A．got a prize for his kind heart | B．had to buy his books next year |
| C．bought the books at the bookstore | D．got more money from his father |
9 . What makes a good reader? You can find the answer in Readers Club. Today, we have some books for you. Come and join the fun!
The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1953. A year later, Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Old Man and the Sea is generally considered by many to be his greatest achievement. The leading character in this book is a person who can face difficulties and never give up.Hardback ￥21.70 Paperback ￥16.00
Heart, written by Edmondo De Amicis from Italy, is a diary of an Italian boy Eric. In his diary, he writes about the greatest love in the world: love for the nation, for the society, and also teachers’ love, classmates’ love, parents’ love, children’s love.
Hardback ￥27.20 Paperback ￥16.40
Peter Pan, created by Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan is a young boy who can fly and never grows up. He spends his never-ending childhood having adventures (冒险) on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, playing happily with children both inside and outside Neverland.
Hardback ￥22.70 Paperback ￥14.60
Club members will get a discount (折扣) of 10% for hardback books and 20% for paperback books.
If you buy any of the two hardback books, e-books will be free for you.
1. Who won the Nobel Prize for literature?| A．Hemingway. | B．Leo Tolstoy. | C．Edmondo De Amicis. | D．Eric |
| A．Love. | B．Success. | C．Adventure. | D．loss. |
| A．A boy who likes keeping diaries. |
| B．A boy who always misses his family. |
| C．A boy who enjoys his never-ending childhood. |
| D．A boy who loves his teachers and classmates. |
1. 时间；
2. 活动安排；
3. 希望他能参加并提前回复。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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