1 . Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
If you’re a high school student looking for research opportunities, it doesn’t get much better than the Anson L. Clark Scholars Program. This well-known research program has a selection rate of less than 3% and only 12 high school juniors or seniors are selected every summer to join the program.
In this post, we will dive deep into this program to help you understand the structure, the cost, location, research areas available, and reasons why you should apply for this intensive research program.
About Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program was established in 1963 in honor of Anson L. Clark , a former Texas A&M student who proceeded to create a successful business career!
This program is an intensive 7-week comprehensive research program that will allow you to gain hands-on practical research under the mentorship (导师制) of Texas Tech University faculty. Apart from conducting one-on-one research with faculty, you will have additional weekly seminars, discussions and even field visits!
Time
The program is off line and is conducted every summer at Texas Tech University. The current program dates are June 16, 2024 to August 1, 2024.
Cost
There is no program or registration fee, and your on-campus meals, on-campus room and board, and weekend activities will be covered by the program!
Research Areas
While the list of research disciplines for Summer 2024 haven’t been released, some of the general areas (based on the Summer 2023 disciplines) you can expect are biology, chemistry, computer science, economics/business, finance/marketing, electrical engineering & computer engineering, history, and physics.
You can access the specific research topics in 2023 in the attachment!
Qualification
This program is open to high school juniors and seniors who will graduate in either 2024 or 2025. You will have to be at least 17 years of age by the program start date.
1. What do we know about the Anson L. Clark Scholars Program?| A．It’s an annual research program. | B．It is hard to complete the program. |
| C．It is in honor of a famous scientist. | D．It is open to all high school students. |
| A．Visit Texas Tech University. | B．Create business career. |
| C．Listen to lectures online. | D．Do practical research. |
| A．By searching on the internet. | B．By referring to 2023 disciplines. |
| C．By paying registration fee. | D．By asking the mentors in college. |
2 . “What do you mean by this phrase? It’s incorrect and adds nothing to the sentence. Omit (省略).” Professor Jones’s critical feedback on my paper hurt me when I first read it. I scanned his comments for a “Good job!” or “I love this idea,” but they were nowhere to be found.
Everyone likes warmth and encouragement, but purely positive affirmations (肯定) don’t communicate what can be improved. Research conducted on Character Lab Research Network finds that direct, useful feedback requiring students to revise their own work is more effective. For Professor Jones, this looked like a note at the end of another paper: “I’m sure things will improve as the term and year wear on.” However, feedback that does the work for a student—correcting a misspelled word, rewriting a sentence—can signal a teacher’s low expectations.
When kids see comments that suggest what needs to be changed, they come to realize they can do things on their own and become more independent learners. As a bonus, this kind of feedback lets students know that their teacher believes in them.
As for me, I was benedictory for Professor Jones’s pointed criticism which let me know that he took me seriously. He was expecting me to do better, and the detailed comments scrawled (潦草地写) on every page gave me the tools to improve. Teachers can add affirmations to their feedback as long as it’s not the only thing they’re doing.
Don’t confuse warmth with promoting a growth mindset. Being nice isn’t the same as showing someone you believe they can improve. So give detailed feedback that sets young people up to take charge of their own learning. For example, instead of rewriting a sentence, say: “This is a run-on sentence. Try reading it out loud and add punctuation in places where you naturally take a breath.” Ask worth-exploring questions that inspire students to think about their approach, then let them revise on their own. When it comes to writing, the easiest path isn’t always the best one.
1. How did the author initially feel about Professor Jones’s feedback?| A．Happy and motivated. | B．Upset and disappointed. |
| C．Indifferent and unconcerned. | D．Confident and encouraged. |
| A．It should be brief and to the point. | B．It should be warm and encouraging. |
| C．It should be written at the end of the paper. | D．It should be up to students to fix their own work. |
| A．Responsible. | B．Generous. | C．Regretful. | D．Grateful. |
| A．Give students general praise. | B．Rewrite sentences for students. |
| C．Provide students critical support. | D．Show students corrected assignments. |
3 . The award-winning documentary “Feeding Tomorrow” explores the American food system’s shortcomings and the urgent need for change. Directed by Oliver and Simon English, the film dives deep into the complex web of issues surrounding food, climate change, and agriculture, leaving viewers with a clear realization of the challenges ahead.
At its core, “Feeding Tomorrow” raises fundamental questions about humanity’s relationship with the planet and the consequences of our consumption patterns. As the global population reaches up to 10 billion, the film shows the serious reality that our current methods of food production are unsustainable. With agriculture already occupying half of the habitable land and consuming 70% of freshwater resources, the harm on the environment is reaching critical levels.
The documentary reveals the interconnectedness of food, climate, and health, weaving together narratives from diverse voices in the fields of farming, health, and education. Through the stories of innovators like Mark Shepard, Clare Fox, and Lisa McDowell, “Feeding Tomorrow” highlights the urgent need for systemic change.
One of the central themes of the documentary is the importance of regenerative farming practices. By promoting biodiversity and topsoil growth, regenerative agriculture offers a promising path towards sustainability. The film emphasizes the need to transition from conventional, monoculture (单一) farming to more overall approaches.
Moreover, “Feeding Tomorrow” shows the significance of adopting plant-forward diets and reducing meat consumption. With animal agriculture being a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation (恶化), the documentary advocates for a shift towards more sustainable dietary habits.
Ultimately, “Feeding Tomorrow” serves as a cry for collective action and social change. It challenges viewers to reevaluate their relationship with food and embrace sustainable practices that benefit both people and the planet. The documentary reminds us that the power to shape a better future lies in our hands. In the words of Mark Shepard, “What are you going to eat for dinner tonight? Start asking the questions.”
1. What do we know about our current food production methods?| A．They are suitable to feed the increasing population. |
| B．They are inefficient and harmful to the environment. |
| C．They are too focused on producing large quantities of food. |
| D．They are all outdated and need to be replaced with new ones. |
| A．To praise their achievements. | B．To indicate different opinions. |
| C．To stress the necessity of change. | D．To give examples of farming methods. |
| A．Keep the balance of nature. | B．Take up sustainable practices. |
| C．Prioritize economic interests. | D．Invest in agricultural innovations. |
| A．To briefly introduce an award-winning film. | B．To explore American agriculture’s issues. |
| C．To present new food production methods. | D．To show the impact of climate on agriculture. |
4 . On a Saturday in November, Annacarin Elf, the head of Gothenburg City Library, just happened to walk by her workplace. Noticing that the door was unlocked, she entered the library, and was surprised that people were using it like on a regular day.
However, it was scheduled to be closed for the November 4 All Saints’ Day holiday, dedicated to remembering the dearly departed and for spending time with family. “In the library, many were sitting reading newspapers, some families were in the children’s section and others were searching for books on the computer,” Elf told The Local.
It seemed that Elf’s colleagues had simply forgotten to lock the door, and because this popular library is usually open on Saturdays, people just assumed they could walk in. Elf called to check with her staff team, before announcing that the library was about to close. The visitors calmly shut their books and left, some taking their books with them.
It later demonstrated that 446 locals visited the city library, borrowing a total of 246 books during the day. What’s remarkable is that clients checked out their books via the library’s electronic self-service system, and that to date, all the books have been returned!
While Elf did express surprise that the library seemed emptier than usual, due to the lack of staff, she highly praised the care shown by locals: “Nothing was destroyed. It’s amazing that Gothenburgers enter an empty library and treat it so lovingly.” The library itself was quick to show its support in an appreciative post with “Thank you for Saturday, dear Gothenburg.”
This story really attracted Swedes, going viral in the country. They were moved by this community’s respect for the books and equipment of what is a treasured community resource. The Mayor EU has even suggested that this unusual Saturday serves as an experiment of the possibility of operating a totally automated library.
1. Why did Elf enter the library on Saturday?| A．She was doing some research. | B．She forgot that it was a holiday. |
| C．The library was accidentally left open. | D．The library was usually open on Saturdays. |
| A．They behaved normally as usual. | B．They held family party in the library. |
| C．They checked the self-service system. | D．They volunteered to serve as librarians. |
| A．The honest community spirit. | B．The library’s appreciation to visitors. |
| C．The community’s treasured resources. | D．The library’s unusual Saturday service. |
| A．A Library Looked Up To The Bookworms | B．A Library Operated An Unusual Experiment |
| C．A Library Can Bring Out The Best In People | D．A Library Was Open For All Saints’ Day Holiday |
5 . HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY BOOK YOU READ
Reading books can be one of life’s greatest pleasures and learning experiences.
Understanding why you’re reading a book can significantly impact how you approach it. The right goal will help you pay attention to what’s most important. If you’re reading a book about photography, you may want to pay particular attention to the images.
After finishing a chapter, take a few minutes to summarize it in your own words.
The process of reading doesn’t end when you turn the last page. Regularly revisiting your notes, summaries, and reflections keeps the material fresh and relevant. Consider setting aside time each month to review previous reads and reflect how they’ve shaped your thoughts and actions. Not for every book, of course, just for the most impactful ones.
| A．Repeat reading for deeper insights |
| B．Review and reflect |
| C．You may notice details, themes, or ideas that were hidden during your first reading |
| D．This exercise deepens your understanding and helps identify the central themes and ideas |
| E．So spend some time reflecting on what you hope to achieve and let that guide your reading process |
| F．However, many of us struggle to remember and apply what we’ve read |
| G．Taking action on what you’ve read transforms theoretical knowledge into practical wisdom |
6 . How the economics profession should fix its gender problem
At the heart of economics is a belief in the virtues (好处) of open competition as a way of using the resources you have in the most efficient way you can. Thanks to the power of that insight, economists routinely tell politicians how to run public policy and business people how to run their firms. Yet when it comes to its own house, academic economics could have done more to observe the standards it applies to the rest of the world.
In particular, it recruits (招聘) too few women. Also, many of those who do work in the profession say they are treated unfairly and that their talents are not fully realised. As a result, economics has fewer good ideas than it should and suffers from a skewed (歪曲的) viewpoint. It is time for the dismal science to improve its dismal record on gender.
For decades relatively few women have participated in STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and maths. Economics belongs in this list. And a survey by the American Economics Association (AEA) this week shows that many women who do become academic economists are treated badly.
To deal with its gender shortfall (缺口), economics needs two tools that it often uses to analyse and solve problems elsewhere: its ability to crunch data and its capacity to experiment. Take data first. The AEA study is commendable, but only a fifth of its 45,000 present and past members replied to its poll. Better data are needed to capture how work by female economists is discriminated against. The more comprehensive (全面的) the picture that emerges, the sooner and more easily action can be taken to change recruitment and to reform professional life.
The other priority is for economists to experiment with new ideas, as the AEA is recommending. For a discipline that values dynamism, academic economics is often conservative, sticking with teaching methods, hiring procedures and social conventions that have been around for decades. The AEA survey reveals (显示) that 46% of women have not asked a question or presented an idea at conferences for fear of being treated unfairly, compared with 18% of men. Seminars could be organised to ensure that all speakers get a fair chance. The way that authors’ names are presented on papers could ensure that it is clear who has done the intellectual heavy lifting.
Instead of moving cautiously, the economics profession should do what it is best at: recognise there is a problem, measure it objectively and find solutions. If the result is more women in economics who are treated better, there will be more competition for ideas and a more efficient use of a scarce (稀缺的) resource. What economist could possibly object to that?
1. Why does economics have fewer excellent ideas than it should?| A．Economical environment isn’t good enough. |
| B．Professionals in this field are treated unjustly and their gifts are not fully recognized. |
| C．Too many women are employed. |
| D．Women do worse in economics than men. |
| A．Data to capture how work by female economists is discriminated against. |
| B．Its ability to process data quickly and its capacity to experiment. |
| C．Action to change recruitment and professional life of female economists. |
| D．Seminars organised to ensure that all speakers get a fair chance. |
| A．The result of the AEA survey is that there is better treatment to women. |
| B．More women in economics will bring more competition of scarce resource. |
| C．A balanced sex ratio will do good to the development of economics. |
| D．Men in economics can’t make this discipline better. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Positive. | C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
7 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’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 platform.
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 world, 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 anyone 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 tell about true friends. | B．To start a discussion. |
| C．To encourage online friendships. | D．To summarize(总结) the text. |
| A．In any case. | B．In public. | C．In person. | D．In advance. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
| C．It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
8 . When 19-year-old Emily Bhatnagar from Maryland, USA, found out her father had stage four thyroid cancer, her response was a little different than you might expect. To honour her father, who she also describes as her best friend, she decided to start a book drive called For Love and Buttercup, collecting books for kids with cancer.
“It was very much an overnight idea,” she explains. “I posted a message on an app called Nextdoor asking my neighbours for used book donations. I was only expecting a few here and there, but the response was truly incredible and it was just the push I needed to co-exist with my grief rather than letting it consume me.”
“It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch my dad go through cancer and see him lose a little bit of himself each day, but the book drive allowed me to develop a newfound sense of purpose connected with sympathy to help others in any shape or form. I wanted to help kids. They’ve always held a soft spot in my heart.”
Using tips she earns from working at her parents’ bread shop, Emily has bought many books out of her own pocket. In addition, she receives donations through her Amazon wish list, which can be found in the bio of the book drive’s Instagram account, @forloveandbuttercup.
The project has seen a huge success, with For Love and Buttercup donating over l5,000 books and being recognized by The Washington Post, Forbes, The President’s Volunteer Service Award and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.
1. What was Emily’s reaction when she found out her father’s illness?| A．She lost herself in sadness. |
| B．She drove her father around the world. |
| C．She sought support from her best friend. |
| D．She showed her sympathy to kids with cancer. |
| A．It broke her heart. | B．It was her father’s dream. |
| C．It became a big challenge. | D．It gave her a sense of purpose. |
| A．Anyone who donated books received a special gift. |
| B．Emily wanted to arouse people’s awareness of cancer. |
| C．People donated money to her father through the book drive. |
| D．Emily’s cause has received positive response from the public. |
| A．An Inspiring Cause | B．A Lifesaving Decision |
| C．A Heartbreaking Story | D．An Award-winning App |
9 . Keeping your weight within the ideal range for your height is one of the most important steps you can take to maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. It is healthy to keep your weight below a certain level.
Calculate your BMI
A good way to work out whether you need to lose or gain weight is to calculate your body mass index (BMI).
Your weight is a reflection of the balance between your energy intake and energy consumption. If your intake exceeds expenditure, the excess energy is stored on your body as fat. To lose weight you simply need to tip the balance in the other direction, by increasing your consumption, decreasing your intake, or a combination of both.
Develop a good eating habit
Exercise regularly
Losing weight is not difficult — it is keeping it off that is the real challenge.
| A．Keep a balance |
| B．Don’t skip breakfast. |
| C．More than half the UK population is overweight. |
| D．But it is also important not to go too far the other way. |
| E．The most effective way to lose weight is plenty of exercise. |
| F．The safest way to lose weight is to do it slowly and steadily. |
| G．A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is associated with the lowest health risks. |
10 . Are you an “I person” or an “E person”? These two personality labels in particular are widely discussed online. They are part of a popular personality test called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI. All of the results have four letters, and there are 16 results in total, “I” and “E” refer to “introverted” and “extroverted”, respectively.
Even if someone is typically quiet, many online discussions suggest that an “I person” can still act outgoing at times. For example, when an introverted person is with a group of introverted friends, they might become more social like an “E person”. According to psychologists, this idea of temporarily switching personalities is called “masking”. That is hiding your true personality in specific situations.
“Human beings want to feel they belong, and they might become people-pleasers to do so,” wrote the MasterClass website.
Thinking on this, I may actually be the kind of person that these people are discussing. Most times, I just wish to make the atmosphere more interesting and exciting and show people that I’m easy to get along with. But deep down, I mostly enjoy being alone and quiet.
Using the MBTI result to identify and describe someone’s personality seems fun. However, I went too far at one time. My sister was excitedly making a day-to-day travel plan when I remembered from an article that “P people” don’t like to make or stick to plans, so I said to her, “You don’t seem like a ‘P person’?” “Why?” she asked back, “Since when do I need to follow what my personality test tells me to do?” It was then that I realized I’d taken the result too seriously.
The MBTI personality test may show something you don’t know about yourself and can even be a fun ice-breaker question when meeting new friends. And that’s all it is-for fun. Knowing someone’s MBTI result doesn’t mean you really know this person. And those four letters of yours don’t define who you are.
1. What do we know about an “I person”?| A．An “I person” may feel lonely. | B．An “I person” can be outgoing. |
| C．An “I person” is always selfish. | D．An “I person” is popular online. |
| A．Covering. | B．Avoiding. | C．Showing. | D．Criticizing |
| A．She didn’t like the “P person” | B．She didn’t like making plans. |
| C．She didn’t take MBTI seriously. | D．She didn’t take the personality test. |
| A．It’s just for fun. | B．It defines who you are. |
| C．It helps match good friends. | D．It can shape your personality |
