50岁时，她发觉自己失业了，困在家里，只有电脑相伴。
2 . The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was invented by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is a self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The MBTI personality inventory (量表) sorts people into 16 type categories, each of which is represented by four-letter codes such as INFP and ESTJ. Every year, about 1.5 million people have enjoyed discovering their personality type by completing the MBTI. Many companies, as well as hundreds of universities, use it in hiring and training.
Nevertheless, the MBTI has received a noticeable criticism from the academic community. Some research suggests the MBTI is unreliable because the same person can get different results when retaking the test. Other studies have questioned the validity of the MBTI, which is the ability of the test to accurately link the “types” to outcomes in the real world -for example, how well people classified as a certain type will perform in a given job.
Merve Emre, a professor a Oxford University, points out that it would be more scientifically advisable to score the MBTI scales continuously to show people the degree to which they resemble the types. Even when the MBTI’s results don’t quite match your intuition (直觉) about yourself or are just wrong, they can still provide self-insight and insight into differences and similarities between people.
Scoring and interpreting the MBTI the way other personality inventories are scored and interpreted might be less fun than finding. All of the folklore (民间看法) about INFPs, ESTJs, etc. would have to be dismissed. But, in the end the MBTI is sufficiently reliable and valid enough to be useful in a number of real-world contexts.
1. What do we know about the MBTI from the first paragraph?| A．It is a personality-testing tool. | B．It is divided into 16 categories. |
| C．It is a study of personal preference. | D．It is a questionnaire on four-letter codes. |
| A．It performs badly in job interviews | B．Its reliability has been questioned. |
| C．It requires people to retake the test | D．Its advantages are not fully shown. |
| A．It is beyond criticism. | B．It is a more scientific test. |
| C．It is less fun than other tests. | D．It is useful for self-exploration. |
| A．How Can We Use the MBTI? | B．Why do We Criticise the MBTI? |
| C．Is the MBTI Totally Meaningless? | D．Is Scoring the MBTI Really Necessary? |
3 . Benefits of Reading to a Dog
Here are five great reasons why your kid should read to a dog.
Dogs create a stress-free environment
It's hard to be really stressed(焦虑) around a cozy, friendly dog. Classrooms can be tense for kids who aren't great readers or presenters.
Your kid won't even know she's building her vocabulary
A confidence-booster(增幅器)
Dogs are nonjudgmental. Kids will feel less self-conscious about reading aloud to them rather than, say, a judgmental human being.
Dogs like what your kid likes
Wanna talk about video games? Woof! Mermaids? Woof! A favourite cartoon? Woof! Dogs are interested in whatever your kid is interested in.
Petting a dog reduces stress and can even improve movement skills
Just grooming(梳毛)can help to improve a child's movement skills.
| A．It's also been proven to reduce anxiety |
| B．They'll listen for hours and never get bored |
| C．Reading to a dog makes the whole situation less stressful |
| D．Keeping a dog as a pet also improve a child's confidence |
| E．As kids read to a dog, they feel as if they're in a formal environment. |
| F．Kids who read out loud to dogs become more confident in their reading skills |
| G．Reading to a friendly dog is a great way for your child to practice her pronunciation |
4 . Climate breakdown threatens to cause a global food production crisis. The UN forecasts that by 2050, feeding the world will require a 20% expansion in global water use for agriculture. It is hard to see how agriculture can feed the population of the planet, let alone toward the end of the century and beyond. Agriculture is a major cause of climate breakdown, and both river and air pollution. Industrial fishing is similarly driving ecological collapse in seas around the world.
However, at this critical time, farming (a new kind of food technology) is creating astonishing possibilities to save both people and the planet. Farming will enable the return of vast areas of land and sea to nature, greatly reducing carbon emissions (排放物). It means an end to the employment of animals, a stop to overfishing, and a dramatic reduction in cutting down forests and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂). It is the best hope for stopping the destruction of the planet and, if it is done right, it means cheap and abundant food for everyone.
We are about to welcome one of the biggest economic transformations, of any kind, for 200 years. Arguments continue about plants against meat-based diets; however, new technologies will soon make these arguments irrelevant. Before long, most food will come neither from animals nor plants, but from micro-organisms (微生物).
Not only will food be cheaper, it will also be healthier. Due to the fact that farming creates food products built up from simple components rather than broken down from complex ones, hard fats and other unhealthy components can be screened out. Meat will still be meat, but it will be grown in factories rather than in the bodies of animals. Fats will still be fats, but food is likely to be better, cheaper and much less damaging to the living planet.
1. What is the major cause of sea ecological breakdown?| A．Food production. | B．Global farming. |
| C．Industrial fishing. | D．Climate breakdown. |
| A．Its benefits. | B．Its security. | C．Its research. | D．Its limits. |
| A．Sea animals. | B．Wild plants. | C．Micro-organisms. | D．Farm products. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unclear. |
5 . Alvin, 66, was deep in the woods in Grand Cane last December when something like litter on the ground caught his eye. It was a
“Dear Santa,” the note
Alvin’s heart hammered in his chest. It reminded him of his childhood wish. He smiled and set out to
Meanwhile, Gonzalez, the mother of four-year old Luna, had no idea that such a(n)
One day, Gonzalez received a call saying that someone had found Luna’s balloon. Her jaw
“Santa dropped your balloon
Now, having received so much
| A．beautiful | B．broken | C．precious | D．blown |
| A．printed | B．wrote | C．typed | D．read |
| A．nice | B．difficult | C．demanding | D．smart |
| A．fulfill | B．spread | C．make | D．express |
| A．entertaining | B．uniting | C．reporting | D．locating |
| A．preparation | B．effort | C．research | D．game |
| A．temporarily | B．relatively | C．particularly | D．naturally |
| A．came up with | B．argued about | C．put up with | D．jumped at |
| A．healthy | B．green | C．modest | D．grand |
| A．burst | B．cracked | C．broke | D．dropped |
| A．post | B．letter | C．name | D．photo |
| A．in time | B．after all | C．by accident | D．on purpose |
| A．candies | B．gifts | C．toys | D．books |
| A．attention | B．admiration | C．popularity | D．generosity |
| A．adopted | B．stored | C．thrown | D．dragged |
6 . We know that bully (欺凌) happens a lot and that it can make people feel miserable. And school violence happens all the time.
Bully is where a person or a group exercise control over another against their will, often leaving the victim feeling powerless and alone. Bullying can take many forms. Children, young people and adults can instigate bullying and be bullied in schools. Bullying is harmful to all involved, not just the person who is bullied, but to those who do the bullying and those who stand by. It can lead to self-doubt, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, self-harm and sometimes even suicide. Children might bully because they may not have been taught that it is wrong to bully.
How does bullying affect people?
New research has found that more than half of young people in the UK have been bullied. Of those who have been bullied, 58 % said it made them want to miss school, 44 % said it made them avoid social events, and 37 % said it had affected their school work.
What can I do to help?
| A．What is bullying? |
| B．What is cyberbullying? |
| C．They may think that it is just a bit of fun. |
| D．You should tell them that they're not alone. |
| E．There's no shame or harm in being different. |
| F．The study also found a big problem with racism. |
| G．There are many things you can do to fight against bullying at school. |
7 . Among the world’s waste-recycling pioneers, Germany is the leader. The country has quite a detailed way of sorting their waste-down to the color of glass waste, the type of paper, the separate bin for metals, etc.
Here below are what you should know about Germany’s waste sorting system：
◇You are expected to gather your waste in your apartment/housing area’s local public garbage bins.
◇There are commonly several types of public garbage bins available in the German’s apartment/housing areas：
Blue bin — for paper and cardboard
Green and white bin — for glass, different bins for differently colored glass, not available for holiday decorations and lights
Yellow/orange bin — for plastic and metals
Brown bin — for goods that can be changed naturally by bacteria into substances that don’t harm the environment, like leftovers, fruit and vegetables
Gray/black bin — for everything else that can’t be recycled such as used cat litter and animal waste
◇Some items don’t belong in these public garbage bins. Items like used batteries, electronics, unused paints, and lights must be returned to the special agent/locations so they can be properly recycled. Other items such as clothes, shoes, and oversized rubbish and furniture are advised to be donated or sold.
◇There’s this thing called Pfand in Germany, a certain part of the price for a bottled drink that you get back if you send back the bottle to certified (有资历的) shops. German law requires shops over a certain size selling bottled drinks have a Pfandruckgabestelle, or place for bottles with deposits (押金). These bottles usually made of glass or plastic will be refilled. Of course, there’re strict health regulations.
1. Which bin should the fallen leaves be classified into？| A．The blue bin. | B．The brown bin. |
| C．The grey/black bin. | D．The green and white bin. |
| A．By returning it to special agents. | B．By placing it in a specific location. |
| C．By giving it away to those in need. | D．By donating it to a Pfandruckgabestelle. |
| A．To collect money for some shops. | B．To help shops reuse plastic or glass. |
| C．To reduce the broken bottles. | D．To encourage bottles to be returned. |
8 . AQUILA Children’s Magazine is the most intelligent read for curious kids. Full of enthusiastic articles and challenging puzzles, every issue covers science, history and general knowledge. AQUILA is a quality production, beautifully illustrated with contemporary artwork throughout.
Intelligent reading for 8-12-year-olds
Cool science and challenging projects
Inspires self-motivated learning
Exciting new topics every issue
AQUILA is created and owned by an independent UK company. It has 28 pages, printed on high-quality paper and there are no advertisements or posters. Instead it is full of well-written articles, thought-provoking (令人深思的) ideas and great contemporary artwork. Each monthly issue is centred around a new topic.
AQUILA works as a superb learning extension to current primary (or KS2 and KS3) curriculum (课程), but it is much more than that! Entertaining and always surprising, AQUILA is recommended because it widens children’s interest and understanding, rather than encouraging them to concentrate only on their favourite subjects. It gives children a well-rounded understanding of the world, in all its complexity.
The concepts in AQUILA can be challenging, requiring good comprehension and reading skills. Eight years is usually a good age to start. Some gentle interest from an adult is often helpful at the start.
In 2021 AQUILA will have been in publication for 29 years, but it has never appeared in newsstands or shops. We are subscription only.
AQUILA Subscription
UK：12 Months￡55－4 Months￡30
Europe：12 Months￡60－4 Months￡35
World：12 Months￡70－4 Months￡35
Birthdays
Select the Birthday option, write a gift message and choose the birthday month. We will dispatch to arrive at the start of the month you have entered. The package posts in a blue envelope marked “Open on your birthday”.
1. What is special about AQUILA?| A．It is available in shops. | B．It is for kids of all ages. |
| C．It prints readers’ artwork. | D．It has no advertisements. |
| A．Articles on modern art. | B．Family reading materials. |
| C．Knowledge beyond school subjects. | D．Ideas on improving reading skills. |
| A．Foreign language learners. |
| B．Children with learning difficulties. |
| C．Parent-child reading lovers. |
| D．Curious kids with good comprehension. |
10 . For people who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise. In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today’s sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.
Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can’t let him get away. he pulls out a special device points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD, 远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.
For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let’s say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming（哼唱）a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine on, point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.
Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights（聚光灯） are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, a “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in one targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.
1. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the effect of the LRAD?| A．It causes temporary hearing loss | B．It slows down a running man |
| C．It makes it easy to identify a suspect | D．It keeps the suspect from hurting others |
| A．silence the people around you | B．remove the sound of commercials |
| C．block the incoming sound waves | D．stop unwanted sound from affecting you |
| A．They travel in circles | B．They clear the atmosphere. |
| C．They can be transformed into energy | D．They can be directed onto a specific area |
| A．creative designs of restaurant menus | B．ideal sound effects on the theater stage |
| C．different choices of music for businesses | D．strict control over any suspicious customer |
