1 . How important has Internet become in our lives? The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to celebrate the Web’s 25th birthday. The researchers were greatly heartened by what they found.
“In 2006, only 14 percent of American adults used Internet. Today, it’s 87 percent,” said Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project. “It is what has impressed us the most.”
The survey also showed that 70 percent of the Internet users have been treated kindly or generously online, while 25 percent of respondents said they have been treated unkindly. More than half—56 percent—of users said they’ve seen an online community come together to help someone solve a problem. 25 percent said they’ve left an online group because members were too unpleasant.
When Pew asked questions about whether being online has enriched people’s relationships—or not—the results were very positive: 67 percent of Internet users said their online communication with family and friends has generally strengthened those relationships. Only 18 percent said it has generally weakened those relationships.
According to the survey, 53 percent of Internet users said Internet has become the hardest tech tool to give up. It is 15 percent higher than the result of a similar survey conducted in 2006. In fact, more people said they would have a harder time stopping using Internet than giving up TV. (These days, so much great television streams across the Internet that it makes sense.)
“In our survey, we have found that the Web makes a few people very unhappy. There’s strong evidence pointing to the fact that Internet users tend to compare their daily lives with the ‘highlight moments’ of their friends’ lives,” said Lee Rainie. “It’s really silly.”
1. Which is the most impressive result of the latest survey?| A．Users’ dependence on Internet. | B．The fast growth of Internet users. |
| C．The kindness of online communities. | D．The strengthened family relationships. |
| A．15%. | B．38%. | C．53%. | D．68%. |
| A．Online depression cannot be avoided. | B．Don’t show off in online communities. |
| C．Don’t make unnecessary comparison. | D．Copy your friends’ wonderful lifestyles. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Worried. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Doubtful. |
2 . The arts, especially music, should be part of every school’s lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas.
Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive (积极的) to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band. Parents can enjoy listening to their children’s music instead of seeing them glued to a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music.
Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of audiences. Music gives children an opportunity for self-ex pression, and that helps develop their self-confidence. Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their characters. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school.
1. How could music make students smarter?| A．By improving their memory and attention. |
| B．By improving their classroom skills and imagination. |
| C．By making them brave, knowledgeable and modest. |
| D．By learning music, making music and trying out their own ideas. |
| A．Unwilling to turn on. | B．Always turning off. | C．Unwilling to leave. | D．Always hating. |
| A．Music brings children success. | B．Music gives children self-expression. |
| C．Music helps children achieve their dream. | D．Music develops children’s self-confidence. |
| A．Music Is a Must as a Course at School | B．Music Builds Children’s Self-confidence |
| C．Music Makes Students Much Smarter | D．Learning Music Is Very Important |
3 . Whether we are sitting down or standing up, still or moving, body posture influences our mood. Several studies have shown this link between physical posture and mood. Others have shown a relationship between our mood and our cognitive (认知的) performance, including memory, reasoning, learning, and the speed of reaction and processing of information.
So a logical question arises. Can body posture influence our cognitive performance?
Previously, a New Zealand team (University of Auckland) carried out an experiment on posture when we walk, especially in the street. The team had found a very clear influence of our posture on our mood and confidence. It appears that walking with a hunched back, bowed head and motionless arms have a negative influence on our mental state.
Indeed, the researchers found that the simple act of straightening up, standing up straight, with your head held high, and gazing forward gives us a serious boost of confidence. Not only does our spontaneous posture have a psychological effect, but by correcting it, it is possible to bring about improvement in the long term.
In this other study, this time carried out by an Austrian team (Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg), researchers observed the same phenomenon, this time in a sitting position. Young adults were invited to participate in tests presented as intended to assess their ability to concentrate. In fact, the researchers had them sit in different postures — from upright to very slumped (消沉) — in order to note their influences on mood and cognition.
A first observation indicates that “sitting upright” is associated with a better overall mood. It is also found to have a positive influence on the speed of processing information and completing tasks, although the test pass rate does not vary significantly with posture.
Finally, and surprisingly enough, blood pressure is a little more favorable in an upright position. To further complete the list of benefits of sitting upright, we will add that it is widely recommended for protecting the back in case of work that requires sitting for a long time.
1. Why does the writer mention the studies at the beginning?| A．To introduce what cognitive performance is. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of body posture. |
| C．To prove the results of those studies are wrong. |
| D．To raise a new question to be studied and solved. |
| A．Straightened. | B．Bent. | C．Loose. | D．Solid. |
| A．Posture influences our mental state. | B．Straightening up has a negative effect. |
| C．Gazing upward builds up confidence. | D．Walking posture is especially important. |
| A．It has mental and physical benefits. | B．It helps improve the test pass rate. |
| C．It requires sitting for a long time. | D．It increases the blood pressure. |
4 . On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.
This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.
But a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist (转折) on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.
In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates? Did they follow those least willing to change their minds? This happened some of the time, but it wasn’t the dominant response. Most frequently, the groups reported that they “shared arguments and reasoned together”. Somehow, these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error. Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain, the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous.
1. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?| A．The methods of estimation. | B．The underlying logic of the effect. |
| C．The causes of people’s errors. | D．The design of Galton’s experiment. |
| A．the crowds were relatively small | B．there were occasional underestimates |
| C．individuals did not communicate | D．estimates were not fully independent |
| A．The size of the groups. | B．The dominant members. |
| C．The discussion process. | D．The individual estimates. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Dismissive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Approving. |
Crying is a natural response to emotions. Regardless of
6 . 2050 seems a long way away, but it is not impossible to predict the future though. With the speed we are moving now so many amazing things are going to happen in the future. So where is technology going in the future?
◇The Internet will be free for everyone.
The Internet is really a key driver these days. But it is not free for everyone yet. There have already been attempts like Facebook’s Free Basics.
◇Personal airplanes will be used widely for short journeys.
With the increasing population, it is not very hard to predict that common methods of transportation will not be enough.
◇Most cancers will be treated successfully.
◇
There will be great achievements in space research. In the year 2050, humans will be able to live on Mars. We will receive more intelligent signals from space. Chances are we will be able to find the next Earth — like planet.
| A．Though it hasn’t happened yet |
| B．Let’s start our predictions |
| C．The world’s population will cross 9. 6 billion |
| D．What do you think of my predictions of 2050 |
| E．Humans will live on other planets |
| F．There will be much heavier traffic on the road |
| G．The number of deaths caused by cancers will be greatly reduced |
7 . Not sleeping enough or getting a bad night’s sleep over and over makes it hard to control your appetite. And that sets you up for all sorts of health problems, including obesity (肥胖) , heart disease and high blood pressure.
The link between poor sleep and a greater body mass index(BMI) has been shown in study after study, but researchers typically relied on the memories of the participants to record how well they slept.
Sleep apps on fitness trackers, smartphones and watches have changed all that. In a new study researchers tracked sleep quality for 120,000 people for up to two years.
The results showed sleep durations (持续时间) and patterns are highly variable between people. Despite that, the study found people with BMIs of 30 or above — which is considered obese by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention－had slightly shorter sleep durations and more variable sleep patterns.
It didn’t take much less sleep to see the effect. People with BMIs over 30 only slept about 15 minutes less than those less weighty people.
There were some limitations to the study, naps(午睡) were not included, other health conditions could not be factored in, and people who use wearable tracking devices are typically younger, healthier and from a higher economic status than those who do not wear trackers.
“These are quite pricey devices, and they are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The results would need to be validated (确认) by the appropriate FDA-approved devices, and because the study is likely on younger people who are more economically well off, it needs further study whether that really applies to older folks with poor sleep.” said Dasgupta, the associate program director.
However, Dasgupta added, a major plus for the study is that it did monitor people for over two years, and the results corroborated previous research and were “not surprising.”
While we cannot determine the direction of association from our study result, these findings provide further support to the idea that sleep patterns are associated with weight management and overall health.
1. How does the new study differ from previous studies?| A．It lasts the longest time in history. | B．It uses apps to record participants’ sleep. |
| C．It specially improves participants’ sleep quality. | D．It relied on participants’ memory to record data. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Shocked | C．Cautious | D．Dissatisfied |
| A．limit | B．correct | C．confirm | D．combine |
| A．Sleep Quality Varies from Person to Person |
| B．Sleep Apps Are Widely Used to Monitor Sleep |
| C．Young People Are Paying More Attention to Obesity |
| D．Lack of Sleep May Be Possibly Connected with Obesity |
8 . Engineering researchers at the University of Waterloo are successfully using a robot to help keep children with learning disabilities focused on their work. This was one of the key results in a new study that also found both the youngsters and their instructors valued the positive classroom contributions made by the robot.
“Overall, the findings demonstrate that the robot has a positive effect on students,” said Dr. Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Educators have in recent years explored the use of social robots to help students learn, but most often, their research has focused on children with autism (孤独症). As a result, little work has been done on the use of socially assistive robots for students with learning disabilities.
Along with two other Waterloo engineering researchers and three experts from the Learning. Disabilities Society in Vancouver, Dautenhahn decided to change this, conducting a series of tests with a small humanoid (仿人的) robot called QTrobot.
Dautenhahn said the robot’s ability to perform gestures using its head and hands, accompanied by its speech and facial features, makes it very suitable for children with learning disabilities.
Building on promising earlier research, the researchers divided 16 students with learning disabilities into two groups. In one group, students worked one on-one with an instructor only. In the other group, the students worked one-on-one with an instructor and a QTrobot. In the latter group, the instructor used a tablet to direct the robot, which then autonomously performed various activities using its speech and gestures. While the instructor controlled the sessions, the robot took over at certain times to lead the students.
Besides introducing the session, the robot set goals and provided self-regulating strategies, if necessary. If the learning process was getting off- track, the robot used strategies such as games, riddles and physical movements to redirect the students back to the task.
“Students who worked with the robot,” Dautenhahn said, “were generally more engaged with their tasks and could complete their tasks at a higher rate compared to the students who weren’t assisted by a robot.
1. What can we know about Dautenhahn’s research?| A．It seeks to provide a treatment for autism. |
| B．It attempts to replace teachers with robots in teaching. |
| C．It intends to educate students to be creative and productive. |
| D．It studies the effects of robots on students with learning disabilities. |
| A．The role the robot played. |
| B．The process of the research. |
| C．The outcomes of the two groups. |
| D．The range of the participants involved. |
| A．It warned the student directly by speech. |
| B．It assigned tasks for the student to complete. |
| C．It informed the instructor to intervene in the learning process. |
| D．It attracted the student’s attention through interesting activities. |
| A．Robots promote students’ academic performance greatly. |
| B．There is great potential for using robots in the education system. |
| C．Teachers are defeated by robots when it comes to motivating students. |
| D．Students are becoming more independent with the assistance of robots. |
9 . Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1, 500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use email to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fastfood restaurant or under the trees — anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State highereducation officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we’re giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.”
1. The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.| A．use for their schoolwork |
| B．access the Internet |
| C．work at home |
| D．connect them to libraries |
| A．All teachers use computers. |
| B．1, 500 students have laptops. |
| C．It is an old college in America. |
| D．Students there can do everything. |
| A．attend lectures on information technology |
| B．travel around the world |
| C．get information from around the world |
| D．have free laptops |
| A．The program is successful. |
| B．The program is not workable. |
| C．The program is too expensive. |
| D．We don’t know the result yet. |
10 . It is often a complex and tiring task to live a healthy life, but that isn’t always the case.
Over the last few years, a number of studies have shown that the benefits of the increased range of movement students experience when using standing desks are surprisingly broad.
The benefits of bringing standing desks into classrooms are obvious.
Sitting isn’t horrible. It isn’t a thing we should never do. The problem is that we do it too much, and so do our children, which makes children less likely to succeed and keep healthy.
| A．It is time for us to stand up to stay healthy. |
| B．But it is important for children to use them gradually. |
| C．Children spend most of their school day sitting at desks. |
| D．Thus it’s necessary to break up the sitting with standing desks. |
| E．Something as cheap as a desk could be making a major difference. |
| F．Right now there is something we can do easily to keep our children healthy. |
| G．For example, they help students keep fit and avoid putting on too much weight. |
