1 . Julie Kenerson loved taking her two sons Lukas and his brother Jake who used a wheelchair due to his rare illness, to the Charlestown playground in Mayor Thomas M. Menino Park.
In 2019, Jake passed away at age 11 from complications of his metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorder.
Over the past decade, playground accessibility has advanced due to more awareness and more options for designers. Parents like Julie are telling public officials and planners that more work still needs to be done to make playgrounds truly inclusive.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires equal access for people with disabilities in public spaces, was passed in 1990. But it didn’t specifically address outdoor recreation in its original regulations. Updated guidance came in 2010, and any playground that is now built or renovated must be ADA-compliant. But, according to Julie, there is a gap between what she calls “ADA on paper” and “the lived experience of ADA”.
| A．Fortunately, those in charge are listening. |
| B．But not all playgrounds were accessible to Jake. |
| C．However, some officials turn a deaf ear to Julie’s requests. |
| D．The playground has plenty of wheelchair-accessible designs. |
| E．One of Julie’s main themes is that play should be for everyone. |
| F．Hence, she still attempts to make playgrounds accessible to all. |
| G．Since then, Julie has been on a special playground-related mission. |
2 . If you're reading this, you were probably born in the 2000s. The oh-ohs(00后）．The 21st century. That would make you young,creative, connected, global,and no doubt smart. Maybe good-looking,too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?
Some adults worry that you're more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the“face-down generation” because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends,and family. Are today's teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies(自拍）to become successful in real life-or“IRL”， as you would say?
Other adults worry that today's youth are spoilt(宠坏的）and don't want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by"helicopter parents” who were always there to guide and help them with a busy schedule filled with homework and extra-curricular activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With partners who do everything for them, today's youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.
Does the face-down generation need a heads-up?Well,probably not. The fact is that many of today's teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They also seem to be enthusiastic(热情的）and willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai,the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls' rights to go to school.
So if you're one of the oh-ohs,there's reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the face-down generation. Chances are that you will do GR8(great) and LOL（laugh out loud).
1. Today's teenagers are thought of as the face-down generation because| A．They are busy texting |
| B．They use their phones a lot |
| C．They deal with school and family with their phones |
| D．They become successful with their phones |
| A．Parents who prefer to live like teenagers |
| B．Parents who often fly everywhere for their business |
| C．Parents who do dancing, drawing or sports with their children |
| D．Parents who always guide and help children with homework and extra-curricular activities |
| A．They are annoyed. |
| B．They are powerful. |
| C．They are spoilt. |
| D．They are positive. |
| A．The face-down generation |
| B．The young generation |
| C．The generation gap |
| D．The future generation |
Have you ever asked yourself why children go to school? You will
We send our children to school to prepare them
There is more in education
4 . You come home on a hot summer day, hoping to have a cool bath, but find there is no water. Then you see how important water is in your daily life. While sometimes you have the idea in many parts of the world, water is not just about one’s everyday needs.
In countries like Tanzania, water is hard to get, and the job of collecting water falls on women’s shoulders. Girls often have to leave school to collect water, while their brothers stay at school studying. The girls spend more time collecting water. That means they have less time for learning.
For these girls, “Knowledge is Power” is not just words; it’s a sad fact in real life. As they spend less time at school, they have fewer chances of getting good jobs, and they often have no choices on important matters, like who to marry. These girls are often married into poor families. They have little money or knowledge to take care of their children. For the baby girls who are lucky enough to survive(生存), their life may be still around “water”, just like their mothers’.
1. What do the underlined words “the idea” mean?| A．Water is important in one’s everyday life. |
| B．Water is not just about one’s everyday needs. |
| C．It's nice to have a cool bath on a hot summer day. |
| A．men’s | B．women’s | C．boys’ |
| A．not just words | B．a sad fact in real life | C．both A and B |
| A．The girls have a hard life in countries like Tanzania. |
| B．Why it’s important to save water. |
| C．How water may give a country power. |
