According to a recent survey, violence (暴力) did happen in schools. Students showed their fear and parents and teachers were also
The topic of school violence is
If I meet with school violence, I will not answer violence with violence, for it will lead
All in all, we students should be responsible for
2 . You might think people all over the United States have WiFi — wireless Internet service — and mobile phones. But there is no such service in Green Bank, West Virginia, a tiny town four hours from the US capital, Washington D. C. Fewer than 150 people live in Green Bank, which has two churches, an elementary school and a public library. It is also home to the largest radio telescope in the world.
There is a ban (禁令) on WiFi in Green Bank, along with anything else that can create electromagnetic (电磁的) waves. Officials say the waves could disturb the signals (信号) the telescope receives.
For many Americans, a visit to Green Bank is a little like returning to the 1950s. To get there, you must read road signs because there is no GPS service in the town. People can connect with the Internet through telephones, but wireless service is not allowed.
The observatory (天文台) is one of the largest employers in the area. The National Science Foundation (NSF) spends about $8.2 million a year to operate the observatory, telescope and educational center.
Jonah Bauserman is a technician. If he supposes there is a signal that is not allowed in the zone, he drives to the house where the signal is coming from and checks it. But once a week, when the device is cleaned, some banned devices are allowed near it.
People in the town respect the work of the scientists. And they say they are happy to live without WiFi and mobile phones. “You know, instead of sitting here with our phones and other devices we’re out fishing, hunting and going to each other’s houses.” Everyone knows each other and communication is almost always face to face.
1. What will you see when you pay a visit to Green Bank?| A．GPS service. | B．Guide posts. | C．Cellphone towers. | D．Radiocontrolled toys. |
| A．Following signals from cellphones. | B．Cleaning the telescope once a week. |
| C．Listening for signals from outer space. | D．Protecting the telescope from being affected. |
| A．Great wealth. | B．Many job chances. |
| C．A healthier lifestyle. | D．Much difficulty in life. |
| A．An American Town Without WiFi and Mobile Phones |
| B．Good Relationships Between People in an American Town |
| C．The Largest Radio Telescope in the World |
| D．A Better Life Without Wireless Devices |
3 . A new study finds sales of sugary drinks obviously fell across several US cities, after they carried out soda taxes (汽水税) aiming those drinks — and those changes continued over time. Taxes ranged from 1 to 2 cents. For a 2-liter bottle of soda, that comes out to between 67 cents to $1.30 extra in taxes.
“While prior (先前的) studies have looked at the impact of soda taxes, they usually studied one city at a time. This new study looked at the overall effect of the taxes on several cities to get an idea of what might happen if these taxes were more widespread — or enlarged to the state or national level,” says Scott Kaplan, an economics professor and the study’s lead author.
Kaplan and his co-workers found that prices for sugary drinks went up by 33.1% and purchases (购买量) went down by basically the same amount. So when people had to pay more for sugary drinks, they reduced their purchases — the effect was large and continued.
As Kaplan notes, “Sugary drinks make up a quarter of all the added sugar we see in the average adult American diet. And that’s a really big amount.” Jennifer Pomeranz, a professor at the School of Public Health, says, “Taxes that aim sugary drinks are good public health policy because these drinks have no nutritional (营养的) value, but they are linked with diet-related diseases. Too much added sugar is linked to a host of poor health outcomes, including overweight and heart disease.” Last month, WHO called on countries to increase taxes on sugary drinks as a way to promote healthier diets.
Today, the sugary drink industry’s strategy of offering consumers more choices with less sugar is working, and nearly 60% of drinks sold have zero sugar. The calories that people get from drinks have decreased to the lowest level in decades.
1. What’s the difference between the new study and the prior ones?| A．The range. | B．The challenge. | C．The expense. | D．The benefit. |
| A．They bought them in overseas markets. |
| B．They turned to the government for help. |
| C．They cut down the drinks’ consumption. |
| D．They added sugar to drinks by themselves. |
| A．To better protect people’s health. |
| B．To encourage research into drinks. |
| C．To improve the nutrition of drinks. |
| D．To make more money for the government. |
| A．It is a short-sighted decision. |
| B．It is a success story. |
| C．It benefits sugary drinks industry. |
| D．It upsets customers. |
4 . Recently it has dawned on the government that closing more than 1,000 of England’s railway station ticket offices would not be very smart politics.The transport secretary, Mark Harper,announced that train operators had been asked to withdraw the cost-cutting strategy, which the government itself had originally pushed on them.The writing was already on the wall in the summer,when public anger led to an extension of the consultation period on the proposed closures.By the time it ended,750,000 responses had been recorded,99%of them negative.
The public’s concerns were over future access to travel advice and information,assistance for disabled people,safety at understaffed stations,and consequences for the digitally excluded. But the passionate opposition also underlined a widespread sense that railway stations must be more than transit(交通)zones.Combined with a reformed ticketing system,that insight should now inform a positive approach to breathing life into England’s railways and attracting more people back on to trains.
As a report published this autumn by the Campaign for Better Transport sets out,there is an urgent case for fairer ticketing reform across the network.For over a decade,the relative cost of taking the train rather than the car has skyrocketed,as fares have risen while fuel duty has been frozen.Over a third of the public are confused by the numerous types of ticket available,and the complex regulations that apply to them.Why should an anytime return from Chelmsford to London cost &32.60,when to cover the same distance from Grays to London costs E 13.40?
The failed attempt to shut down ticket offices had its roots in a short-term ministerial response to falling revenues(收入).But as the country strives to achieve a challenging green transition,the government should work to establish a simpler,fairer ticketing system that offers imaginative rewards to take the train;and to develop an ambitious plan for our stations —one that reflects their important role in the lives of the travelling public.
1. What does the underlined words in the first paragraph probably mean?| A．The public expressed their anger. |
| B．The proposal was put up on a wall. |
| C．Unfavorable outcome was expected. |
| D．The government adopted the policy. |
| A．They have expanded their services. |
| B．They have undergone ticketing reform. |
| C．They have included more transit zones. |
| D．They have seen a decline in public favor. |
| A．The popularity of car ownership. |
| B．The development of ticketing reform. |
| C．The problems of the ticketing system. |
| D．The application of complex regulations. |
| A．Rising Prices of Train Travel |
| B．Urgent Calls for Rail Revival |
| C．Failed Closure of Railway Stations |
| D．Tough Route to Green Transit Initiatives |
5 . In the coming era of budget cuts to education, remote learning could become a common thing.
The appeal to those in charge of education budgets to trade teachers for technology is so strong that they tend to ignore the disadvantages of remote learning. School facilities are expensive to build and maintain, and teachers are expensive to employ. It’s true that online classes do not require buildings and each class can host hundreds of people, which can result in greater savings, but moving away from a traditional classroom in which a living, breathing human being teaches and interacts with students daily would be a disaster.
Physically attending school has hidden benefits: interacting with peers and communicating with teachers are important skills to cultivate（培养）in young people. Moreover, schools are more than simple places of traditional learning. They are also places that provide meals, places where students receive mental help and other support.
Those policy-makers are often fascinated by the latest technology in education and its potential to transform education overnight. But online education does not allow a teacher to keep a struggling student after class and offer help. Educational videos may deliver academic content, but they are unable to make eye contact or assess a student’s level of engagement. Distance education will never match the personal teaching in a traditional classroom. In their first 18 years of life. American children spend only 9% of their time in school. Yet teachers are expected to prepare them to be responsible citizens, cultivate their social skills, encourage successful time management, and improve their capacity to compete in a competitive job market. Given these expectations, schools should not become permanently “remote”.
The power of the classroom is rooted in the qualities of the people gathered in the same place, at the same time, including their nature, empathy, devotion and so on. Technology, no matter how advanced, should simply be a tool of a good teacher.
1. What is one possible benefit of students attending school physically?| A．Transforming traditional teaching. |
| B．Eating nutritionally-well-balanced-meals. |
| C．Growing into living and breathing human beings. |
| D．Developing relationships with peers and teachers. |
| A．It may reduce face-to-face interaction. |
| B．It may make many teachers jobless. |
| C．It may add to student’s financial burden. |
| D．It may revolutionize classroom teaching. |
| A．complexity | B．inequality | C．responsibility | D．capability |
| A．It lacks humanity. | B．It can‘t meet personal needs. |
| C．It is still not advanced. | D．It can’t track students’ growth. |
What would you do if the Internet suddenly disappeared? A recent survey has shown that
The research also showed that more than 70 percent of these people said that they were not interested in getting
More and more people are getting broadband (宽带) and high speed net
With the cost of getting online going down and internet speeds
7 . It was America’s deadliest wildfire in at least 100 years. The fire was caused by
Shane Grammer, who grew up 15 miles away in Chico,
Then amid the rubble (瓦砾), Grammer spent three hours creating a black-and-white image of a woman on the chimney — a
Grammer realized that what he had thought was a purely artistic
| A．effective | B．scary | C．faulty | D．impressive |
| A．blew up | B．burned up | C．took up | D．cut up |
| A．After all | B．In all | C．At all | D．Above all |
| A．originally | B．particularly | C．appropriately | D．beautifully |
| A．expected | B．reported | C．followed | D．announced |
| A．spoke | B．served | C．performed | D．volunteered |
| A．shake | B．fall | C．suffer | D．survive |
| A．paint | B．rebuild | C．sweep | D．photograph |
| A．concept | B．reminder | C．prediction | D．souvenir |
| A．enjoy | B．suit | C．contain | D．behave |
| A．talent | B．tradition | C．discovery | D．expression |
| A．ashes | B．parks | C．fires | D．trees |
| A．trial | B．procedure | C．campaign | D．entertainment |
| A．poor | B．distant | C．dark | D．dangerous |
| A．funny | B．familiar | C．successful | D．powerful |
8 . As a young girl growing up in France, Sarah Toumi dreamed of becoming a leader who could make the world a better place. Her passion to help others was awakened when, from the age of nine, she accompanied her Tunisian father to his birthplace in the east of the country during holidays. There she organized homework clubs and activities for children.
Toumi witnessed first-hand the destructive effect of desertification (沙漠化). “Within 10 years rich farmers became worse off, and in 10 years from now they will be poor. I wanted to stop the Sahara Desert in its tracks.” A decrease in average rainfall and an increase in the severity of droughts have led to an estimated 75 percent of Tunisia’s agricultural lands being threatened by desertification.
Toumi recognized that farming practices needed to change. She is confident that small land areas can bring large returns if farmers are able to adapt by planting sustainable crops, using new technologies for water treatment and focusing on natural products and fertilizers rather than chemicals.
In 2012, Toumi consolidated (巩固) her dream of fighting the desert. She moved to Tunisia, and set up a programme named Acacias for All to put her sustainable farming philosophy (理念) into action. “I want to show young people in rural areas that they can create opportunities where they are. Nobody is better able to understand the impact of desertification and climate change than somebody who is living with no access to water.”
By September 2016, more than 130, 000 acacia trees had been planted on 20 pilot farms, with farmers recording a 60 percent survival rate. Toumi estimates that some 3 million acacia trees are needed to protect Tunisia’s farmland. She expects to plant 1 million trees by 2018. In the next couple of years, Toumi hopes to extend the programme to Algeria and Morocco.
1. How did Toumi’s holiday trips to Tunisia influence her?| A．They made her decide to leave the country. |
| B．They helped her better understand her father. |
| C．They aroused her enthusiasm for helping others. |
| D．They destroyed her dream of being a teacher. |
| A．Low rainfall. | B．Soil pollution. | C．Cold weather. | D．Forest damage. |
| A．To create job opportunities for young people. |
| B．To help the children obtain a basic education. |
| C．To persuade the farmers not to use fertilizers. |
| D．To promote the protection of their farmland. |
| A．Saving Water in Tunisia | B．Holding back the Sahara |
| C．Planting Trees of Native Species | D．Fighting Poverty in North Africa |
9 . Many people in the UK have poor mathematical skills. Dr.Richard Pike, a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said that mathematics questions in entrance tests to British universities were much too simple.
About two thirds of British universities now offer special courses in mathematics to new students. The courses are necessary because new students do not know enough mathematics when they leave high school. A university teacher said that there was a serious risk that there would not be enough scientists and engineers coming out of British universities in the future.
New university students are bad at mathematics. So are a lot of other people in Britain. A survey found that 7 million people in England were bad at mathematics. It is necessary to help people improve their math skills, which are important in lots of ways.
One problem is that many students do not want to study math because they think it is a difficult subject. They want to have high grades in their A levels. High A level grades are necessary in order to go to university. This is one reason why students do not choose to study mathematics at A level. Sometimes schools also prefer students to study easier subjects instead of mathematics. A school will have a better reputation if more students pass A level exams.
Another problem is that some educated people think mathematics is not important. They think it is not a creative subject. This way of thinking is very dangerous. When people do not understand mathematics, they are not able to make proper judgments about important questions. Nowadays, a lot of people use the Internet to find the answers to scientific questions. But they don’t understand science. They cannot judge the value of the information which they find. People will become very ignorant if they don’t study mathematics and science.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Mathematics problems in the UK. | B．Simple exams for British students. |
| C．Unscientific course structure in the UK. | D．Problems for British high school students. |
| A．students hope to learn more about mathematic skills |
| B．students’ parents want them to continue math study |
| C．students do not learn enough mathematics in high school |
| D．students are expected to become scientists or engineers |
| A．students think mathematics is not important |
| B．schools ask all students to pass A level exams |
| C．schools encourage students to study mathematics |
| D．students are afraid to study mathematics at A level |
| A．They can’t make any achievements in some creative work. |
| B．They can’t make correct decisions on some important issues. |
| C．They can properly use the Internet to look for information. |
| D．They can gain the respect of students who are bad at math. |
10 . The most important determining factor of success or failure—at work and in life—is self-awareness, the ability to understand who we are, how others see us, and how we fit into the world.
For millions of years, the ancestors of humans evolved painfully slowly. However, about 150,000 years ago there was an explosive development in the human brain where, among other things, we gained the ability to examine our own thoughts, feelings and behaviors, as well as to see things from another’s point of view. Not only did this transformation create the foundation for art, spiritual practices and language, but it came with a survival advantage for our ancestors, who had to work together in order to survive.
Though we may not face the same day-to-day threats to our existence, self-awareness is no less critical. There is strong scientific evidence that people who know themselves and how others see them are happier. They are smarter, superior students. They raise more mature children. They also tend to be more creative, confident and less aggressive.
But for most people it is easier to choose self-delusion (自我欺骗) rather than the cold hard truth. Our increasingly “me” focused society makes it easier to fall into this trap. Recent generations have grown up in a World obsessed with self-esteem (自负), constantly being reminded of their special qualities. Not only are our assessments often flawed (有缺陷), but we are usually terrible judges of our own performance and abilities—from leadership skills to achievements at school and work. What’s scary is that the least competent people are usually the most confident in their abilities.
How can we avoid this fate? We must work on two specific types of insight. Internal self-awareness is an inward understanding of our passions and aspirations, strengths and weaknesses and so on. And external self-awareness, knowing how others see you, means understanding yourself from the outside in.
For those looking to gain true insight, remember that other people often see us more objectively than we see ourselves and that self-examination can have hidden trap that make insight actually impossible.
1. The first three paragraphs mainly talk about _______.| A．the significance of self-awareness in human survival and advancement |
| B．the sharp contrast between self-awareness of today and the past |
| C．the necessity of a shift in self-awareness to satisfy the needs today |
| D．the intelligence gap between modern men and their ancestors |
| A．People’s performance and abilities are overlooked. |
| B．Competent people tend to be unconfident of their leadership skills. |
| C．It’s difficult to obtain an objective assessment of ourselves. |
| D．Modern people fail to bring their special qualities into full play. |
| A．You listen to the comments about you from others. |
| B．You are fully aware of your strengths and weaknesses. |
| C．You reflect your behaviors thoroughly every day. |
| D．You carefully compare your behavior with that of others. |
| A．develop true insight to judge people more objectively | B．try to avoid the trap set by others |
| C．gain more insight by means of self-examination | D．pay more attention to external self-awareness |
