1 . A new study suggests that science role-playing may help tighten the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math(STEM)education and careers for women simply by improving their identity as scientists.
Frustrated by the gender gap in STEM, in which some fields employ at least three times more men than women, Cornell graduate student Reut Shachnai wanted to do something about it. Reut said the idea to help foster young girls’ interest in science came to her during a lecture in a class she was taking on Psychology of Imagination.
Reut designed an experiment to test if assuming the role of a successful scientist would improve girls’ persistence in a “sink or float” science game. The game itself was simple yet challenging: a computer screen projected a slide with an object in the center above a pool of water. Kids then had to predict whether the object would sink or float.
She studied 240 four -to -seven -year -olds, because this is around the time kids first develop their sense of identity and capabilities. They were divided into two groups. Children in the “story” group learned about the successes and struggles of a gender -matched scientist before playing the game. Boys heard about Isaac Newton and girls were told about Marie Curie. Children in the “pretend” group were told to assume the identity of the scientist they just learned about.
All kids played at least one round of the game. No matter what group they were in, girls got the answers right just as often as boys -nearly 70% of the time. Boys, however, didn’t really benefit from the stories or make-believe. Besides, girls pretending to be Dr. Marie persisted twice as long at the sink-or-float game, playing just as much as the boys did.
Reut’s teacher Tamar Kushnir said, “Rather than merely hearing about role models, children may benefit from actively performing the type of actions they see role models perform. In other words, taking a few steps in the role model’s shoes, instead of merely observing her walk.”
1. Why did Reut design a “sink or float” science game?| A．To handle the gender gap in STEM. | B．To attach importance to STEM. |
| C．To draw kids’ attention to STEM. | D．To compare boys’ and girls’ persistence. |
| A．Kids enjoyed listening to scientists’ stories. | B．Boys avoided playing make-believe games. |
| C．Girls performed as well as boys in science. | D．Children followed Dr. Marie to explore science. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Negative. |
| A．Girls should get recognition like boys | B．A fine example has boundless power for kids |
| C．Girls can work on more science games | D．Make-believe exercises benefit girls in STEM |
2 . In 1909, Forster published a science fiction short story, The Machine Stops, in which a future civilization falls apart because its technology — much of which sounds a lot like the internet — collapses. Last Friday, after Storm Eunice caused the biggest national power cut on record to more than 55,000 homes across southern and eastern England and South Wales, people begin to think Forster’s imagined machine was really stopping.
It’s not unreasonable to think that Forster’s machine is seizing up when your gas heating doesn’t work because the pump is electric, when you have to go for a drive to charge the mobile phone, when everything in the freezer is going off, when you can’t get on the internet because the WiFi needs mains power, and much of your home technology — from smart doorbells to smart speakers — doesn’t work because, even if it has battery back-up, it still needs Wi-Fi. Millions of landlines will stop working by 2025 because they will use the internet, requiring a broadband connection.
The death of the landline will spell the moment when we are finally full hostages to the electricity supply. As hundreds of thousands of households across northern England lost power because of Storm Arwen last December, people in remote areas without mobile reception were left unable to call for help, as their landlines were phased out in favour of broadband-enabled phones reliant on electricity.
What are we to do to keep our homes working when electricity can no longer be relied on? People have taken to firing up wood burners to keep warm. Those with oil-fired kitchen ranges for cooking,heating and hot water,have been feeling particularly grateful for that reliable appliance.
“A more radical solution is house batteries. However,for society as a whole,it is less likely to be put into action because home batteries are not a neat and wonderfully clean solution”,says Dr Constable,“Lithium-ion batteries are dangerous. They cause fires. That’s why airlines are cautious about them and why you can’t take those little electric scooters on the London.”
1. Why did people begin to believe Forster’s imagination?| A．A smart home was not reliable at all. | B．They saw the biggest national disaster. |
| C．Forster gave a solution to their trouble. | D．What Forster described became a reality. |
| A．By analysing the troubles. | B．By listing a lot of facts. |
| C．By sharing an expert’s idea. | D．By recommending a fiction. |
| A．Substitutes ought to be prepared before they are needed. |
| B．The smarter technology is, the less we need to worry about. |
| C．The more technology we rely on, the more powerless we may be. |
| D．Home batteries are a wonderful choice when there is no electricity. |
| A．Being Left Hostages to Electricity | B．Time to Look for New Energy |
| C．Days at Home without Electricity | D．Collapsing of Future Civilization |
3 . A state in Australia is fixing cameras as part of an effort to reduce the number of people using wireless devices (设备) while they drive. Road safety experts are worried about the growing number of accidents because of drivers using smartphones on the state’s roads. They say drivers who use phones while driving greatly increase their chances of causing an accident.
The units use AI to set aside drivers who are not touching their phones. Human beings then make sure if the pictures show illegal behavior before a notice is sent to the vehicle’s owner. A violation (违反) carries a fine of $232. Some cameras will be set up on roadsides forever. Others will be moved, from time to time, around the state.
Two fixed cameras took photos of 8. 5 million vehicles as part of a six-month test earlier this year. The cameras took photos of more than 100, 000 drivers with their hands on phones. One driver was using a phone and an Apple iPad at the same time. Another driver had a passenger guide the vehicle while they both held phones.
Not everyone agrees with the new program. Peter Khoury is a member of Australia’s National Rosds and Motorists’ Association. He accused (谴责) the government of using secret methods to cut down on phone that does not follow the law. The association supports stricter action against drivers who pay too much attention to their phones. However, the association wants the government to set up signs warning drivers that phone cameras are operating in an area.
Government modeling found that the phone cameras could prevent 100 deaths and serious injuries over five years.
Drivers are allowed to use phones in hands-free carriers and through wireless connections (连接). But it does not follow the law to touch a phone while driving except to pass it to a passenger. Drivers who are sitting at red lights or stopped in heavy traffic should also follow the new law.
1. Why is the Australian state setting up cameras on the roads?| A．To protect drivers. |
| B．To warn drivers of traffic jams. |
| C．To encourage the use of phones. |
| D．To reduce traffic accidents. |
| A．Drivers holding a phone. |
| B．Drivers touching their nose. |
| C．Passengers talking with the driver. |
| D．Passengers using two devices at the same time. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Against. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Use a passenger’s phone. | B．Touch the phone at red lights. |
| C．Ask passengers to answer the phone. | D．Make a phone call while trapped in traffic. |
4 . Chimney swift (烟囱雨燕) numbers have fallen by more than 70 percent since the 1960s, scientists believe, and by more than one-third over the past 16 years. That large drop have made the International Union for the Conversation of Nature regard chimney swifts as“vulnerable(脆弱的)”. That is the last step before they are considered “endangered”.
Chimney swift numbers are becoming smaller as the shape and design of the nation’s buildings change. People are tearing down old factory buildings and schools. Many of these buildings have chimneys. Today, most American homes do not have chimneys. And many homeowners who do have chimneys cover up the top to keep out.
People across the United States are putting up tall, narrow buildings to help chimney swifts. They hope they will use these buildings as nesting areas and resting places.
Bird lovers, Georgean and Paul Kyle, are often praised for starting the present interest in building towers. “It does give us hope that if we put them up, they will use them,” the Kyles said. They have put up more than 100 towers in Central Texas. Eighty percent of those buildings before the birds’ March arrival get nests in their first year. Hundreds of migrating swifts make use of the towers.
But the link between the drop in chimney swift numbers and chimney loss is not clear. The flying insects that swifts eat also appear to be dropping.
Professor Rubega thinks the cause of the birds’ drop could be in South America. “Chimney swifts are basically a South American bird that stays in North America for four months, ” she said. Rubega said a big problem is that scientists have only a few reports of small numbers of chimney swifts in the upper Amazon Basin. So, they do not really know where the little birds spend the winter, let alone what may be happening to them there.
1. Where are chimney swifts used to living?| A．In rooms with humans. | B．In useless old buildings. |
| C．In the woods near villages. | D．In chimneys of buildings. |
| A．Give them much food. | B．Build homes for them. |
| C．Add chimneys to new houses. | D．Open chimneys for them to get in. |
| A．Chimney swifts suffer a lot in South America. |
| B．It’s necessary to build homes for chimney swifts. |
| C．Scientists know only a little about chimney swifts. |
| D．Chimney loss has nothing to do with the birds. |
| A．Chimney Swifts Numbers Are Dropping |
| B．Chimney Swifts Will Change Their Lifestyle |
| C．Chimney Swifts Prefer Their New Homes |
| D．Chimney Swifts Live in Peace with Humans |
5 . A new study has found that the number of young Americans who watch online videos each day has more than doubled in the past four years. The findings were based on a survey of about 1,700 young people aged 8 to 18.
Fifty-six percent of 8 to 12-year-olds taking part in the survey said they watched online videos each day. That rate (比率) jumped to 69 percent for 13 to 18-year-olds. A 2015 survey by Common Sense Media found the rate was 24 percent for 8 to 12-year-olds and 34 percent for 13 to 18-year-olds.
The survey found that overall screen time for young Americans did not change much over the past four years. On average, preteens spent just under five hours of screen time on devices (设备) each day. Teens had about seven and a half hours of screen time. The numbers did not include time young people spent doing homework, reading books or listening to music.
The findings suggest a continuing change by young people to move away from traditional television to streaming video services on their phones and other personal devices.
In answer to the survey, YouTube said the company is rethinking the way it deals with children and families. A spokesman for YouTube, Farshad Shadloo, repeated the company’s terms of use on age: "YouTube is not a site for people under 13. The company said YouTube Kids and its restriction tools are designed to limit (限制) site usage for preteens. But experts say it is easy for many children to get to the videos they want to watch, whether on YouTube or another streaming service.
Sarah Domoff is a professor at Central Michigan University who studies the effects of technology on youth and families. She told the AP that parents often do not have the time or skills to limit what their children are watching effectively.
1. What are the rates in paragraph 2 about?| A．Ages of different kids. | B．Screen time kids spend. |
| C．Kids taking part in the survey. | D．Kids watching online videos. |
| A．It has increased fast. | B．It has dropped sharply. |
| C．It remains almost the same. | D．It continues to change quickly. |
| A．Useless. | B．Wise. | C．Effective. | D．Unfair. |
| A．More and More Kids Do Their Homework on Devices |
| B．American Kids Are Spending Too Much on Online Videos |
| C．Parents Are Worrying About Children’s Use of the Internet |
| D．Number of Kids Watching Online Videos Doubled in 4 Years |
6 . Kids are three times more likely to choose to be Internet celebrities (名人) than astronauts, a survey found recently. Many are already on their way - more and more children are now making and sharing videos on social media.
Meanwhile, education experts worry that going after Internet fame won’t be good for children in the long run. Their biggest concern is that kids don’t know how being on the Internet today might affect them in the future. The parts of the brain that people use to make decisions don’t fully mature until around age 25, so children cannot imagine how their future might be affected by what they share now.
What’s worse, some parents, who are crazy about becoming famous on their own, can’t watch out for the best interests of their own children. A young mother, Michelle Hobson, was accused of starving and kicking her children when they didn’t do what she wished for in the videos. She was charged with child abuse and ordered to distance herself from kids.
Keeping famous on the Internet takes much time and patience, too. It can distract students away from homework, sports and other activities. For example, one of the superstars, 14-year-old Emma Garza, dropped out of school to become a Vlogger (video blogger). She said that making videos was so tough that she couldn’t make time for study and even suffered back pain and weakening eyesight.
Although we don’t yet know the effects on a child’s development by constantly performing to entertain others, we can easily imagine that the effort to attract viewers will be less helpful to a kid, compared with spending that time reading a book. For a kid today, becoming an Internet superstar might not only be more popular than being an astronaut. It might also be more dangerous.
1. What problem is discussed in Paragraph 1?| A．Internet affects kids’ growth. | B．Young kids seek Internet fame. |
| C．Social media mislead children. | D．Children watch too many videos. |
| A．Security. | B．Family. | C．Study. | D．Future. |
| A．To highlight her success. | B．To introduce a new career. |
| C．To show the impact on students. | D．To encourage kids to be Vloggers. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Doubtful. | C．Beneficial. | D．Negative. |
A court case (官司) over a photo has finally come to an end. Many find the case interesting because a monkey took the photo. It was a selfie (自拍). The dispute is over who has the rights to the photo: the monkey or the owner of the camera.
In 2011, a photographer was on an island in Indonesia. He was taking pictures of wildlife. A monkey pressed the button on the camera. The monkey’s name is Naruto. In the picture, the monkey looks as if he is smiling.
After that the photo went viral on the Internet. The photographer was able to earn a lot of money from the photo. But an animal rights group says that the monkey should have the rights to the photo. There was a long legal battle. Finally, an agreement was reached; the photographer will donate a part of the money he has earned to wildlife protection.
American Classic Banned in Mississippi November 3, 2017
If you have attended an American high school, then you have probably read To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel has long been a favorite among high school literature teachers. It is the story of a young girl growing up in rural Alabama in the 1930s. The story deals with the issue of racism.
Well, now a school district in Mississippi wants to remove the book from their reading list. The reason: some parents say it “makes people feel uncomfortable.” They do not want their children to read the book.
Harper Lee released the book in 1960. Lee’s novel became a bestseller and won the Pulitzer Prize. The book is on most lists of the best American novels of all time. So not only is it an important story of how bad racism was in America, but most critics think it was a great story too. That is why children should read it.
1. What is the court case about?| A．The photographer and an animal rights group fought over the ownership of the photo. |
| B．The monkey wanted to get back the right to the photo. |
| C．The monkey and the owner of the camera had a dispute over the photo. |
| D．An animal group and the photographer had a long legal battle over the monkey. |
| A．The photo carried a computer virus through the Internet. |
| B．The photo spread very quickly all over the Internet. |
| C．The photo was made by means of virtual reality. |
| D．The photo brought deadly virus to people who touched it. |
| A．Some parents have no interest in literature. |
| B．The book deals with the issue of racism. |
| C．Some literature teachers don’t like it. |
| D．It was published in 1960 and is out of date now. |
| A．Critical. | B．Disapproving. | C．Positive. | D．Negative. |
8 . After a long day of taking your children around by their hand or in a pushchair, we don’t blame you if you’ve ever thought about keeping them on a leash (栓狗的皮带). You’re not alone , and it’s not a sign that you’re a bad parent.
Daddy blogger Clint Edwards spoke out about the prejudice (偏见) against child leashes by explaining why he put his young daughter on a leash during a recent trip to a farmer’s market. What he said on the Internet immediately received both praise and blame from readers.
“She’s a wild child and this thing has already kept her out of the road and from sticking her hand in an ice-cream machine,” Edwards wrote on his blog. “Sure, I get dirty looks from strangers. But I’m going to do whatever I can to keep her out of danger, even if it means a leash.”
“Parents of truly active and spirited children just get it, no explanation needed,” wrote one reader. Another said, “I used to be pretty judgemental about those things. Then I had kids. Keep on keeping on, man.”
According to the Scary Mommy blog, parents don’t depend on child leashes because of laziness or carelessness. In fact, the real reason behind leashes is one of the things every parent of young children wants you to know. “It’s easy for people to forget that parents aren’t just walking around with their kids all day long – sometimes they actually have to get things done,” Maria Guido wrote. “Sometimes food and other goods have to be bought, a letter has to be mailed, and general life things have to be done at a certain time. Imagine that!”
So the next time you feel sorry for putting your child on a leash, remember that it’s for their safety… and your peace of mind.
1. What does the author mean by saying “You’re not alone” in paragraph 1?| A．Your children are always with you. |
| B．You’re supported by many other parents. |
| C．The author also takes his/her children around. |
| D．Many parents also keep their children on a leash. |
| A．To help his daughter practice walking. |
| B．To make sure of his daughter’s safety. |
| C．To keep his daughter from getting dirty. |
| D．To completely take control of his daughter. |
| A．lively children are difficult to control |
| B．parents with babies care about the problem |
| C．some people understand why Edwards does that |
| D．there is no need to explain why parents use leashes |
| A．Angry. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Interested | D．Surprised. |
Using social media too much and posting many selfies （自拍照)have caused a rise in narcissism，according
Professor Phil Reed，from the Department of Psychology at Swansea University，said:“There have been
10 . I've discovered the joy of a new thing. Online grocery shopping. But I actually enjoy going to the supermarket.
Seems I'm not the only one，only about 3% of people do grocery shopping online，compared with around 30 % who shop for clothes and electronics. I was interested，so I decided to do my own very unscientific research.
Step one: I talked to a small group of friends about their preferences.One mother described it as the happiest thing in her week when she was stuck at home with two small kids and handsome young men would arrive at the door bearing groceries.Seems busy mums are very much in favour of home deliveries(送货).
Step two: sign up and try it myself. My choice was Aussie-owned Countdown.
I managed to do the whole shop in about 15 minutes. The only problem is that you have to place an order of at least $ 50 and pay the seemingly standard $ 15 delivery fee. But given the cost of groceries，who has ever left a supermarket spending less than $ 50? l was impressed Countdown offered same-day delivery on a Sunday when I placed my order at 9:30 am.
Sure enough，at about 2:30 pm，I got a phone call from a delightful courier chap（快递员)called Ian，who told me he was at my house with the groceries and was leaving them on the back deck. Two minutes later he called again saying he'd left the groceries in the house because we'd left the backdoor wide open.He even offered to lock the house up and put the key some where safe.
I have a real fear that we will more and more quickly move to online shopping for everything and shops will become something of the past.
As a teenager，hanging around the shops on a Saturday with friends is what we did.So even though I enjoy the experience of online grocery shopping，perhaps I'll just stick with my regular trips to my local New World to keep real shops alive a bit longer.
1. What did the mother mentioned in Paragraph 3 think of online grocery shopping?| A．She loved it. | B．She was against it. |
| C．She would give it a try. | D．She had no interest in it. |
| A．Its high quality groceries. | B．Its low delivery fees. |
| C．Its good service. | D．Its low prices. |
| A．She finds it much easier. | B．She can save more money |
| C．She has a fond feeling for it. | D．She had a bad online shopping experience. |
| A．Is Online Shopping Popular? | B．The Joy of Grocery Shopping |
| C．The Future of Online Shopping | D．Is Supermarket Shopping Dying? |
