1 . Nowadays, children spend less time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV — they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.
But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to swap (交换) at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building dens (洞穴), climbing trees and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.
Children often need a helping hand from mum and dad. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go.”
So despite the complicated (复杂的) world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine (常规), freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted (认为理所当然).”
This might sound a bit old-fashioned to you or maybe, like me, it’s made you think about sticking on your boots, getting outdoors and reliving your childhood. There’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!
1. What makes children lose touch with nature?| A．Playing hide and seek. | B．Going on adventures in parks. |
| C．Building dens frequently. | D．Being addicted to a screen. |
| A．Teachers. | B．Parents. | C．Children. | D．Experts. |
| A．What modern children need is spiritual satisfaction. |
| B．Children always take it for granted to play outside. |
| C．Children need more time to get close to nature. |
| D．Parents should make larger rooms for kids to study. |
More young people are trying their hand at farming the soil. Guo Lan, 29, works in a vegetable greenhouse on his organic farm
“Growing tasty and healthy food
3 . For most of history, people lived in small groups of up to 150 people. Then villages and small towns developed, offering safety and support through the sharing of resources. As time passed, urban living brought additional advantages such as better jobs, schools and healthcare. Larger towns also gave people more chances to meet and interact. This is important.
Today, over half of the world’s population currently lives in towns and cities. But this has resulted in a strange paradox (悖论). Although social opportunities are one reason people choose to live in large cities, research suggests that city life can be lonely.
The development of virtual communities can be traced back to the 1860s. Back then, telegraph operators exchanged messages and gradually formed friendships over long distances.
These days, there are thousands of virtual communities and that number keeps growing. Many people believe they will become more important.
| A．This trend, however, is not likely to continue. |
| B．As Aristotle said, the nature of humans is to be social. |
| C．That may explain why virtual communities are so popular. |
| D．The first popular online communities developed in the 1980s. |
| E．Before cell phones existed, radio was an easy way to communicate. |
| F．Nevertheless, others worry about problems with these communities. |
| G．This is among the earliest examples of virtual community interactions. |
| A．power B．days C．unique D．connected E．young F．priority G．effectively H．exposed I．monitor J．settings K．suffer |
Raising a teenager today can be a challenging job. Long gone are the innocent
Today’s teens spend an average of 7.5 hours a day
However, protections such as parental control
One of the best of these new services is TeenSafe.com. It’s an online service that allow parents to
The creation of slang is one way languages change. Slang, or informal language, usually changes more rapidly than standard language. For example, the word groovy, meaning “great,” used to be very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. But by 1980, people had stopped using it.
One important reason we use slang is to show others that we belong to a group. Another is to communicate an idea in a more colorful or humorous way. For example, the phrase jump ship creates a stronger image than the more standard leave an organization. While in the Internet age, slang expressions are created faster than ever. Often, Internet slang words are created to make messages faster and easier to type.
Some people are strongly against the use of slang. Teachers at Harris Academy were worried that slang would prevent their students from learning how to read, write, and express themselves correctly. They thought this might cause problems for them when they finally went on to apply to universities or companies.
However, some people think differently. Linguist (语言学家) Tony Thorne sees slang as a way for speakers of a language to show their creativity and humor. And, unlike what some believe, slang is not a new phenomenon. As Thorne explains, “Slang has not become more popular, simply more public.” In today’s highly connected world, slang has become more noticeable because of better tools to observe language change.
Perhaps the worries mentioned above can be solved by making people understand when to use certain forms of language. As long as people use slang correctly, there is no need to completely avoid it.
1. Why did the author mention the example of “groovy”?| A．To show why languages change. | B．To show slang often changes fast. |
| C．To show the popularity of slang. | D．To show how standard language forms. |
| A．Why people use slang. | B．How people use slang. |
| C．Different types of slang. | D．The development of slang. |
| A．Slang takes time to develop. |
| B．Slang is being accepted by the public. |
| C．Slang is increasingly known to the public. |
| D．More and more people are beginning to use slang. |
| A．He disagrees with it. | B．He supports it. |
| C．He is confused about it. | D．He is uncertain about it. |
6 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What’s the problem? It’s possible that along with the rapid development of society, we all focus on our phone and desktop, and therefore it results in our compromised conversational intelligence. However, it’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for small conversation. “Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication,” says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,” he explains. “The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.
1. What does the underlined word “compromised” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Weakened. | B．Enhanced. | C．Secret. | D．Natural. |
| A．Showing good manners. | B．Relating to other people. |
| C．Focusing on a topic. | D．Making business deals. |
| A．It made the coffee taste better. | B．It reduced waiting time in line. |
| C．It improved people’s mood and experience. | D．It helped them bond with the server deeply. |
| A．Elevator manners. | B．The importance of small talk. |
| C．Smartphones and social media. | D．Developing deep relationships. |
7 . A new study shows that female academics are significantly underrepresented in winning academic prizes and having awards named after them. Analysis of nearly 9,000 awardees and 346 scientific prizes and medals published in Nature Human Behaviour has found that men win eight prizes for every one won by a woman if the award is named after a man. These awards represent almost two-thirds of all scientific prizes. Female academics are, however, more likely to win awards that have been named after other notable female scientists, with 47% of those awards going to women and 53% to men.
Dr Katja Gehmlich, Associate Professor in the Institute of Cardiovascular Science at the University of Birmingham and joint lead author of the study, said, “The gender gap between awardees in scientific prizes is sadly a product of a long, systematic issue of poor representation of women in sciences. Despite decades of efforts to rebalance this issue, our study shows that women are still poorly recognized for their scientific contributions, and men are far more likely to win prizes and awards, in particular, if those awards are named after other men.
“It seems particularly shocking to me that awards named after women still see more than half of prizes going to men. We further propose a list of actions to address and overcome these issues but are aware this will be a long process. The Nominate Her movement is one way that the scientific community can begin to address this,” said Dr Gehmlich.
Prof Stefan Krause from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham and joint lead author of the study said, “Our data is indicative of much wider issues of gender inequality within sciences. Our current publication is an initial attempt to understand the causes of such striking gender inequality and to promote discussion on the subject within our scientific communities.”
“Research culture has a lot to do to improve the gender prize gap, as well as efforts to address the inequality that sees almost two-thirds of prizes currently named after men. More pathways may also be needed, such as renaming or getting rid of gender names associated with some awards,” added Prof Krause.
1. How are awards named after female scientists distributed between genders?| A．Males are in the majority. |
| B．Females take up a bit more than half. |
| C．They are almost entirely awarded to females. |
| D．They are evenly distributed between males and females. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Establishing gender rates for awards. |
| B．Increasing the number of female judges. |
| C．Encouraging more women to enter scientific fields. |
| D．Renaming or removing gender names from awards. |
| A．Achievements of women in science |
| B．The role of men in the scientific world |
| C．Gender inequality in scientific awards |
| D．Future of gender equality in academia |
8 . You may have noticed a phenomenon among students today. Although there are exceptions, this generation is advanced intellectually, but behind emotionally. They are missing many of the marks of maturity they should have.
From an intellectual perspective, students today have been exposed to so much more than I was growing up —and far sooner. They’ve consumed information on everything before they graduate from middle school. Everything is coming at them sooner.
On the other hand, students have been delayed in their emotional growth. They seem to require more time to actually “grow up” and prepare for the responsibility that comes with adulthood. This is a result of many factors, including well-intentioned parents who always keep their eyes on their children, not allowing them to experience the pain of maturation.
There is another reason why teens struggle with maturation. Scientists are gaining new insights into remarkable changes in the brain that may explain why the teen years are so hard on young people and their parents. From ages 11-14, kids lose some of the connections between cells in the part of their brain that enables them to think clearly and make good decisions.
What happens is that the brain reshapes itself, going through changes that will allow a young person to move into adult life effectively. Teens experiencing these brain changes can react emotionally, according to Ian Campbell, an expert at the U. C. Davis Sleep Research Laboratory. Mood swings and uncooperative and irresponsible attitudes can all be the result of these changes. Sometimes, students can’t explain why they feel the way they do. Their brain is changing from a child brain to an adult brain.
Regions that specialize in language, for example, grow rapidly until about age 13 and then stop. The part of the brain responsible for high-level reasoning and decision-making aren’t fully mature until the early 20s, according to Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, a neuroscientist at Harvard’s Brain Imaging Centre. There’s a period of time when the child part of the brain has been reshaped, but the adult part is not fully formed. They are “in-between” —informed but not prepared.
1. What causes the mismatch between teenagers’ intellectual and emotional maturity?| A．They don’t get enough information. | B．Their parents are too strict with them. |
| C．They have harder teen years than their parents. | D．Their certain brain regions aren’t fully mature. |
| A．They are very emotional. | B．They are weak in communication. |
| C．They behave like adults. | D．They have great reasoning ability. |
| A．Students know exactly why they have mood swings. |
| B．Emotional development causes changes in the brain. |
| C．The brain areas for different functions grow at different rates. |
| D．Parents are unaware of adolescents’ emotional changes. |
| A．Teens today experience a series of changes to become adults. |
| B．Teens now have slower maturity emotionally than intellectually. |
| C．Parents’ attitudes delay teenage emotional growth. |
| D．Scientists have found new evidence on teenager’s brain changes. |
9 . Park, a 30yearold Korean housewife, recently took a personality test to figure out who she is. “Just like many other people, I don’t exactly know who I am.” she told The Korea Times. “Sometimes I am curious what makes me feel good or bad. I’ve taken several different types of tests to know myself better and the MBTI is one that I tried recently.” In Korea, the MBTI personality test has become the newest trend, particularly among the millennial (千禧一代).
MBTI, which stands for MyersBriggs Type Indicator, is a personality test. People answer a questionnaire based on a personality theory. A Hankook survey taken last December found that over half of Koreans have taken the MBTI test. Nine out of every 10 people aged between 19 and 28 responded they took the test. Meanwhile, for those who had never been involved in the test, three quarters showed strong interest, indicating the personality type test has become a phenomenon for younger generations.
The MBTI craze among the younger generation, who are struggling with an uncertain future, reflects their desire for acceptance and comfort in knowing there are likeminded people out there. “The country has limited resources and geography, while its people feature a certain devotion and goaloriented (目标导向型的) characteristic.” said Lee Myungjin, a professor of sociology at Korea University. Consequently, they have grown eager on various personality indicators that provide them comfort.
As MBTI has gone viral among younger Koreans, businesses have begun to promote products using the personality test. But such MBTIbased marketing strategies have annoyed some younger people who don’t rely on the results of the test. However, experts agree that the popularity of the test also brings some positive implications. “I believe we’re in a transition period,” Kim Jaehyoung, a head researcher of the Korea MBTI institute said. “This trend could develop a social acceptance for psychological aid in the future.”
1. Why is the Korean housewife mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To give an example. | B．To provide the background. |
| C．To make a contrast. | D．To introduce the woman. |
| A．75% of them have taken the MBTI test while the rest have not. |
| B．They can secure a more definite future with the help of the test. |
| C．The trend reflects their inner desire to seek a sense of belonging. |
| D．The test serves as a handy approach for them to know more people. |
| A．The new trend brings about more harm than good. |
| B．Young Koreans should focus on their businesses. |
| C．Experts need to put efforts in adapting the test. |
| D．The test opens a window for mental guidance. |
| A．A social phenomenon. | B．A disturbing crisis. |
| C．A young generation | D．A commercial test. |
10 . Online, English has become a common language for users from around the world. In the process, the language itself is changing. There are now thought to be some 4.5 billion web pages worldwide. Some language experts predict that within 10 years English will occupy the Internet — but in forms will be very different to what we accept and recognize as English today.
That’s because people who speak English as a second language already outnumber native speakers. And increasingly, they use it to communicate with other non-native speakers, particularly on the Internet where less attention is paid to grammar and spelling and users don’t have to worry about their accent (口音).
Users of Facebook already socialize in a number of different “Englishes” including Indian English, Spanish English and Korean English. While these different styles have long existed within their cultures, they’re now expanding and coming online. Technology companies are introducing newly-developed English words with products aimed at enabling users to add words that are not in the English dictionary. And most large companies have English websites, while smaller businesses are learning that they need a common language — English — to reach global customers.
The increasing popularity of the Internet allows more languages to develop quickly.
“Most people actually speak several languages — it’s less common to only speak one,” says Mr. Munro. “English has taken its place as the world's common language, but it’s not pushing out other languages.” Instead, other languages are pushing their way into English, and in the process creating something new.
1. What does the text mainly talk about?| A．English is a common language around the world. |
| B．There are now many different language styles. |
| C．English is developing with the Internet. |
| D．Smaller businesses are learning a common language. |
| A．People need to spell exactly. |
| B．Grammar is not so important. |
| C．People need to pay attention to their accent. |
| D．Most English speakers are native speakers. |
| A．We can only communicate online in English. |
| B．It's impossible to find all the English words in the dictionary. |
| C．Some technology companies start to publish English dictionaries. |
| D．Smaller businesses are not allowed to have English websites. |
| A．The other languages are enriching English. |
| B．One can’t live well without speaking several languages. |
| C．English will become the only language in the world. |
| D．Chinese used to be the world's common language. |
