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| D．It was published in 1960 and is out of date now.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. |
2 . It is commonly believed that all over the world, boys and girls attend a mixed school, where they study together. But boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Always boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to correspond to(和…相符) the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".
Surprisingly, the findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
George Carl, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when girls do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern genre (类型) in which violence and sexism are major themes," James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel that they had to be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools, boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means," the study reported.
1. The writer argues that a single-sex school would ________.| A．force boys to hide their emotions to be "real men". |
| B．help boys to be more competitive in schools. |
| C．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
| D．naturally strengthen boys’ traditional image of a man |
| A．perform relatively better. | B．behave more responsibly. |
| C．grow up more healthily. | D．receive a better education. |
| A．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| B．teaching can be adjusted to suiting the characteristics of boys |
| C．boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted |
| D．teaching can be designed to promote boys' team spirit |
| A．lovely | B．sharp |
| C．serious | D．dull |
3 . 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
5 . 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? |
6 . In the United States，many teachers keep fish，hamsters(仓鼠)，and other animals in their classrooms.Teachers say students learn important lessons from the animals.More than 70 percent of teachers who have classroom pets say the animals help students learn responsibility.Research also shows that classroom pets can reduce stress.
“Pets can comfort kids who are having a bad day,”says Lisa Robbins，who works fora group called Pets in the Classroom.
But others think pets should be expelled from classrooms. In January，the Durango School District in Colorado began following a no-pet policy(政策).Now animals can be brought into Durango schools for certain lessons，but they can't stay.Officials were worried that animals might create problems for kids with allergies(过敏症).They were also concerned about the animals getting proper care.
Here's what two of our readers think.
Having classroom pets gives students a fun way to learn about animals. In my class last year，we had a class pet named Elliot.Our teacher also used him to teach us about different subjects.For example，in math，we calculated (计算)how much it costs to feed Elliot for a year.
Pets also help kids learn how to work as a team. My classmates and I took turns feeding Elliot and cleaning his tank,
If teachers are worried about students with allergies，they could get pets that don't have fur.
—D' Lasia Mays，Texas
Classroom pets can take away valuable class time.Some students might have a hard time focusing on the teacher when there are animals in the room.
Plus，having a classroom pet can cause safety problems. You never know how an animal will react to students.Even a cute little hamster might hurt a kid who sticks his or her hand in its cage.
—Patrick McKinney，Ohio
1. What does the underlined word " expelled”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Allowed. | B．Removed. |
| C．Protected. | D．Educated. |
| A．Classroom pets are not allowed at schools. |
| B．Animals are not allowed at schools. |
| C．Many teachers have pets without fur. |
| D．Many students are allergic to animals. |
| A．He needs special training. | B．He needs more proper care. |
| C．He has educational value for kids. | D．He is not only lovely but very smart. |
| A．The author. | B．Lisa Robbins. |
| C．Patrick McKinney. | D．D' Lasia Mays’ teacher. |
7 . There is a change of attitude toward the pink and blue divide in toys. Target, the second—largestdiscount retailer(折扣零售店)in the US, announced in 2015 that it would get rid of signs labeling(标记) toys for boys or for girls. A UK campaign called Let Toys Be Toys seeks to get retailers to stop dividing toys and books for one gender(性别)only.
Researchers have worried about the effect of having toys that were sosegregated(分开的) by gender for sometime, says Lisa Dinella, associate professor at Monmouth University.
Clearly divided pink and blue toys—with dolls and tea sets on one side and trucks and building blocks on the other—are actually a pretty recent development. As recently as the 1970s, toys sold in the US were not always marketed with clear gender distinctions. By the 1980s and 1990s, however, toys started to become more gender segregated, though it was still not so sharply divided as today, says Elizabeth Sweet, a lecturer in sociology at the university of California, Davis.
While it may seem like a small issue, toys help children to develop new skills, says Dinella. Dolls and pretend kitchens are good at teaching kids early language skills. Building blocks like Lego and puzzles teach skills related to space, which help set the groundwork for learning math. “Both genders lose out if we put kids on one track and they can't explore” says Dinella.
Some parents try to introduce other types of toys and get away from the strictly pink and blue divide. But it's difficult for parents to ignore the marketing and get their kids toys or costumes meant for the other gender, says Dinella. While some parents try to broaden the toys their children are ex—posed to, there is often a social cost to the child for crossing gender boundaries. “So it is hard for parents to throw out the rules,” she says.
Researchers hope that one day, toys will stop being broken up by gender and will instead be categorized by type, like puzzle toys, dolls or children's bikes. Toy choices, Sweet says, should be based on kids’ personal interests, and not on their gender.
1. What trend is described in the first paragraph?| A．Offering different toys to boys and girls. |
| B．Giving kids more time to play with toys. |
| C．Making more colorful toys for kids. |
| D．Ending the gender divide in toys. |
| A．Helping them develop in a quite normal way. |
| B．Making them better communicate with others. |
| C．Urging them to master more knowledge and skills. |
| D．Causing them to miss many opportunities to learn. |
| A．Buying kids toys at relatively low prices. |
| B．Buying kids toys aimed at the other gender. |
| C．Buying kids new types of toys. |
| D．Buying kids high— quality toys. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Curious. |
8 . Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn't mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or another, you'll have to stand up and say—problems, I don't want you in my life.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.
Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help.
Write your problems.
Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don't lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family…you should still have faith.
Your problems aren't the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there are another one million people whose problems are huger than yours.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.
| A．Of course, we've been fighting troubles ever since we were born. |
| B．When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it？ |
| C．Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with. |
| D．But the truth is that when you talk about it, you're setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you. |
| E．We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack. |
| F．Tell yourself：when they can deal with them, why can't I？ |
| G．With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose. |
China plans to revive tourism sector as premier lauds street stalls. The central government of China on Thursday called
In the meeting
“The vitality of the city has returned,” said a resident in Chengdu’s Longquanyi District, who
Despite “general stable epidemic conditions,” officials noted
10 . A growing number of Chinese online users are willing to idle their time away (消磨时间), watching live 24-hour internet broadcasts. These vary in content from how iconic pandas live in their natural habitats to how a hospital is constructed.
More than 90 percent of Chinese netizens said they had aimlessly viewed such livestreaming(直播) videos and 87.8 percent of them said they like the slower-paced broadcasts as it gives them a psychological break from their stressful and busy routines, according to a survey released by China Youth Daily.
Among the 2,005 interviewees, the post-1980’s generation accounted for 43.9 percent, followed by the post-1990’s generation (38.6 percent) and the post-1970’s generation at 9.1 percent.
“It is a source of pleasure and comfort to aimlessly watch slow, relaxing content on livestream,” Fang Lu, a college student from Shanghai, was quoted as saying, recollecting her experience of watching a vlogger practice Chinese calligraphy with soothing background music.
Liu Chen, an employee from Beijing, is another livestream watcher. She recently viewed live online broadcasts showing a Chinese survey team reach the summit of Mount Qomolangma on a mission to remeasure the height of the world’s highest peak.
“Reaching the summit of Mount Qomolangma is a dream that many people have aspired to for a long time but have had no opportunity to realize,” said Liu. “Without post-editing, the original live broadcast, which truly represents the scene, has the audience fully absorbed in its reality.”
1. Why does the author mention watching broadcasts in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce watching broadcasts. |
| B．To explain what they are. |
| C．To stress the importance of watching broadcasts. |
| D．To encourage netizens to share broadcasts. |
| A．Because they can have a rest while watching. |
| B．Because they are aimless. |
| C．Because they like the slower-paced broadcasts. |
| D．Because they are not stressful or busy. |
| A．It is uncomfortable. |
| B．It is with background music. |
| C．It is time-consuming. |
| D．It can help realize the dream that cannot come ture in reality. |
| A．Livestreaming new source of leisure among Chinese |
| B．Broadcasting the news |
| C．Realizing your dream |
| D．Idling your time away |
