1 . As students return to school this fall, many of them— perhaps especially those from historically disadvantaged student groups will be starting the academic year with achievement levels lower than where they were at the beginning of summer break. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as summer learning loss. We review what is known about summer loss and offer suggestions for schools looking to solve the problem.
The recent studies on summer loss have been rather comprehensive. One study found that students, on average, lost between 25-30 percent of their school-year learning over the summer; additionally, black and Latino students tended to gain less over the school year and lose more over the summer compared to white students.
However, an analysis of the national study found little evidence of overall loss over the summers after grades K and 1, and the summer loss gaps widened in some subjects and grades but not others. Von Hippel and Hamrock re-analyzed two earlier data sets and concluded that gaps “do not necessarily. . . grow fastest over the summer”. Thus, it seems summer loss occurs, though not universally across geography, grade level or subject.
Schools want to address the issue of summer learning loss not only because it may widen achievement gaps, but also because it “wastes” so much of the knowledge students have gained during the school year. Summer loss also undoubtedly increases the amount of time teachers have to spend “re-teaching” last year’s content.
Traditionally, educators and policy makers have relied on conventional summer school programs to solve summer learning loss. Not surprisingly, research suggests that programs are more effective when students attend consistently and spend more time on task academically. Regardless of the design, these policies should offer engaging options for students over the summer so that summer learning programs do not feel like punishment for students who would rather be enjoying summer vacation. Doing so would set more students up for success as the school year gets underway.
1. What’s the author’s aim by writing Paragraph 1?| A．To raise a question. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To analyze the figures. | D．To illustrate an example. |
| A．Immigrant students experienced the most summer loss. |
| B．White students did not lose learning over the summer. |
| C．Summer learning loss after grades K and 1 was alarming. |
| D．Summer learning loss seemed to vary in grades and subjects. |
| A．It may narrow achievement gaps. |
| B．It may cause repetitive work for teachers. |
| C．It may stop students gaining more knowledge. |
| D．It may increase teachers’ new teaching content. |
| A．The conventional programs are ineffective. |
| B．Students should do all academic tasks. |
| C．More choices should be provided for students. |
| D．The programs are punishment for many student. |
2 . Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries, people have relied on their gut instincts (直觉) to figure out the answers to these life-changing questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming—and often surprising—evidence that algorithms (算法) can be much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out. They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in prison or be released; better than doctors at deciding whether a patient should undergo surgery; and better than school principals at deciding which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (星探) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can completely count on algorithms to make our lifestyle choices, though we might get to that point in the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to ours. And we can do that now.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．Big data is a double-edged sword. |
| B．Data revolution will change people’s life. |
| C．Big data is helpful in making important decisions. |
| D．Algorithms behaves better than people in many fields. |
| A．court rulings | B．job promotions |
| C．operative estimation | D．teaching practices |
| A．To provide further evidence. | B．To show potential applications. |
| C．To encourage the use of big data. | D．To explain how to use algorithms. |
| A．Algorithms offer perfect advice now. |
| B．Big data will certainly cause a revolution. |
| C．Big data can make up for our lack of experience. |
| D．Algorithms are bound to be fully trusted in the future. |
3 . The loud music that his neighbours keep playing is not easy to deal with, says Yoo Seung-joo, a 21-year-old who lives in a block of flats in Seoul. “I call the security guard to tell them to keep it down and that usually doesn’t work.”
Mr Yoo is not the only South Korean suffering from noisy neighbours. In a country where around two-thirds of people live in sound-carrying high-rise apartment blocks, “noise between floors” is such a well-established problem that there is a national centre devoted to dealing with it. The centre registers complaints and offers mediation (调节) through a range of committees to prevent lawsuits and perhaps even patch up neighbourly relations.
Resolving them is not easy, not least because large numbers of people seem to be driven mad by the mere existence of their neighbours. Nearly two-thirds of the complaints the centre received last year were related to children running or adults simply walking in the flat upstairs. Total silence being an unreasonable expectation, mediation often ends with people being told they have to put up with the noise, says a lawyer representing those who wish to take their complaints to court. Even if they win, compensation (赔偿) is small.
The government, which last mandated (规定) thicker floors in new buildings in 2013, is considering requiring them to be thicker still. But that will not help residents of older flats. With few options to settle matters, long-suffering apartment residents sometimes take them into their own hands. Kwon Seo-woon, who suspects her upstairs neighbours practise basketball and golf in their apartment, says hitting the ceiling has worked on occasion. Lee Sun, who is bothered by the noise of her neighbours’ children, says she is considering putting up a notice in the lift to shame them publicly.
Whether the number of noise complaints will fall is not certain, but it seems certain that there will always be a healthy market in South Korea for thick carpets and noise-cancelling headphones.
1. What does the underlined part “patch up” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Display. | B．Repair. | C．Control. | D．Damage. |
| A．Wise. | B．Courageous. | C．Irresponsible. | D．Useless. |
| A．By thickening the new buildings’ floors. | B．By publicly blaming those making noise. |
| C．By improving noise-cancelling technologies. | D．By awarding noise sufferers high compensation. |
| A．Noise policies are improving in South Korea |
| B．Anti-noise products are big sellers in South Korea |
| C．South Koreans are being driven mad by noisy neighbours |
| D．More South Korean neighbours are going to court over the noise |
4 . Teacher burnout (倦怠) and student stress may be linked, according to a University of British Columbia study. The study is the first of its kind to examine the connection between teacher burnout and students’ cortisol levels (皮质醇水平), which are a biological indicator of stress.
Researchers collected saliva samples from over 400 elementary school children and tested their cortisol levels. They found that in classrooms in which teachers experienced more burnout, or feelings of emotional exhaustion, students’ cortisol levels were elevated. Higher cortisol levels in elementary school children have been linked to learning difficulties as well as mental health problems.
“This suggests that stress spreading might be taking place in the classroom among students and their teachers,” said Eva Oberle, the study’s lead author. Indeed, the relationship between student stress and teacher burnout is a chicken and egg question. It is unknown what came first - elevated cortisol or teacher burnout. We consider the connection between student and teacher stress a cyclical problem in the classroom.
Oberle said a stressful classroom climate could be a result of inadequate support for teachers, which may impact teachers’ ability to effectively manage their students. A poorly managed classroom can contribute to students’ needs not being met and increasing stress. This could be reflected in elevated cortisol levels in students.
Alternatively, stress could originate from students, who may be more challenging to teach because of increases in anxiety, behavioral problems, or special needs. In this situation, teachers could feel overwhelmed and report higher levels of burnout.
“Our study is a reminder of the systemic issues facing teachers and educators as classroom sizes increase and supports for teachers are cut,” said Oberle.
“It is clear from a number of recent research studies that teaching is one of the most stressful professions, and that teachers need adequate resources and support in their jobs in order to battle burnout and relieve stress in the classroom,” said UBC education professor Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, the study’s co-author and director of HELP. “If we do not support teachers, we risk the collateral damage of students.”
1. What can we learn from paragraphs 4 and 5?| A．Students’ behavioral problems contribute to teacher’s higher level of burnout. |
| B．Teacher burnout is the cause of the elevated cortisol levels in students. |
| C．The connection between students and teacher stress is a cyclical problem. |
| D．Students with higher stress level are more likely to have learning difficulties. |
| A．Teachers are not well trained to deal with students’ problems |
| B．There are more students in each class and less support for teachers |
| C．Teachers’ income increases but teaching resources are cut |
| D．There is a widening gap between students’ need and teachers’ ability |
| A．Connected | B．Critical | C．Necessary | D．Physical |
| A．Teacher burnout, avoidable or not? |
| B．How to Relieve Stress in the Class? |
| C．The Most Stressful Profession in the World. |
| D．Students Stress and Teacher Burnout: A chicken and egg question. |
5 . Long sunny days can be ideal fora visit to the beach, especially during summer. Beachgoers
How about providing the lovers of the sun with another
Shadow Wi-Fi is an innovative Wi-Fi
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Happiness Brussels proves through this ambitious project that creativity leads faster to the desired goals, achieving both protection and education for the target audience!
1.| A．avoid | B．blame | C．love | D．spot |
| A．difficult | B．dangerous | C．further | D．recent |
| A．need | B．talent | C．excuse | D．qualification |
| A．opportunity | B．skill | C．system | D．passion |
| A．regularly | B．nearly | C．finally | D．strangely |
| A．symbol | B．network | C．standard | D．analyzer |
| A．grow | B．live | C．remain | D．escape |
| A．digital | B．natural | C．ancient | D．physical |
| A．against | B．without | C．within | D．despite |
| A．convenient | B．important | C．familiar | D．obvious |
| A．got away with | B．looked down on | C．made up for | D．came up with |
| A．farm | B．beach | C．mountain | D．street |
| A．aims | B．affords | C．hesitates | D．pretends |
| A．forgiven | B．prepared | C．treated | D．paid |
| A．course | B．memory | C．dream | D．discovery |
6 . You scroll through Instagram and like every post you see. You read an acquaintance’s story as soon as they post it. You leave a comment on a post or two. Then it hits you: Didn’t you just leave a comment on that person’s post yesterday? And the day before that? And last week?
An Instagram creep is someone who offers unprompted significant attention online to certain individuals they’ve taken an interest in. It is a strategy to send a signal of affection -whether it is to a romantic partner, or a close friend, but it can also be perceived as being too much, too interested and too involved. At worst, it might be seen as being possessive, as the person absolutely has to be the first to comment, to establish his importance in front of others.However, not every Instagram creep has the same intentions, with some lighthearted and innocent. “For example, people who have a higher frequency of being online may have a higher likelihood of seeing the posts quickly, “said Maryanne Fisher, a psychology professor at St.Mary’s University in Canada. “In a way, it could be simply an exposure effect.”
“If you feel like you’re the creeper, there’s a quick way to fix the problem. Resisting the urge to comment or like every post would be helpful,” Fisher said. It’s important to be aware that while you might be doing it to express affection, it can be perceived as being possessive. You should ask yourself what your intention is. What need is getting met by that behavior? If it makes the recipient feel uncomfortable and excessive, that should be attended to. If it’s a pattern and if it’s a “need”, then there might be something more significant going on.
All told, remember that anything you put on the Internet has consequences. If you think you’re being creepy even for a second, take time to separate yourself from it.
1. Who is likely to be an Instagram creep?| A．An old man unfamiliar with social media. |
| B．A young guy having a preference for a certain brand. |
| C．A woman having a tendency to talk online with friends. |
| D．An adult who is paying special attention to his friend’s Instagram update. |
| A．Ways to fix the problem. |
| B．Effects on the recipients. |
| C．Possible reasons for being creepy. |
| D．Differences between serious and lighthearted creepers. |
| A．The person likes the behaviour. |
| B．The person wasn’t aware of that. |
| C．The person might not feel at ease. |
| D．The person might feel like the creeper. |
| A．Less is more. |
| B．Look before you leap. |
| C．Love me,love my dog. |
| D．Put the cart before the horse. |
If you feel like you may be a people-pleaser, you’re not alone. In today’s highly-connected world, we have a growing obsession (痴迷) with being liked and needing to please others. People seek to please others for various reasons, including avoiding conflicts, securing feelings of being needed, and reducing fears of abandonment. And they are forced to use agreeableness as self-defense.
People-pleasing behavior can lead to mental and physical health problems such as fear of rejection, frustration, anger, addictions, headaches, stomach problems, and high blood pressure. It can also result in weak boundaries, problems with decision-making and dependency. Therefore, it’s important to recognize and overcome your own people-pleasing behaviors. Here are some simple exercises that you can start working on today.
Learn to love your own company. Trust that people will not abandon you, even if you don’t drop everything for them. Believing you are lovable for who you are, not what you do, means knowing that people will still be there for you even if you do not always search for ways to please them. Practice this by going to a movie or restaurant alone.
Value the plans made with yourself. They are as important as plans you make with other people. Otherwise, you are sending a message to your brain that a plan you make with yourself does not hold as much value. Don’t break long-or short-term plans you make with yourself, whether it’s going to the gym or studying for an exam.
Say “no” when necessary. If you’re a people-pleaser, you may find it hard to say “no” because you feel it comes across as cruel or uncaring. But it absolutely does not have to. Be clear, be direct, and use “I” statements. Try statements like: “I would really love to be able to help you, but unfortunately, I’m already committed at that time.” By consistently integrating these strategies into your life, you’ll break your people-pleasing habits and develop more healthy, interdependent relationships.
1. What is a people-pleaser like?2. Besides mental and physical problems, what other problems may a people-pleaser suffer from?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
If you don’t want to be a people-pleaser, you should love being with others, value the plans made with yourself, and decline others’requests when necessary.
4. What do you think of the behavior of pleasing others? (In about 40 words)
8 . Demanding days seem designed to test our self-control. We all need to rely on willpower to avoid short-term temptations and override unwanted thoughts or impulses (冲动). The prevailing psychological theory proposed that willpower resembled a kind of battery. With each exercise of self-control, you exhausted this resource. Without a chance to recharge, that resource ran low, making it harder to maintain self-control. This process was known as “ego depletion”.
In 2010, however, psychologist Veronika Job published a study that questioned the foundations of “ego depletion” theory, with some interesting evidence that ego depletion depended on people’s underlying beliefs. In the study, Job divided participants into two categories: those with a “limited” view of willpower and those with a “non-limited” view of willpower, based on a prior questionnaire. She then gave the participants some standard laboratory tests examining mental focus, which was considered to depend on the reserves of willpower. The study found that people with a limited mindset tended to perform exactly as ego depletion theory would predict but the non-limited individuals did not, which indicated that people’s beliefs about willpower could be self-fulfilling prophecies (预言). Those who believed willpower was easily depleted saw their self-control decrease, while those who believed in “mental stamina (耐力)” experienced no ego depletion.
Subsequent debates about the reliability of the laboratory tests of ego depletion emerged, but Job’s work demonstrated that mindset significantly impacted real-life outcomes. Her follow-up study revealed that after completing demanding tasks, most participants recovered to some degree overnight, but those with non-limited mindsets actually experienced an increase in their productivity the following day, as if energized by the extra pressure.
If you already have a non-limited mindset about willpower, these findings might be a cause for self-satisfaction. For those with limited mindsets, hope is not lost. Learning about this science can help shift beliefs. Sharing this knowledge with others can further consolidate this shift. Moreover, recollecting times of engaging in taxing yet enjoyable tasks naturally shifts people’s beliefs toward non-limited mindsets, as they see proof of their own men tal stamina. To provide yourself with further evidence, you can conduct small self-control tests. As you realize your willpower’s growth, you’ll find resisting temptations and distractions easier.
While immediate miracles aren’t guaranteed, perseverance will lead to a changed mindset and increased self-control, propelling actions toward personal goals.
1. “Ego depletion” theory shows that willpower ________.| A．helps control our impulses | B．reduces after exercising self-control |
| C．is a test of your character | D．is like a chargeable battery |
| A．Extra pressure boosts mental focus. |
| B．Demanding tasks reduce mental focus. |
| C．Reserves of willpower depend on mental focus. |
| D．The change of mental focus relies on one’s mindset. |
| A．Picturing your ideal university. |
| B．Doing homework in front of a TV. |
| C．Sharing science knowledge with friends. |
| D．Recalling mastering a challenging piano piece. |
9 . Months earlier, my wife Lisa had woken up at 4:45 am, preparing to do exercise. She heard voices coming from the upstairs game room and decided to investigate. She discovered that our older son, Hunter, had been playing the video game Fortnite since he got home from school the previous day. What she found angered both of us.
We were sick and tired of the amount of time Hunter spent playing video games. He was so addicted to video games. Back in the 1980s, instead of playing video games, we kids were crazy about playing baseball and street football, driving hoops outside the house, etc. But times are different now. It became apparent that kids of the new generation are entirely different from kids of my generation. My kids and his peers are crazy about electronic products. I work in a summer camp and responsible for the field sports programme. I often notice many of the campers playing video games on little portable devices.
I began to refer to kids who spent more time playing video games than playing sports as the Nintendo Generation. In an attempt to ensure that our kid did not become a member of the Nintendo Generation, I came up with a programme to help Hunter cope with his bad habit. It was that video-game time would have to be earned in our house, just like money. I set the exchange rate: Each mile run equals 30 minutes of video-game play.
The first couple days didn’t go well. Instead of choosing to run to win the time of playing games, he decided to boycott my programme and spend time sleeping. But eventually, Hunter came around, and decided he would give running a shot. Now, Hunter is in good health and can run 18 miles. But nine months earlier, he was not in any condition to run five miles.
I hope that running teaches my son to invest his time in worthwhile efforts, to do something hard, but quite meaningful and beneficial, and then to enjoy a reward. I never want him to stop challenging him.
1. What made the author and his wife Lisa angry? (no more than 10 words)2. What did kids in the 1980s like doing according to the author? (no more than 5 words)
3. How did the author help Hunter deal with his bad habits? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined word in paragraph 4 mean? (1 word)
5. What lesson do you learn from Hunter’s change? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
10 . Kim Jae-geun, a softly-spoken 59-year-old man in South Korea, had spent many years in advertising before he no longer had the strength for it. So during the past seven years, instead of spending his days writing copy, Mr. Kimhas spent his evenings behind the counter of his bar, Seochon Blues, near Seoul’s government district. The place is also home to thousands of vinyl records (黑胶唱片) that he began collecting as a teenager. Customers can request their favourite songs there. The bar is often full of tired office workers, and 20-something people and local artists at weekends. “There’s a special wave,” Mr. Kim observed. “All the young people ask for very old songs.” he said.
Mr. Kim’s Seochon Blues is one of the dozens of “LP bars” in South Korea’s capital, many of which are run by men with similar stories. South Korean companies offer few opportunities to middle-aged workers who haven’t climbed through the ranks. Leaving their jobs in their fifties, with music collections becoming too large for their living rooms, a few who haven’t taken up work as taxi drivers or security guards began to make a living by opening such bars.
The first LP bars opened in the 1990s, possibly inspired by the “listening bars” that originated in mid-20th century Japan. Music enthusiasts would come to these bars to listen to imported records that were otherwise hard to come by. The LP bars have proliferated in recent years with more and more people loving going there, thus greatly benefiting the middle-aged owners.
All LP bars encourage nostalgia (怀旧). “I don’t like digitization or the isolated way people have now,” said Lee Jae-jun, who left his job and also opened such a bar. He likes recalling the eighties and nineties and playing songs from people’s youth. “On the best days, regulars arrive for just one drink, and then I play old songs they like. And before you know it, it’s midnight and everyone goes home, drunk and happy,” said Lee Jae-jun.
1. What appears unusual for Mr. Kim in Seochon Blues?| A．Teenagers collect different types of vinyl records. |
| B．The youth enjoy listening to old songs. |
| C．Artists try to get inspiration for writing songs. |
| D．People show off their success in advertisements. |
| A．Middle-aged workers are welcomed by small companies. |
| B．South Koreans prefer to live a quite relaxed life. |
| C．South Koreans tend to change their jobs constantly. |
| D．LP bars offer career opportunities to middle-aged workers. |
| A．Sprung up | B．Survived. | C．Died down. | D．Returned. |
| A．Amazing and professional. | B．Romantic and enjoyable. |
| C．Nostalgic and relaxed. | D．Mysterious and encouraging. |
| A．The stories behind Kim Jae-geun | B．The rise of LP bars in South Korea |
| C．The popularity of music bands | D．The influence of old records |
