1 . Peru is prepared to approve new laws that would make it easier to investigate and punish researchers who engage in academic cheating, including paying to have their names added to a paper.
The move comes as Peru’s national science agency seeks to crack down on authorship buying and other dishonest practices. It recently removed two scientists accused of dishonest publications from a national registry that is key to receiving government sponsor, job promotions, and salary bonuses. And officials are investigating more than 170 other researchers at a Peruvian media report claimed were involved in academic misconduct, including 72 listed n the national registry who work at 14 universities in Peru.
The new laws will empower universities and government officials to punish such behavior. Dishonest publishing practices “transcend mere moral misbehavior” because they enable researchers to obtain government and private funding without telling the truth, says Edward Málaga Trillo, a member of Congress who is the driving force behind the bills, which lawmakers are expected to finalize early this year. “These individuals are operating academic cheating.”
Peru’s academic community has been struggling with a rising tide of false authorship and related problems. One cause, some researchers say, is a 2014 law that aimed to stimulate research by rewarding researchers who boost their publishing output. For example, under a scoring system used by universities, researchers can earn five points for authorship in a high-impact journal, and two points when the journal is lower impact. A massing points can bring bonus payments and career promotion.
Signs of dishonest publishing can be obvious, notes Nahuel Monteblanco, president of Cientificos. pe, a Peruvian group that investigates misconduct. Many of the papers cited by Punto Final have numerous co-authors from different nations with few prior publications on the same subject. “If your colleague consistently publishes 20 articles a year with co-authors from other countries, that’s highly suspect,” Monteblanco says.
1. What action did Peru take recently to address academic cheating?A.Fining 72 offenders for academic dishonesty. |
B.Disqualifying 2 scientists from a national registry. |
C.Punishing 170 researchers for academic misconduct. |
D.Withdrawing government fund from 14 universities. |
A.Change. | B.Strengthen. | C.Go beyond. | D.Approve of. |
A.It advocated a fair scoring system. | B.It applied to high-impact journals. |
C.It led to an increase in false authorship. | D.It aimed to punish dishonest publishing. |
A.career promotion | B.consistent research focus |
C.few citations by Punto Final | D.co-authors from various countries |
A.The new laws. | B.A healthy lifestyle. | C.Profitable industries. |
1. What is the Children’s Code about?
A.Kids’ ability to go online. |
B.Children’s coding ability. |
C.Online safety for children. |
A.Delete them. |
B.Label them. |
C.Send an email. |
A.Waiting for the changes. |
B.Talking with their kids. |
C.Accompanying kids online. |
4 . The first-ever fine for space junk was issued in early October in a case of off-planet environmental enforcement (执法). The television company, Dish Network, was hit with a $125,000 fine by the United States government for failing to remove a satellite in orbit that would have risked a collision (撞击) with other space equipment, a safety concern that will only grow with time as off-planet activities increase.
According to NASA, debris (碎片) orbiting in space can travel up to 15 kilometres per second, which is nearly 10 times faster than the velocity (速度) of a bullet. A huge amount of damage can be caused by something just a few centimetres in size, meaning that every effort must be taken to keep space as clear as possible. Collisions that take place in space have an effect back on Earth. Damaged satellites impact our ability to use the Internet and navigation (导航), leaving increasingly global critical infrastructure in an unstable state.
One solution for this may be to send autonomous space vehicles into orbit, which can then catch and effectively de-orbit space junk. By utilizing tools such as robotic arms, or nets, this approach will require very precise track and fine cooperation in order to be successful. Such measures are yet to catch up with the increase in space activity and pollution currently occurring. Therefore, fines and regulatory enforcement may presently be the only realistic method to hold organizations accountable.
The Dish Network satellite, fined $125,000 by the Federal Communications Commission, failed to de-orbit as a lack of fuel stopped the satellite from fully decommissioning (退役) a safe distance from Earth, falling short by around 75 miles (120 kilometres). It is hoped that significant fines like these will serve as a warning for companies, forcing them to make sure the safe decommissioning of their space operations.
1. Why was Dish Network fined?A.It left space junk in orbit. | B.It increased off-planet activities. |
C.It made collisions among space equipment. | D.It sent too much space equipment to space. |
A.Space junk may turn into bullets. | B.Debris fragments are too tiny to track. |
C.Debris may cause great damage in space. | D.A bad space environment will destroy the Earth. |
A.The harm of space junk. | B.Ways to remove space junk. |
C.Types of autonomous space vehicles. | D.Approaches to stopping satellites. |
A.Unconcerned. | B.Doubtful. | C.Negative. | D.Approving. |
1. Who does the organization of Law Society represent?
A.Native people. | B.Lawyers in Britain. |
C.Non-humans. | D.Children in Wales. |
A.They focus on better ways to tackle climate change. |
B.They forbid other creatures to use trees for food or shelter. |
C.They recognize the legal rights of the whole natural system. |
D.They protect things humans find interesting like trees and pets. |
A.Defending native cultures by law. |
B.Using laws to protect nature. |
C.Fighting the loss of biodiversity. |
D.Using technology to protect the environment. |
China’s top legislature (立法机构) passed the Yellow River Protection Law on Sunday. Due
The Yellow River, the second
The law
The Yellow River basin is home
7 . A measure in the House’s $ 2 trillion economic bill would require states to cut greenhouse gas emissions (排放) promising rewards for transportation departments that post reductions and “consequences” for those that don’t.
Peter A. DeFazio, chairman of the Transportation Committee, said the proposal is designed to push states to act. “We’re going to give them very large motivation to actually make those meaningful targets and deliver on those targets,” he said. According to the proposal, states that cut emissions could get a $ 1 billion pot of money and potentially receive other bonus funding from the federal government. The bill doesn’t spell out potential consequences for not reducing emissions, leaving the decision to national transportation officials. Experts say they could include barriers to accessing highly prized grant funds (拨款).
Much of the attention on cutting emissions from the transport industry-the nation’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases-has focused on the adoption of electric vehicles by putting money in charging factories and supporting battery-powered cars. The new measure sides with environmental advocates who argue the nation can’t battle a changing climate without changing how Americans move around. Environmentalists say the nation’s changing to electric vehicles probably won’t happen quickly enough to limit temperature rises unless Americans can be convinced to drive less, and that would mean building new networks focused on walking, cycling and transit (运输).
Opposition to the emission measure is deep-seated. The heads of five western state transportation departments wrote a letter to Capitol’s committee last month saying the proposal would harm rural areas because options such as heavy-traffic pricing are not well-suited to places which are populated in few people, and it doesn’t make sense to target those state agencies when there are multiple reasons that influence emissions, including fuel economy standards for cars and local decisions about where to build stores and homes.
Kevin DeGood, a transportation researcher, said basic construction shape how people can get around. “It is funny that the state transportation departments suggest in the letter that they do not deeply influence greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation industry,” he said.
1. How does the government provide motivation?A.By praising. | B.By punishing. |
C.By financing. | D.By restricting. |
A.Greatly changed climate. | B.More convenient stores. |
C.Stable fuel economy standards. | D.Eco-friendly transport system. |
A.To oppose the emission measure. | B.To introduce solutions to emission. |
C.To call for attention to rural areas. | D.To list several reasons for emission. |
A.Supportive. | B.Disapproving. |
C.Shocked. | D.Confident. |
1. What are the new laws about?
A.Asking people to recycle. | B.Raising the price of coffee | C.Forbidding littering. |
A.Useless. | B.Fair. | C.Temporary. |
9 . Among the constant adjustive education standards and requirements, it’s important to ask a question: exactly what do we want in a high school graduate?
Some people think the goal is to enter college and earn a bachelor’s degree. Others find that interpretation too narrow, preferring that young people leave school with the skills to move into living-wage jobs. But one thing many people can embrace is that high school graduates are skilled in basic math and English.
A proposed law, House Bill 1308,could ruin that goal. Students must do the following things to get a diploma: earn 24 credits of coursework; complete a High School and Beyond Plan matching those courses; meet one requirement of a series of “graduation pathways”. The problem is that these pathways don’t work for all kids.
In large part, that’s because they guide students toward college standards. Last year, after surveying nearly 1,000 students, researchers discovered that 18% of students said they were “not good” at math, and 33% said they were poor test-takers. For them, the current pathways are a barrier because of their emphasis on these skills.
The new pathway is instead focused on performance. It would allow kids to create a presentation—say an exhibit or report — demonstrating mastery of two core subjects, but not necessarily math or English. When the bill came up for discussion, over 350 people showed their support, because it’s possible that through the performance pathway, a student could create a project emphasizing mastery in “fine arts” and “health and fitness”. Rep. Sharon favors the proposal. In a hearing, she spoke of her granddaughter, who wrote and self-published a novel while still in school, to illustrate the kind of project is workable. While Tafona Ervin worries that the lack of emphasis on math and English could lead students to graduate without solid skills.
If the purpose of education is to ensure that young people are prepared to pursue a fulfilling life, finishing school uncertain of one’s abilities in math and English weakens education’s goal.
1. Why is the question mentioned in the first paragraph?A.To make an argument. | B.To introduce the topic. |
C.To raise an education problem. | D.To clarify a concept. |
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.By making comparisons. | B.By offering statistics. |
C.By providing suggestions. | D.By doing experiments. |
A.Workable. | B.Effective. | C.Awful. | D.Reasonable. |
10 . Students to get more sleep
When your alarm clock rings and you drag yourself out of bed, you probably wonder: Why on Earth does school have to start so early?
A law in California, passed on Oct 13, requires that public middle schools begin classes no earlier than 8:00 am and that high schools start no earlier than 8:30 am. The law will go into effect by July 1, 2022. Starting school at 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning may not sound like too big of a change.
“The effect of that one hour is something they will be feeling as 40-year-old adults,” Sumit Bhargava, a sleep expert at Stanford University, told The New York Times.
Some might say that urging students to go to bed earlier could have been a much easier solution than changing the school timetable across an entire state. But according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers go through biological changes when they enter adolescence.
A.Students can benefit a lot from more sleep. |
B.Fortunately, there is a new law to back you up. |
C.Here are some tips to help you solve this problem. |
D.But it could mean one more hour of sleep for students. |
E.Regular sleeping schedule is definitely good for students. |
F.Not having enough sleep can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes. |
G.It’s difficult for them to fall asleep before 11:00 pm during that period. |