We often use the words “growth” and “development” as if they meant basically the same thing. But this may not always be the case. One can easily imagine instances in which a country has achieved higher levels of income (growth) with little or no benefit coming to most of its citizens (development).
In the past, most development policies were aimed at increasing the growth rate of income per capita (人均所得). Many are still based on the theory that benefit of economic growth will come to all members of society. If this theory is correct, growth should encourage development.
By the early 1970s, however, the relationship between growth and development was being questioned. A major study by the World Bank in 1974 concluded that it is now clear that more than decades of rapid growth in developing countries has been of little benefit to & third of their population.
The World Bank study showed that increase in GNP per capita did not promise important improvements in such development indicators as nutrition (营养), health, and education. Although GNP per capita did indeed rise, its benefit came down to only a small part of the population. This realization gives rise to a call for new development policies. These new policies favor agriculture over industry, call for national redistribution (资源分配) of income and wealth, and encourage programs to satisfy such basic needs as food and shelter.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s the international macroeconomic crises (大规模的经济危机) of high oil prices, worldwide recession (衰退) and the third world debt, forced attention away from programs designed to get rid of poverty. however, the lesson remains: economic growth does not promise economic development. Efforts may be required to change growing output capacity (能力) into economic benefit that reach most of a nation’s people. What do we learn from the first paragraph about the relationship between growth and development?
| A.Growth and development refer to the same thing. |
| B.Growth always brings about development. |
| C.Development is not a necessary result of growth. |
| D.Development is a reliable measure of growth. |
Before the 1970s, most development policies were based on theory that economic growth would benefit ________.
| A.most people in society | B.some people in society |
| C.few people in society | D.everyone in society |
according to the study by the World Bank in 1974, economic growth in some backward countries brought ________.
A. benefit to a third of their population
B. benefit to two thirds of their population
C little benefit to their people
D. no benefit at all to their peopleIf the passage continues, what would the author most likely discuss in the next paragraph?
| A.How to turn growth into development. |
| B.How to remove poverty from society. |
| C.How to decrease the third world debt. |
| D.How to cope with economic crises. |
Babies who watch TV are more likely to show late learning development and language at 14 months, especially if they are watching programs aimed at adults and older children, according to a new study, which would probably surprise those parents who leave their babies in front of a TV set.
Babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had developmental scores a third lower at 14 months than babies who were watching less TV. Although their developmental scores were still in the normal range, the difference may have been due to the fact that when children and parents are watching TV, they are missing the talking, playing and other communications that are important to learning and development.
This new study, which appeared in the Aechives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, followed 259 lower-income families in New York, most of whom spoke Spanish as their primary language at home. Other studies of higher-income families have also come to the same conclusion: TV watching is not only non-educational, but it seems to slow down babies’ development.
But what about “good” TV, like Sesame Street? The researchers didn’t find any difference when compared to non-educational programs designed for small children, like Spongebob SquarePants. Earlier research by some of the same scientists, most of whom are at New York University School of Medicine’s Bellevue Hospital Centre, has found that parents whose children watch non-educational TV programs like Spongebob SquarePants spend less time reading to their children or teaching them.
At this point, parents reading this will probably be astonished. TV is so often a parent’s good friend, keeping children happily occupied(占时间)so that the adults can cook dinner, answer the phone, or take a shower. But, clearly, this electronic babysitter(保姆)is not an educational aid. It is best to make sure the babies are fast asleep if you have to watch TV.According to the first paragraph, 14-month-old babies who watch TV probably_______.
| A.learn things quickly |
| B.prefer programs for older children |
| C.surprise their parents with their development |
| D.speak later than babies who don’t |
Babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had lower developmental scores perhaps because _______.
| A.they watch non-educational programs |
| B.they have little communication with their parents |
| C.they lost interest in real things |
| D.their parents don’t speak English at home |
We can infer from the passage that______.
| A.Educational and non-educational TV have different effects on babies |
| B.Many parents leave babies to the TV to do their own things |
| C.Educational TV is very popular among higher-income families |
| D.Lower-income families tend to teach their babies at home |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A.Developing Better Learning Ability |
| B.A New Study on Babies’ Bad Habits |
| C.TV Watching Is Bad for Babies’ Brains |
| D.Make Sure Your Babies Watch “Good” TV Programs |
Who doesn’t have a clingy friend? You know, that person who often calls, texts, and e-mails. He often needs your attention, your feedback, or your help. Worse yet, he often gets antsy when you don’t reply immediately.
Is there ever a moment when you just want to turn off your phone and be alone? But you won’t do that to a friend. Actually there are better ways to deal with a clingy friend.
Give Yourself Some Time
If you really need some time for yourself, or you’re just tired of being the listener, just explain to your friend honestly that you want or need some time of your own. Even the most determined friends will understand and give you some space. Of course, those extremely clingy friends will still call, text, and e-mail. If that happens, just reply gently that you need some time for yourself.
Suggest an Activity for Your Friend
If you are tired of different get-togethers and outings, then you should advise your friend to do something alone. If you both like sports, you could tell your friend to have a try at the new gym. If your friend likes your suggestion, but insists that you go along, just explain that you’ve already visited the gym. Mention that you enjoy the gym. If you’re lucky , he’ll try it, and like it.
Introduce Your Clingy Friend to Others.
Your clingy friend may just be lonely or have trouble meeting new people. If that’s the case , introduce him to others with similar interests. He may just make some new friends.
_________________________________________
There’s no reason for you to rudely tell your clingy friend that he’s a pain in the neck. Just follow the above advice to take your time back. After a while, your clingy friend should learn to value your time and your friendship.What does the underlined word “antsy” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A.busy | B.silent | C.nervous | D.bored |
What does the author suggest you do in the first advice?
| A.Understand your friends. |
| B.Be honest with your friends. |
| C.Spend more time with your friends. |
| D.Keep your distance from your friends. |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank of the last paragraph?
| A.Give Your Friend Some Time | B.Take Your Time Back |
| C.Don’t Be Rude | D.Value Your Friendship |
We can learn from the passage that clingy people __________.
| A.are very confident | B.have little free time |
| C.don’t respect others | D.don’t want to be alone |
Two traveling angels(天使) stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: “Things aren’t always what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable(好客的)farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen? Why didn’t you watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal(封口)the wall so he couldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”Why did the older angel repair the hole for the rich family?
| A.Because the basement was too cold to stay in. |
| B.Because she wanted to save the gold for the poor. |
| C.Because she wanted to punish the greedy owner. |
| D.Because she believed that one should always be ready to offer help. |
In paragraph two, the pair refers to __________.
| A.the poor couple | B.the rich couple |
| C.the guests | D.the angels |
The younger angel was very angry because __________.
| A.the older angel killed the farmer’s cow |
| B.the older angel treated the two families unfairly |
| C.the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live |
| D.the angel of death took the cow away |
The story tries to tell the reader that ___________.
| A.sometimes things are not what they seem |
| B.angels are always ready to help the poor |
| C.angels are always ready to help the rich |
| D.the young should always learn from the old. |
Run Freely ——A Lesson about Courage
One afternoon, many years ago,I went to pick up my mother from work. I got there a little early so I the car by the roadside and waited for her.
As I looked the car window, there was a small park where I saw a little boy, around one and a half to two years old, freely on the grass as his mother watched from a short .The boy had a big smile on his face he had just been set free from a .The boy would then fall to the grass, get up, and without or looking back at his mother, run as fast as he could, again ,still with a on his face, as if nothing had happened.
Kids, when they fall down, they don’t consider their falling down as a failure, but , they treat it as a learning experience. They feel inspired to try and try again until they .
Not only was I impressed by the boy’s courage, but I was touched by the manner in which he ran. With each attempt, he looked so , so natural, without signs of fear, nervousness, or of being disappointed. His only was to run freely and to do it as effectively as he could. He was just being a , just being himself. He was not looking for or worrying about whether was watching. He wasn’t concerned about being judged. He didn’t seem to be bothered(困扰) by the fact that maybe someone would see him and that it would be if he did fall. No, all that to him was to complete the task of activity at hand to the best of his ability, feeling the experience of running fully and freely.
I learned a lot from that observation and , and have successfully brought that lesson with me in life.
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As many as 4 out of every 1,000 infants born today have permanent hearing loss. When parents learn that their child has hearing loss, they are faced with many difficult decisions. These decisions can include choosing therapies and schools, as well as finding financial help for hearing aids or cochlear implants (人工耳蜗).
Help Me Hear Foundation is a public charity that gives the gift of hearing to deaf children from families existing on very low incomes around the world.
Help Me Hear Foundation believes that a child’s first years of development are critical. Being able to hear is vital to human, and Help Me Hear Foundation seeks to provide a positive lasting impression on society through its programs.
Recipients(受助人) of Help Me Hear Foundation’s benefits receive state-of-the-art hearing devices that otherwise would cost thousands of dollars per child over the course of their lifetime. The Foundation raises money through donations for hearing aids and cochlear implants, which saves recipients and their families on average over $50,000 on related expenses.
The Foundation tries to be a transparent charity, and wants to be a catalyst for allowing deaf and hearing-impaired children to develop in a typical fashion alongside their peers.
Needy families can obtain information on specific services, and find out about deafness education by visiting the Help Me Hear Foundation’s website. The website offers helpful information on how hearing aids work, and how hearing aids ease many of the learning and language challenges that hearing-impaired children deal with on a daily basis.Help Me Hear Foundation was probably set up to _____.
| A.build schools for deaf children |
| B.research deaf children’s behavior |
| C.protect deaf children from being ignored |
| D.offer real help to poor deaf children |
We learn from the text that _____.
| A.the local government is in charge of the foundation |
| B.the work of the foundation depends on donations |
| C.even blind children can turn to the foundation |
| D.poor deaf African children cannot get help from the foundation |
For whom is the text most probably written?
| A.Poor parents who have deaf children. |
| B.Doctors who want to improve skills. |
| C.Students who cannot see the blackboard clearly. |
| D.Teachers who have deaf children in their class. |
The author writes the text mainly to _____.
| A.tell how to avoid permanent hearing loss |
| B.explain how hard a life deaf children live |
| C.introduce Help Me Hear Foundation |
| D.advise people to give money to Help Me Hear Foundation |