The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands and mountains, stretching about 6,700 kilometers from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2,000 years, some parts of the Great Wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions around the world.
No one can tell for sure when the building of the Great Wall was started, but it is popularly believed that it originated as a military fortification(要塞) against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty. Late in the Spring and Autumn Period, some states extended the defence work to prevent the attacks from other states.
It was not until the Qin Dynasty that the separate walls were connected to form a defensive system by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. After the emperor unified the country in 214 BC, he ordered the construction of the wall. It took about ten years to finish and the wall stretched from Gansu Province to Jilin Province. The wall not only served as a defence in the north but also symbolized the power of the emperor.
Further construction also experienced several dynasties. The present Great Wall in Beijing is mainly remains from the Ming Dynasty. Today, the Great Wall has become a must-see for every visitor to China. Few can help saying “Wow” when they stand on top of a beacon tower and look at this giant dragon. It has become a national pride of Chinese people. The underlined word “appealing” probably means “______”.
| A．huge | B．attractive | C．ordinary | D．moving |
In the Qin Dynasty, ______.
| A．the construction of the Great Wall was finished in 204 BC |
| B．the emperor wanted to invade other minor states |
| C．the defensive system of the Great Wall was separated |
| D．the Great Wall began its way from Jilin Province |
According to the passage, the Great Wall _______.
| A．is from the west to the east |
| B．is as long as 6,700 miles |
| C．was built in several dynasties |
| D．was begun in the Qin Dynasties |
The best title for the passage probably is _______.
| A．History of the Great Wall |
| B．Culture of the Great Wall |
| C．Construction of the Great Wall |
| D．Projection of the Great Wall |
Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my Blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me．I also love my laptop computer，as it holds all of my writing and thoughts．Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices（设备） and truly communicate with others．
On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers．My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas．Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule —no laptops, iPads, phones, etc．When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy．
Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology．There’s a bit of truth to that．Some students assume that I am anti-technology．There’s no truth in that at all．I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students．
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and truly engage complex ideas．Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas．I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas．I want them to push each other to think differently and to make connections between the course material and the class discussion．
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create．Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom．
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan．A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up．Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with______．
| A．the course material | B．others’ misuse of technology |
| C．discussion topics | D．the author’s class regulations |
The underlined word “engage” in Para．4 probably means ______．
| A．explore | B．accept | C．change | D．reject |
According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may ____．
| A．keep students from doing independent thinking |
| B．encourage students to have in-depth conversations |
| C．help students to better understand complex themes |
| D．affect students’ concentration on course evaluation |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ______．
| A．is quite stubborn |
| B．will give up teaching history |
| C．will change his teaching plan soon |
| D．values technology-free dialogues in his class |
Mapping Your World
Different forms of maps are appearing．They allow independent travelers to get local knowledge of places they are visiting, from the official to the unusual．Meanwhile, hi-tech developments are creating new ways for us to map the world．Here are two of our favorites：
Green Maps
Green Maps allows people to share with the world their knowledge of environmentally friendly places and attractions in the local areas．Users add information with a set of icons（图标）, making it easy to read any map, whatever the nationalities of those who produce it．At present there are over five hundred map projects being developed in 54 countries．Green Maps’ advertised idea is “think global, map local”．It is a wonderful way of gaining all sorts of information of a place, ranging from community gardens to good places of birdwatching．
Green Maps is not specifically intended for travelers．Not all of its maps are online, so it may be necessary for some users to communicate with the producers through the Green Maps website．
Maps Mashups
Many people use online maps developed by Google, but not many know about the mashups of them．Working in a similar way to Green Maps, Map Mashups allows people to add icons of their own to existing maps to express a certain topic．The mashups is so called because it combines all the knowledge you could ever need．It ranges from the extremely useful, such as where all the World Heritage Sites are, to the most bizarre （古怪的），such as where America’s drunkest cities are．With the mashups added to the basic Google Maps, a multi-layered （多层的） map can be created．According to the passage, which of the following is a characteristic of Green Maps?
| A．Introducing local attractions with icons |
| B．Aiming at environmental protection |
| C．Offering advice to independent travelers． |
| D．Collecting icons worldwide for local maps． |
Which of the following icons is most probably NOT used in Green Maps?
“Map Mashups” is named with the word “mashups” because．
| A．it is produced by users all over the world | B．it is a branch of Google Maps |
| C．it shares icons with Green Maps | D．it gathers various kinds of information |
What do Green Maps and Map Mashups have in common?
| A．They are created by local people． |
| B．They are environmentally friendly． |
| C．Users can edit maps on the Internet． |
| D．Users need to communicate with producers． |
Between their crazy schedules and upside-down circadian（昼夜节律的） rhythms, teens have always been somewhat sleep-deprived（剥夺）．Now technology is making it worse．
Teens are not just texting, instant-messaging and surfing Facebook all day; they’re sleeping with their cell phones or laptops, too．Or rather, not sleeping．And doctors and parents, many of whom raised in an era when phones were attached to walls, are concerned．
“So many teens are having sleep issues, and parents aren’t necessarily regulating the use of the electronic devices enough,” says Margie Ryerson, a therapist．“It’s impossible to wind down and relax the body, the mind, the senses and be ready to fall asleep．”
“We all know teens don’t get enough sleep in general,” says San Francisco．“As long as parents allow teens to have these devices in their bedrooms at night, teens will be tempted（诱惑） to use them．”… Teens would socialize 24/7 if they could．
Ryerson calls it the CNN syndrome of teenhood— round-the-clock reports on breaking news about everything, from homework to wardrobe choices to ice-cream cravings．
Sleep deprivation is linked to memory and concentration problems, anxiety and depression, and moodiness．“Many people assume these problems arise directly from adolescence, which is not really true,” he says．“The real issue is sleep deprivation．Late-night texting can certainly make the situation worse．”
“The psychology behind this constant contact is certainly understandable,” Ryerson says．“It comes from wanting to avoid being left out．They won’t be considered important and significant in their peer group, if they don’t know what’s going on．If they’re on top of everything, they belong,” she says．
“What helps, at least for younger kids,” says Ryerson, “is parental involvement．If all of their friends are all able to text into the early hours of the night, it is hard for a middle or high schooler to set the limit themselves．Often they appreciate parents stepping in．”
“As parents, we want our kids to be happy, healthy and responsible,” she says, “and the most necessary requirement for achieving balance is to first take care of ourselves physically — eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep．”According to Ryerson, it seems that ____．
| A．it is unnecessary to control teens’ using the electric devices |
| B．parents possibly don’t control teens in using the electric devices |
| C．there is no need for parents to make use of the electric devices |
| D．parents don’t learn enough how to use the electric devices |
By saying the underlined part “the CNN syndrome of teenhood”（in Para5）, Ryerson means _．
| A．teens are affected by CNN news reports very much |
| B．teens watch news report on CNN around the clock |
| C．teens text to tell each other everything possible |
| D．teens like the news report on CNN |
When teens felt depressed, people used to think it was because ____．
| A．teens stayed up late to do homework |
| B．teens were easily anxious in character |
| C．teens didn’t have enough sleep at night |
| D．teens were going through a period of growth |
Why do teens keep texting all the time?
| A．To have a sense of being accepted by others． |
| B．To keep informed of what is going on in the world． |
| C．To spread important news among their group． |
| D．To reduce the pressure from parents and schools． |
Can we turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed”? Is there power in positive thinking?
Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply emphasize how unhappy they are．
The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by referring to older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better．If you tell your friend that he may be an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults．In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write passages opposing funding for the disabled．When they were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written．
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem（自尊）．The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes．Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell．When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable．”
Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the experiment．In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts．
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy（心理治疗） that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them．In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse．Meditation（静思） techniques, on the contrary, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a large, more realistic perspective（视野）．Call it the power of negative thinking．The Canadian researchers find that _____．
| A．encouraging positive thinking may do more harm than good |
| B．there can be no simple cure for psychological problems |
| C．unhappy people cannot think positively |
| D．the power of positive thinking is limited |
What does the author mean by “… you’re just underlining his faults”（Line4, Para3）?
| A．You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough． |
| B．You are pointing out the mistakes he has made． |
| C．You are emphasizing the fact that he is not clever． |
| D．You are trying to make him feel better about his faults． |
What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?
| A．It is important for people to continually improve their self-esteem． |
| B．Thinking positively can bring a positive change to one’s mood． |
| C．People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings． |
| D．Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem． |
What do we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person． |
| B．Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy． |
| C．Different people tend to have different ways of thinking． |
| D．People can avoid making mistakes through meditation． |
Scores of farms across he country are opening up to overnight guests．The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn（小旅馆） — plus here a moo, there a moo．
Sure, you and your kids have a plan for the theme parks．In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay（干草）? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation．
LIBERTY HALL FARM
Rochester, Vt．; 802/767-3926; www．libertyhillfarm．com．Adults $75, teens $50, kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths．
Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook．You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough（生面团） for a pie．Bob’s busy with other work．Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs．Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 am to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season．
HULL-O FARM
Durham, N．Y．; 518/239-6950; www．hull-o．com; Adults $110, kids 10-14 $60, 5-9 $50, 2-4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths．
It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices．But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it．As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch（入口处） of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar．Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride．
MERAMEC FARM CABINS
Bourbon, Mo．; 573/732-4765; http://www．wine-mo．com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person．Trail and riding fees extra．
Climb on the back of the Ford pick up and catch up with the herd．One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back．At the barn（牲口棚） Carol will introduce you to the horses — 15 Missouri Fox Trotters — and lead you on a ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims．Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river．When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants, within 20 miles of the farm．The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that _____．
| A．you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant |
| B．some farms provide country experiences as well as good accommodations |
| C．farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals |
| D．if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm |
We can learn from the three ads that ____．
| A．Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors |
| B．Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook |
| C．kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm |
| D．you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm |
The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter．If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?
| A．$175． | B．$220． | C．$235． | D．$250． |
Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?
| A．Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks． |
| B．People who expect to be employed on the farm． |
| C．Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms． |
| D．Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms． |