Children are losing the ability to play properly because they are being given too many toys and games, according to new research.
The studies show that children, especially those under five, are often overwhelmed and actually play less than those with fewer toys. It may even harm their development. The studies show that giving children too many toys or toys of the wrong type can actually be doing them harm. They get overwhelmed and cannot concentrate on anything long enough to learn from it.
The conclusions have been backed up by British research looking at children with relatively fewer toys, whose parents spend more
time reading, singing or playing with them. It showed such children surpass(胜过) youngsters from richer backgrounds, even those who could use computers.
Some parents notice the ill effect early. Orhan Ismail, a researcher saw a change for the worse in Cameron, his 10-month-old son, after he was given a lot of toys last Christmas.
Ismail said, “ If there are too many toys in front of him, he will just keep flitting around them and then end up going off and finding something like a slipper to play with. Now we just get out one or two toys and hide the rest in a box.”
Alexander and her husband also decided to limit the toys their 6 daughters play with. She believed many toys restrict children’s imaginations. She said, “ A Barbie can only work as a Barbie. But a cardboard box can become anything. The only limitations are in the child’s mind.”
Experts hesitate to put a figure on the number of toys children should have, but
many believe two dozen is enough for children of preschool age. In the writer’s opinion, a Barbie _____.
| A．can attract more attention from children than a cardboard box |
| B．can work more than a Barbie |
| C．may become anything else such as a cardboard |
| D．may keep children from further imaginations |
Which of the following is TRUE about toys given to children?
| A．too many toys will help children develop wide interests. |
| B．One or two toys at a time will help children concentrate. |
| C．Only wrong types of toys do harm to children. |
| D．The proper number of toys given to the children depends on their ages. |
It may NOT be a good idea to ____.
| A．spend more time reading or playing with children |
| B．choose right types of toys for children |
| C．ask experts for the exact number of necessary toys |
| D．put out one or two toys and hide the rest |
Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down. “I wish I could take one of my children out alone,” said Christie.
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I’ll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I’ll take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie’s daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “She’s like a different child when there’s no one else around,” Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn’t have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering（口吃的）son, Tom, doesn’t stutter once during our activities since he doesn’t have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who’s always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child ---talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves（应得到）to be an only child at least once in a while. What is the text mainly about?
| A．The experience of the only child being with mother. |
| B．The advantage of spending time with one child at a time. |
| C．The happy life of two families. |
| D．The basic needs of children. |
Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were _____________.
| A．happy | B．curious | C．regretful | D．friendly |
What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
| A．The daughter acts like a leader. | B．Sam holds her hand more often. |
| C．The boys become better followers. | D．Tom has less difficulty in speaking. |
The author seems to believe that ___________.
| A．having brothers and sisters is fun | B．it’s tiring to look after three children |
| C．every child needs parents’ full attention | D．parents should watch others’ children |
Early people had very little effect on the environment. They lived in caves in very small “clan” groups. They collected or killed only enough for the clan’s survival. Early clans were nomadic, which mean that they didn’t stay in one place. Instead, they moved around, following the animals that were their main food source and seeking areas where seasonal plants grew wild. Moving around seasonally helped to protect the environment. The land had time to recover and animals had time to breed (繁殖)before the clan returned for the next season..
As time went by, these small family clans joined with others to form larger groups for protection. Joining with other clans gave them more hunters and more women to help cut up the meat and share it between families. Eventually, people tamed(驯养)wild animals such as dogs and horses. People settled around rivers and fertile plains to share responsibilities and duties. Then, people began to plant crops instead of moving to areas where the plants grew. This development changed the environment.
Traditional forms of work also changed. Some people were better at performing a particular task than other clan members, so then began to specialize in things they were good at doing. This also meant that they began to exchange their goods for things that others produced.
People began to communicate with distant tribes. Land was cleared for roads. Foreign plants and animals were transported to places where they had not existed before. Specialization also give people more free time. So art ,dance and music became important ways of expressing feelings and thoughts. This was how many great civilizations started.
Compared to the past, modern civilization has experienced many changes to become the highly developed society that exists today. Populations have increased rapidly. Forests have been cleared for farms. Inventions and technology have made work easier.
However, pollution and other serious problems have also resulted from human progress. As concerned citizens, it is up to us to learn from past mistakes and to help maintain and improve our environment.Early tribes didn’t have much effect on animal population because_____
A .they kept animals for themselvesB they ate only vegetables
C they loved animals D they killed only enough for foodThe main purpose for small clans to join together was_____
A to hurt animals B to seek safety
C to share cavesD to protect environmentAccording to the passage ,we can learn that_____
A early people moved to new places looking for new sources of food
B modern civilization began when people started to live together in big groups
C modern advancements are always good for the environment
D people began to exchange goods because they didn’t have enough money It can be concluded from the passage that_____
A human progress has brought civilization to the society
B civilization has improved traditional forms of work
C early people understood environmental protection
D our environment has been affected by human progress
Almost every child is scared of something, from monsters in the cupboard to dogs in the park. But the fact that such fears are common and normal doesn’t mean they can be taken lightly. Kids experience fears and phobias (恐惧症) much more strongly than adults. And the influence of the fear can be physical as well as psychological (心理的). It can build up so they almost seem scared of everything-a kind of childhood anxiety. Dr. Creswell says:"Your child may always seem to expect the worst to happen and lack confidence in his or her ability to deal with any challenge.” So don’t make the same old mistake of treating them as if they’re silly for being “a scared cat”（胆小鬼）. Handing the fears is essential.
Children can be born nervous and., if you have such a baby, you’ll tend to prevent them from getting worried. So if they fear dogs, you’ll keep them away from dogs, but in fact that can just confirm to the child that dogs are scary. What is worse, keeping your child away from what they fear can turn that feeling into a phobia. Instead, you should encourage them to get in touch with the thing they fear, in a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Andy Field, a researcher of childhood fears, says: “You shouldn’t force, for example, a dog anxious child to go up to a dog. But you can approach it yourself, show them there is nothing to be afraid of, stroke (抚摸) it, and talk about the dog being friendly. Once your child dares to stroke a dog-one that’s good with children, of course-then you should encourage them to carry on until they feel calmer, and reward them for ‘being brave’.” Children’s fears are usually taken lightly because .
| A．they will not develop into phobias |
| B．their influence is psychological |
| C．they exist widely in the world |
| D．they will disappear gradually |
If we fail to help children to overcome fears, they will .
| A．make the same old mistake |
| B．overcome them by themselves |
| C．experience the worst of things |
| D．grow up lacking self-confidence |
According to Dr. Andy Field, if a child is afraid of a cat, parents should .
| A．tell the child not to be afraid of it |
| B．show the child how to approach it |
| C．keep the child away from it |
| D．ask the child to stroke it |
A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found that most of them are ignorant when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a series of reports from NatWest that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, arc particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts man any before.
University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at £3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average £ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just £ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than £ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are £ 12，363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they arc to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr. aged 15. from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted that she still had a lot to learn about money.
1. Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?
A. Students understand personal finances differently.
B. University tuition fees in England have been rising.
C. Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings.
D. The students' payback ability has become a major issue.
2. The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. to raise the student loans B. to improve the school facilities
C. to increase the upper limit of the tuition D. to lift the school building roofs
3. According to Stephen Moir, students_______.
A. are too young 10 be exposed 10 financial issues
B. should learn 10 manage their finances well
C- should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans
D. benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance
4. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many British teenagers do not know money matters well
B. Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts.
C. Financial planning is a required course at college.
D. Young people should become responsible adults.
This was no ordinary class. The students who came together were all science or engineering professors at Cornell University. They had interrupted their research to accept an invitation to take part in an unusual experiment: “an interesting week of poetry.” This class was part of a study to answer the questions: Why is science difficult for many non-science students? What can teachers learn about teaching if they take a class that is not in their field?
The students in the poetry class listened to lectures and took notes. They had reading tasks and had to write three short papers. All students noticed one thing – the importance of spoken words. In science and engineering classes, the instructors put tables and drawings on the blackboard. But in this poetry class, the instructors just talked. They didn’t write anything on the board.
The scientists and engineers noticed one similarity between science and poetry. In both subjects, students need to find layers (层次) of meaning . Some layers are simple, clean, and on the surface; other layers are deeper and more difficult. This search for different levels of meaning doesn’t happen much in undergraduate(本科) science classes, but it is important later, in graduate school. And it is always important in humanities(人文科学).
Both the poetry instructors and their students learned something about teaching from this experience. One poetry instructor, for example, now sees the importance of using informative as he teaches. Most of the scientists agreed on several points. First, humanities classes might help science students to see patterns and decide which information is important. Second, the poetry class was fun. One engineer decided, “We need to change the way we teach engineering to make to make it an enjoyable experience for students.”
But perhaps the most important result of the experience was this; All of the professors began to think about how they teach and how they cam teach better.What do we know about this unusual class?
| A．The teachers did lots of writing on the board |
| B．The teacher were invited to attend several lectures. |
| C．The student were professors from a university |
| D．The students were studying science and humanities. |
The experiment was designed to find out
| A．how to teach the students in the science class |
| B．whether poetry is difficult for science students |
| C．what to be taught in the humanities class |
| D．why many humanities students find science hard. |
Finding levels of meaning is .
| A．important for graduate students in humanities |
| B．difficult for graduate students in humanities |
| C．common for undergraduate students in science |
| D．easy for undergraduate students in science. |
What did the science professors learn after the experiment?
| A．They should change the way they teach |
| B．A poem could be explained in clear definitions. |
| C．A poetry class could be more informative. |
| D．Their teaching was an enjoyable experience. |