Hiddeninasmallstreetinthesouth-优题课

Researchers are placing robotic dogs（机器狗）in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated（应急的） ,”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled(行动不便的) and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes（免除） exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says，“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”
The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to .

A．understand human-animal relationship

B．make lonely old people’s life better

C．find the causes of old people’s loneliness

D．promote the animal-assisted research

In the research, the old people are asked to .

A．note the activities of AIBOs	B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks
C．record their feelings and activity	D．analyze the collected information

What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?

A．It is easier to keep at home.	B．It can help the disabled people.
C．It responds to all the human orders.	D．It can watch TV with its owner.

The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may .

A．cure certain diseases	B．keep old people active
C．change people’s beliefs	D．look more like real dogs

Nanjing and Hangzhou summer camps offered
We are looking for hard-working and open-minded English teachers to join the Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) summer camps!
Both of the summer camps will run from the beginning of July to the end of August. You will be expected to teach spoken English to Chinese students of different ages. We encourage you to bring your own culture to the classes to make things more interesting.
The information of the Nanjing camp:
● Working hours: 40 hours per week, 5 working days per week.
● Salary: about 7,000 RMB per month.
● Accommodation : free (single room).
The information of the Hangzhou camp:
● Working hours: 5 hours per day (=" 50" min. / class × 6 classes), one day rest per week.
● Salary: 20,160 RMB in total (420 RMB per day =" 70" RMB / class × 6 classes).
● Accommodation: free (shared room).
The requirements of the summer camps:
● Native English speakers (US, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
● A university degree.
● Teaching experience.
Please send us your resume (简历), copies of certificates and passport if you are interested in the camps.
E-mail: teacher1324@sina.com.cn
For more information you can visit our website at http://www.Englishsummercamps.com.cn
Look forward to hearing from you soon!
What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?

A．Chinese English teachers.	B．Foreign English teachers.
C．Chinese-speaking students.	D．English-learning students.

How long will a teacher work for the summer camps?

A．Less than one month.	B．About five weeks.
C．About eight weeks.	D．More than two months.

Which of the following people might be accepted as a teacher at the summer camps?
A. Wang Li, an excellent teacher from China.
B. Robert, a high school student from the USA.
C. Linda, an experienced university teacher from Canada.
D. Jerry, a university student from Australia.
Compared with the Nanjing camp, the Hangzhou camp ______.

A．has longer working hours	B．has fewer students to teach
C．provides better accommodation	D．pays a higher salary

The global financial crisis is likely to cause increased mental health problems as people struggle to deal with poverty and unemployment, the World Health Organization warned Thursday．
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are already affected by mental problems such as depression and bipolar disorders （带躁狂的抑郁症） and the current market meltdown （崩溃） could worsen feelings of despair among people who can't stand such illnesses．
The United Nations agency said the impact(冲击) could be especially marked for those living in low and middle income countries where access to treatment is often limited．
"We should not be surprised at the turbulence （动荡） and likely consequences of the current financial crisis．Now we are seeing a huge gap in taking care of people in great need," WHO director general Margaret Chan told at a meeting of mental health experts．
"It should not come as a surprise that we continue to see more stresses, suicides and mental disorders," Chan warned．
Benedetto Saraceno, director of WHO's mental health, said mental health disorders affected one in four people at some point in their lives．
Mental and neurological（精神的） disorders are often chronic （慢性） and disabling, he said．Nearly 1 million people commit suicide worldwide every year, a large part of them are young adults．
Asked about the financial crisis, Saraceno said, "Poverty can be the consequence of such events, the debts, despair and sense of loss that may reach middle and lower classes．Even the poor can be affected by this crisis．"
"There is clear evidence that suicide is linked to financial disasters．I am not talking about the millionaire's jumping out of the window but about poor people," he said．The global crisis could be expected to affect the "stability of communities and families", according to Saraceno．
According to the passage, the chief result of the worldwide financial crisis is that ．

A．more people will be poorer	B．more people will be out of jobs
C．more people will suffer from mental problems
D．more people will commit suicide

The United Nations agency worried that ．

A．more rich people would commit suicide

B．the financial crisis might especially influence developing or underdeveloped countries

C．the current market meltdown could worsen feelings of despair

D．hundreds of millions of people in the world were already affected by mental problems

It can be inferred that ．

A．far more work should be done to help those who are mentally ill

B．it will be surprising to see more people commit suicide

C．a mental disorder is a chronic disease

D．many more young adults commit suicide worldwide than people of other ages

The best title for the passage is．

A．Global Financial Crisis．

B．Mental Disorders Resulting From Global Financial Crisis．

C．Suicides as a Result of Market Meltdown．

D．Chronic Mental Disorders．

“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled .
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now.
Where did the story most probably take place?

A．In a classroom.

B．In a supermarket.

C．At a bookstore.

D．At a library.

By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.

A．took the book by mistake	B．wanted to keep the book
C．didn’t want to go home	D．didn’t think he was wrong

From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.

A．didn’t think her son stole the book

B．had been out of work for a long time

C．forgot to take money with her that day

D．couldn’t afford to pay for the book

In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?

A．His idea was successful.	B．Ted didn’t like the job.
C．He liked Ted very much.	D．Ted was a naughty boy.

How much can environment affect intelligence? In one study, striking increases in IQ occurred in 25 children who were moved from an orphanage(孤儿院) to more stimulating（使人兴奋的，使人振奋的） environments．The children, who were all considered mentally retarded and unadoptable, were moved to an institution where they received personal attention from adults．Later, these supposedly retarded children were adopted by parents who gave them love, a family ,and a stimulating home environment．The children gained an average of 29 IQ points．For one child, the increase was an amazing 58 points．A second group of initially less "retarded" children, who stayed in the orphanage, lost an average of 26 IQ points.
Other encouraging results can be found in early childhood education programs, which provide stimulating intellectual experiences for disadvantaged children．In one study, children from low-income families were given enriched environments from early infancy(婴儿期) through preschool．By age 2 their IQ scores were already higher than those in a control group．More important, they were still 5 points higher seven years later．High-quality enrichment programs such as Head Start can prevent children from falling behind in school.
A particularly striking environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years．These IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time for genetics to explain them．It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society.
What's the main idea of this passage

A．Retarded children cannot improve their IQ's.

B．Orphanages are full of mentally retarded children.

C．Environmental factors influence a child's IQ.

D．Early childhood education programs are important.

The author is in favor of _____________ according to the passage.

A．putting retarded children into institutions

B．providing early childhood education programs

C．keeping children in orphanages

D．keeping retarded children with others like themselves

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an environmental factor that affects IQ .

A．Good nutrition．	B．Improved technology.
C．Better education．	D．Food pollution.

What can we conclude from the passage ?

A．Attention from parents has little effect on a child's IQ.

B．Head Start programs are a waste of money.

C．Increases in IQ have happened in the US more rapidly than elsewhere.

D．Genetics are less important than environment in gaining one's IQ.