One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That contributes to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive (认知的) skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents---and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component(成份) and that play in nature develop leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame. They are overprotected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but much stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood process of passage.
Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that strengthen love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will______
| A．keep a high sense of wonder |
| B．be over-protected by their parents |
| C．be less healthy both physically and mentally |
| D．change wild places and creatures for the better |
According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is_____
| A．the fault on the part of their parents |
| B．the natural experience in their growing up |
| C．the result of their own carelessness in play |
| D．the effect of their repetitive stress from computers |
In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to______
| A．blame children for getting lost in computer games |
| B．encourage children to protect parks from encroachment |
| C．show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature |
| D．inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around |
Today tell you a series of information about how students in other countries can attend colleges and universities in the United States.
Two years ago we broadcast our Foreign Student Series. Since then we have got more requests for information about how to attend American schools. So we will offer new reports in our series with the most current information.
Each week, we will discuss a part of the process of becoming an international student in the United States. Each report will also appear on the Internet at www. Tingroom.com. Currently you can find the programs from the last time our series aired.
Foreign students who want to study in the United States have many questions. How do I find out about American colleges? How do I choose the right one for me? What tests must I take? What kinds of documents will I need? How much will it cost? Ｗe will answer these and other questions in our reports.
We will discuss the American system of higher education. We will tell about financial aid and rules about working in jobs while a student. We will discuss required tests and explain English language requirements. And we will tell where to find help in other countries.
Our reports will also describe a few of the three thousand colleges and universities in the United States. We will discuss programs of study as well as living situations at American schools. For students without the ability to come to the United States, we will tell how to take classes by computer. We will also examine how the threat of terrorism has changed some of the rules for study in the United States.
In researching our series, we talked not only to officials in education and government, but also to some foreign students. Most students say planning ahead helped make their educational experience successful. That is the purpose of this series—to help you plan.
We would like to hear from anyone who has a question about studying in the United States. We will try to answer as many questions as possible as part of our series in the coming weeks. Send your questions to special @ voanews.com.The series of report probably comes from________.
| A．TV | B．Internet |
| C．radio | D．newspaper |
The report intends to ___________.
| A．introduce education in America |
| B．help foreign students learn more about education in America |
| C．advertise for American colleges and universities |
| D．attract more foreign students to study in America |
How many ways of getting the information about studying in America are mentioned?
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
The contents of the program include the following EXCEPT_________.
| A．discussion about the educational system in America |
| B．description about some colleges and universities in America |
| C．help foreign students to plan |
| D．teach how to use computer |
Have you visit the flowing famous museums? Many famous museums throughout the world can offer you good chances to admire art. Florida International University(FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see, but it does so without a building, or even a wall for its drawings and paintings.
FIU has opened the first computer art museum in the United States. You don’t have to visit the University to see the art. What you need is just a computer linked to a telephone. That’s enough.
You can call the telephone number of a University computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings.
Robert Shostak is director of the new computer museum. He says he started the museum because computer artists had no place to show their work.
A computer artist could only record his pictures electronically and send the records, or floppy discs, to others to see on their computers. He could also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist will have to need a very expensive laser printer.
Robert Shostak says the electronic museum is mostly for art or computer students at schools and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostak said the FIU museum will make computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience for the electronic museum.
The main purpose of this text is to give information about____________.
| A．famous museums throughout the world |
| B．an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A |
| C．art exhibitions in Florida International University |
| D．the latest development in computer art in the USA |
To see the art in FIU museum, which of the following should you have at first?
| A．some records or floppy discs |
| B．a computer and a printer |
| C．your own pictures and drawings |
| D．a computer connected by telephone line |
The museum was started when ___________.
| A．FIU wanted to encourage computer scientists |
| B．Robert Shostak decided to help computer artists |
| C．art students needed a place to show their works |
| D．computer scientists wanted to do something about art |
The words “an audience” in the last paragraph refers to ___________.
| A．art students |
| B．computer owners |
| C．exhibits in the museum |
| D．those who will enjoy art |
Something strange was unbelievable. Take Robert for example. After the terrible car accident, his whole world had been completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing made him try many times to put end to his life.
His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on.
On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started suddenly. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn’t dare to believe that he saw a plough（ 犁子 ）lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert’s regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, however. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Edwards lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock in a terrible accident, perhaps the only way for them to regain was by another sudden shock.What did Edwards see first after being struck down by a lightning?
| A．His wife | B．The large tree |
| C．A plough | D．The lightning itself |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Edwards had been deaf and blind for nearly ten years |
| B．Edwards lost all his senses for about 20 minutes after the lightning had struck him down |
| C．Doctor held the belief that Edwards was never really blind and deaf. |
| D．Edwards woke up with face in mud. |
What was Edwards doing when he was struck by the lightning?
| A．Hiding from the rain under a tree. |
| B．Driving a car. |
| C．Taking a walk |
| D．lying on the ground |
How did Edwards get his sight and hearing once more according to the doctor?
| A．He regained them from head injury when he fell from a tree. |
| B．His wife’s first visit after almost ten years made him so happy that he regained them. |
| C．The lightning took the feeling from his legs and gave the senses of sight and hearing to his head. |
| D．The blow that caused him blind and deaf was very severe, so it took another severe blow to regain them. |
Nowadays they are giving homework even during the holidays and I hate that very much. But I think there is a reason for it. Homework is given so that we can remember whatever we have learnt. Regular drilling and repetition make perfect. But teachers have started to give too much homework. Anything in excess (过度) is bad.
Jane
What’s the use of just homework without allowing children to get an insight (洞察) into the subject? It just makes them bookworms but nothing else. Homework such as writing some things 5 times at home will just make them memorize things but not put them into use. I regret to say that teachers find it easy to bundle (归拢) the children with homework rather than making them get interested to understand what they learn. The same trend continues even in college. I find that most of the so-called high scorers are unable to answer simple things in an interview.
Sally
It is OK to give homework. But it should be given less. We are spending most of our time in school and at least we must be free in our home. If you give homework, we will be very tired and we wouldn’t be able to pay attention to extra-curricular activities, which in turn may affect our physical and mental health. So please give less homework to us.
Johnson
It is part of our work to give students homework. There will be some punishments if we won’t do our work. So I have to do that though I know such a teacher is not liked by students.Who thinks that too much homework may do harm to students’ physical and mental health?
| A．Sunny. | B．Jane. |
| C．Sally. | D．Johnson. |
Who thinks homework should help students learn something practical?
| A．Sunny. | B．Jane. |
| C．Sally. | D．Johnson. |
What problem do the speakers talk about?
| A．Whether students should be punished without doing homework. |
| B．What kind of homework should be given to students. |
| C．What role homework plays in helping students to learn. |
| D．Whether teachers should give homework to students. |
Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.
Question: Could you introduce yourself first?
Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I’m a web designer.
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories.
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent.
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe.
Q: How do your get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I’ve got. That’s our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters(过滤) out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch. In Misbah’s childhood, .
| A．he was fond of getting close to nature |
| B．he liked living in the countryside |
| C．he was free from worry |
| D．he often spent holidays with his family |
What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?
| A．A colorful life. | B．Peace and freedom |
| C．A beautiful house | D．Money for his family. |
How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?
| A．By chatting on the Internet. |
| B．By calling them sometimes. |
| C．By writing them letters |
| D．By paying weekly visits |
If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?
| A．What was your childhood dream? |
| B．What is your parents’ view of you? |
| C．What is your biggest achievement? |
| D．What was your hardest experience in the war? |