While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象)is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response(回应)in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”. According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by _________.
A.their earlier experience of feeling lonely |
B.the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries |
C.the common worry about their income |
D.the geographical distance between parents and children |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to _________.
A.live in the countries with more money |
B.seek a better place for their aged parents |
C.continue their studies abroad |
D.realize their dreams in foreign countries |
If young people go abroad, _________.
A.they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
B.they can give some help to their parents back home |
C.they cannot do what they should for their parents |
D.they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
A.the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
B.“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
C.children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
D.the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |
The Basics of Math—Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing—and completely understandable—field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery(神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?
A.Algebra. | B.College Mathematics. |
C.Arithmetic. | D.Mathematics Education. |
What benefits can students expect from Basic Math?
A.Stronger imaginative ability. |
B.Additional presentation skills. |
C.More mathematical confidence. |
D.Greater chances of becoming teachers. |
What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?
A.He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television. |
B.He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math. |
C.He works in Georgia State University. |
D.He specializes in training teachers. |
Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
A.A news report. | B.A book review |
C.A lesson plan. | D.An advertisement |
Several recent studies have found that being randomly assigned to a roommate of another race can lead to increased tolerance but also to a greater likelihood of conflict.
Recent reports found that lodging with a student of a different race may decrease prejudice and compel students to engage in more ethnically diverse friendships.
An Ohio State University study also found that black students living with a white roommate saw higher academic success throughout their college careers. Researchers believe this may be caused by social pressure.
In a New York Times article, Sam Boakye – the only black student on his freshman year floor -said that "if you're surrounded by whites, you have something to prove."
Researchers also observed problems resulting from pairing interracial students in residences.
According to two recent studies, randomly assigned roommates of different races are more likely to experience conflicts so strained that one roommate will move out.
An Indiana University study found that interracial roommates were three times as likely as two white roommates to no longer live together by the end of the semester.
Grace Kao, a professor at Penn said she was not surprised by the findings. "This may be the first time that some of these students have interacted, and lived, with someone of a different race," she said.
At Penn, students are not asked to indicate race when applying for housing.
"One of the great things about freshman housing is that, with some exceptions, the process throws you together randomly," said Undergraduate Assembly chairman Alec Webley. "This is the definition of integration."
"I've experienced roommate conflicts between interracial students that have both broken down stereotypes and reinforced stereotypes," said one Penn resident advisor (RA). The RA of two years added that while some conflicts "provided more multicultural acceptance and melding (融合)," there were also "jarring cultural confrontations."
The RA said that these conflicts have also occurred among roommates of the same race.
Kao said she cautions against forming any generalizations based on any one of the studies, noting that more background characteristics of the students need to be studied and explained.What can we learn from some recent studies?
A.Conflicts between students of different races are unavoidable. |
B.Students of different races are prejudiced against each other. |
C.Interracial lodging does more harm than good. |
D.Interracial lodging may have diverse outcomes. |
What does Sam Boakye's remark mean?
A.White students tend to look down upon their black peers. |
B.Black students can compete with their white peers academically. |
C.Black students feel somewhat embarrassed among white peers during the freshman year. |
D.Being surrounded by white peers motivates a black student to work harder to succeed. |
What does Alec Webley consider to be the "definition of integration"?
A.The school randomly assigns roommates without regard to race. |
B.Students of different races are required to share a room. |
C.Interracial lodging is arranged by the school for freshmen. |
D.Lodging is assigned to students of different races without exception. |
Most recently, it's very common in students who need a parent present for job interviews. Naturally, it's easy to blame the students in these situations, but the bigger problem is us. We—as parents—are so eager to shelter our kids that we fail to realize that this in itself is harming them. As the mother of two young sons, I have to remind myself constantly that the biggest responsibility I have as a parent is to help them develop the skills needed to live in, to live without me. So, I'll let them fail.
I'll let them fail because as long as they are safe and warm inside their comfort zones, they will never grow. And failure along with loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc.—will be part of growth for them. Call me the anti-tiger mom, but leaving them alone is, my way of helping them become equipped to fit in this world as we know it today. From terrorism and seemingly endless natural disasters, to our national debt and beyond, if we expect the next generation to stand up to the very real problems of our time, we need to stop feeding them and start teaching them how to fish.
My children now are becoming little masters of compromise, but they try to negotiate everything now. It's a small price to help them learn a skill they'll use for the rest of their lives, including when I don't accompany them on job interviews. Why do parents accompany their kids on job interviews?
A.Because they want to protect their kids from difficulties. |
B.Because they think they can help them on the questions. |
C.Because their kids are too shy to attend interviews. |
D.Because their kids strongly request them to do so. |
According to the author, what is beneficial to kids' development?
A.Sheltering them. | B.Keeping them safe. |
C.Leaving them alone. | D.Blaming them. |
Why does the author stress failure in kids' life?
A.To make them stronger than other kids. |
B.To help them grow in this tough world. |
C.To help them develop all social skills. |
D.To make them learn to compromise. |
Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.Never Shelter Your Kids |
B.Let Your Kids Fail |
C.Be Eager to Grow Up |
D.Live Without Parents |
Is losing weight as simple as doing a 15-minute writing exercise? In a new study, women who wrote about their most important values, like close relationships or religion, lost more weight over the next few months than women who didn't. "We have this need to feel self-integrity (正直,诚实),” says Christine Logel of the University of Waterloo. "When something threatens your sense that you're a good person, like failing a test, we can buffer(缓冲) that self-integrity by reminding ourselves how much we love our children, for example".
For this study, the researchers recruited 45 female undergraduates, of whom 58% were overweight. Each woman was weighed, and was then given a list ofimportant values, like creativity, music or relationships with friends and family members. Each woman ranked the values in order of how important they were to her. Then half the women were told to write for 15 minutes about the value that was most important to her. The other half, a control group, were told to write about why a value far down on their list might be important to someone else.
The women came back months later to be weighed again. Women who had written about an important value lost an average of 3.41 pounds, while women in the control group gained an average of 2.76 pounds.
"How we feel about ourselves can have a big effect," Logel says. Maybe when one of the women who wrote about an important value went home that night, she felt good about herself and didn't eat to make herself feel better. Over a few months, that could make a real difference in her life,How can a 15-minute writing exercise ofimportant values affect people?
A.They will feel proud of themselves and gain weight gradually. |
B.They may feel good about themselves and then eat less than usual. |
C.They may continue writing and decide to become a professional writer. |
D.They will never have meals at night to make themselves lose weight. |
What were the females required to do in the study?
A.Only the control group was given a list ofimportant values. |
B.Both groups ranked the values in order of importance to them. |
C.Each woman was weighed three times in the process of the study. |
D.The overweight women wrote about the value most important to them. |
Which of the following persons may lose weight according to the new study?
A.Mary who wrote about her own adventure. |
B.Catherine who described her illness in her writing. |
C.Shirley who wrote how much she loved her children. |
D.Alice who complained her boss in her diary. |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A.Writing Benefits Women a Lot |
B.Losing Weight Is Very Simple |
C.Writing Contributes to Losing Weight |
D.Women Values Losing Weight |
Bicycle Safety
Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus(校园). Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.
Theft Prevention
Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack---even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It’s fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen.
EquipmentBrakes
Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly.Helmet
A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fit properly.Lights
Always have a front headlight---visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea.
Rules of the Road
Riding on Campus
As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of ways to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go.
Bicycle Parking
Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such posts can result in a fine.
If Things Go Wrong
If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:
No bicycle registration---------------------------------------------------$25
Bicycle parking banned--------------------------------------------------$30
Blocking path with bicycle ---------------------------------------------$40
Violation of bicycle equipment requirement -------------------------$35Registration of your bicycle may help you _____________.
A.find your stolen bicycle | B.get your serial number |
C.receive free repair services | D.settle conflicts with walkers |
When you ride a bicycle on the campus, ___________.
A.ride on posted bicycle paths and sidewalks |
B.cycle at a speed of over 15 mph |
C.put the walkers’ right of way first |
D.call the police before leaving in a case of accident |
If you lock your bicycle to a tree on the campus, you could be fined _ ________.
A.$25 | B.$30 | C.$35 | D.$40 |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.A guide for safe bicycling on campus. |
B.Directions for bicycle tour on campus. |
C.Regulations of bicycle race on campus. |
D.Rules for riding motor vehicles on campus. |