The smartphone has become the centerpiece of many students' digital lives.
Yes, it can be a distraction(困扰，分心), but it is also an incredible tool that can transform classroom learning and late-night studying.
Professors and students are starting to explore what the smartphone can contribute to learning-and there is a whole host of apps（设备） to help that process along. There are also plenty of apps to help students with the less academic parts of college life.
To download any of these apps, search the iTunes App Store or Android Market. iOS apps are built for Apple's mobile platform and can run on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
Skype
Cost: Free
Platform: Android, BlackBerry, iOS
More and more smartphones now ship with front-facing cameras that make them great video chat tools.
There are several competitors here ---- including Apple's FaceTime ----but Skype is still the best cross-platform tool for keeping in touch with faraway friends and family. Users on either end can be on a computer, smartphone.
Grades 2
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS
This app is a sophisticated tool for calculating grades. Students can use it to figure out what grade they'll need on a test to achieve their target grade and also keeps track of overall GPA, weighted by each class's credit count.
Students can also enter due dates for assignments as reminders.
The app is free and supported by ads, but users can pay $1 inside the app to turn them off.
Snoozerr Recordings
Cost: 99 cents
Platform: iOS
This is a great tool for logging long lecture classes or smaller study sessions(授课时间）． It records audio and pairs that with time-stamped pictures that the student takes of presentations--- say, equations（方程）on a blackboard----or of his or her own notes.
When the student wants to review, he or she can use the pictures as a visual guide to what the instructor was saying and replay that section.
TED
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS
This app is great for the student in everyone. It compiles（编辑）video from hundreds of presentations at technology, entertainment and design----a conference that features short speeches focused on new ways of thinking.
Presenters often speak about technology, social good or education and challenge societal norms.
It's a great way to spend an hour or so hearing from some of the world's leading minds for free. All of the videos are also available at www.ted.com.
AroundMe
Cost: Free
Platform: Android and iOS
This app uses a smartphone's GPS to find nearby locations by category such as banks, gas stations, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and supermarkets---- all the college staples(主要产品).In which section of a newspaper could you find this article?
| A．Science & Tech. | B．Entertainment. | C．Life. | D．Tourism. |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A．How to Improve College Students' Studies |
| B．How to Download Computer Games |
| C．How to Choose the Latest Smartphone |
| D．Five Tech Tools for College Students |
Many college students use Grades 2 mainly for _____.
| A．chatting | B．calculating |
| C．hearing speeches | D．recording lectures |
If you want to use your smartphone to find a nearby supermarket, you should download _____. .
| A．TED | B．AroundMe | C．Skype | D．Grades 2 |
ios means _____.
| A．TED | B．VCS | C．OS | D．ECX |
Sitting at a desk in a classroom all day can be pretty boring.
The teachers at Ward Elementary in Winston –Salem，North Carolina ，picked up on that and traded in their students’desks for exercise bikes as a part of their Read and Ride program!
The Read and Ride program began five years ago．One classroom has enough bikes for every student in any given class，and throughout the day teachers bring in their students to the room to ride them and read their books．
Even regular classrooms have one bike in the back of each room for students who just can’t sit still to use to help them burn energy in a good way．
Students love being more active!Teachers enjoy seeing students eager to read．Parents appreciate stronger，smarter children．Headmasters value this effective and cost-free program．“Riding exercise bikes makes reading fun for many kids who get frustrated(挫败的)when they read．Thus，they have a way to release that frustration while they ride，”said Scott Ertl，who started the program．“As we can see，everyone wants to promote literacy and lose weight!But many students who are overweight struggle with sports and activities since they don’t want to always be the last or lose with others watching on the playground．On exercise bikes，however，students are able to exert(发挥)themselves at their own level—without anyone noticing when they slow down or take a break．”
As it turns out，not only are the bikes helping the students burn calories，they’re also helping them learn better and stay focused．At the end of the school year the school analyzed testing data and found that students that spent more time reading and riding did more than twice as well on reading tests than their fellow students who spent the least time in the program．Why did the teachers start the Read and Ride program?
| A．To get the students out of the classrooms． |
| B．To make the students more active in sports． |
| C．To read effectively in an active way． |
| D．To help the overweight students keep fit． |
According to Scott Ertl，riding exercise bikes___________．
| A．is the least expensive way for exercise |
| B．call benefit overweight students in both ways |
| C．is the best way to build up students’ body |
| D．is a good way to avoid being watched by teachers |
The program helps the students in the following ways except________．
| A．help them learn better |
| B．reduce their reading difficulties |
| C．build up their bodies |
| D．improve their learning concentration |
Wanted, Someone for a Kiss
We’re looking for producers to join us in the second of London 100FM. You’ll work on the station’s music programmes. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply(申请) in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss100.
Father Christmas
We’re looking for a very special person preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit.
Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December17 to December24 except Sunday, 10:30—16:00
Excellent pay.
Please contact(联系)the Enterprise Shopping Center, Station Parade, Eastbourne.
Accountants Assistant
When you join the them in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver of for somebody who has office experience.
Wealden District Council
Software Trainer
If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in programme writing. You will be allowed to make our decision, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of ￡15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV (简历) to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.Who should you get in touch with if you hope to work in a radio station?
| A．The Enterprise Shopping Centre |
| B．Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited. |
| C．Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100. |
| D．Wealden District Council. |
We learn from the ads that the Enterprise Shopping Centre needs a person who __________________.
| A．is aged between 24 and 40 |
| B．may do some training work |
| C．can work for about a month |
| D．should deal with general duties |
Which position is open to recent school graduates?
| A．Producer, London Kiss. |
| B．Father Christmas. |
| C．Software Trainer |
| D．Accountants Assistant |
Violin prodigies (神童), I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists the reason for this phenomenon. “It is very clear,” he told me. “They were all Jews and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society, with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stern, children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well. The Koreans and Chinese as we know are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance（遗传） plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because ________.
| A．it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country |
| B．Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent |
| C．they wanted their children to enter into the professional field |
| D．it would allow them access to a better life in the West |
Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?
| A．extensive knowledge of music. |
| B．a natural gift. |
| C．very early training. |
| D．a prejudice-free society. |
Which of the following titles best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
| A．The Making of Music Prodigies |
| B．Training of Musicians in the World |
| C．Music and Society |
| D．Jewish Contribution to Music |
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’ and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
| A．they misunderstood each other's signals |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they are cold to each other |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
| A．They eat and sleep each other. |
| B．They learn to speak each other's language. |
| C．They observe each other's behaviors. |
| D．They know something from each other's voices. |
It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.
| A．have common interests |
| B．have a common body language |
| C．are less different than was thought |
| D．are less intelligent than was expected |
What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
| A．We should live in peace with animals. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should learn to live in harmony. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.The story is about ________.
| A．why people love magic |
| B．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician |
| C．how fashionable magic is |
| D．what magic tricks are |
People love to watch magic because ________.
| A．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen |
| B．it arouses their curiosity |
| C．they can’t figure out the secret of magic |
| D．it is a centuries – old art |
Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
| A．He was interested in magic when he was little. |
| B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest. |
| C．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation. |
| D．He became an amateur magician in his spare time. |
What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
| A．experienced |
| B．freshman |
| C．amateur |
| D．unskillful |
From the story we know that______.
| A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions. |
| B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show. |
| C．Liu Qian does street show to make money. |
| D．Liu Qian performs on the streets in order to increase his fame. |