Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy is a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.’’
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well. We may infer that the author believes people should ________.
| A．buy lottery tickets if possible |
| B．make use of half-truths |
| C．be careful about what they are told |
| D．not trust the Yucky Company |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Using half truths is against the law. |
| B．Technically, half truths are in fact lies. |
| C．Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache. |
| D．Governor Smith did a good job during her last term. |
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
| A．He’s really a big loser! |
| B．Sometimes the truth can lie as well. |
| C．Advertisers will sometimes use half truths. |
| D．It’s against the law to make false statements. |
Calling all poets! TIME For Kids(TFK) has a challenge for you.
WHO: The contest is open to students who are 8 to 13 years old.
WHAT: Write a funny, rhyming poem and enter it in the TFK Poetry Contest. By entering, the entrant（参加竞赛者） should promise that the poem is an original one that does not copy another poet’s work, has not been published in an y medium and has not won an award.
HOW: Send your poem by e-mail to contest@poetry4kids.com. The subject line of your e-mail message should read “TFK POETRY CONTEST”. Be sure to include your first name only, your e-mail address and your parents’ e-mail address. Limit one entry per person or e-mail account. The sponsor（赞助者） is not responsible for lost, late or incomplete entries, or those not received for any reason.
WHEN: This contest begins 12:01 a.m. on January 13,2013, and ends 11:59 p.m. on March 1,2013.
JUDGING: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following standards: creativity and o riginality (50%),use of language and rhyme (25%) and relatedness to contest theme(25%).Winner will be informed by e-mail and must respond within five days.
WINNER’S LIST: For names of the winner and finalists, visit timeforkids.com (after April 1,2013, you can get for a period of 10 days).
PRIZE: Our judge will select four semifinalists(半决赛选手)from which one grand-prize winner and three finalists will be chosen. The one grand-prize winner will receive an online class visit from poet Kenn Nesbitt and a signed copy of one of his books of poetry. The poem of the grand-prize winner will be published on timeforkids.com. The finalists will receive signed copies of one of Nesbitt’s books of poetry. The poems of finalists will be published on timeforkids.com.Which may be a proper work for the TFK Poetry Contest?
| A．A war poem published in a book. |
| B．A great poem which has won many prizes. |
| C．A fine poem downloaded from the Internet. |
| D．A love poem which has been kept secret from others. |
According to Paragraph 4, a student__________.
| A．can send more than one original poem |
| B．must send the poem with his full name on it |
| C．can ask a parent for help while writing the poem |
| D．can’t use the name of the poem as the subject line |
Only the grand-prize winner can________.
| A．visit timeforkids.com for free |
| B．have his poem published on timeforkids.com |
| C．receive an online class visit from poet Kenn Nesbitt |
| D．obtain（获得） a signed copy of one of Nesbitt’s books of poetry. |
Not being the greatest fan in the world of live performance, I took a deep breath before I en tered the building, the castle theatre, and prepared myself to be bored, expecting to find it more interesting to watch the audience than the show. Then I got the shock of my life.
Wadaiko Inchiro are a group of ten young Japanese men and women using traditional drums with a history going back more than 1500 years. The drums were once used for festivals and religious ceremonies and also as a means of communication during wars. Today they give an ear-blasting performance which punches out rhythms with the power to wind you. They’re a welcome relief from the Scottish pipers.
Unlike other performances, the best seats are at the back of the house. Not only will your ears be protected from full blast, but you will get a fantastic view of the whole set. On stage are some of the biggest drums you will ever see and a cast wearing red, white and black headscarf.
There had been almost no publicity for the show, but the house was full of people desperate, one could only assume, for something a bit different from the unrelenting performances appearing at this world-famous festival. The solid 60-minutes show starts as it means to go on. The drums rumble into fever-pitch action as the ten-strong company strike their sticks with startling control. Their rhythmic frenzy almost immediately drugs you into submission. Trapped inside the beating of the drums, you carried swiftly through warrior war cries to emotional rhapsodies（狂想曲）. Not only is this display musically impressive, but the dance is strikingly beautiful. Moving between the enormity（巨大）of the drums, the slight Japanese characters have complete synchronicity（同步性）with the flying of their sticks, which they ceremonially cross and use to command.
The biggest drum is played only by Inchiro, the leader of the group. When I ask why this is so, he refuses to admit that he is being precious about this monster of an instrument and says, “When someone else can play it as I do, I will happily move aside.” Dressed all in red, he stands before it as thought he is worshipping at an altar; as he raises his sticks to the drum, he touches it sometimes tenderly and sometimes murderously. Inchiro and his drum produce a range of sounds from thunder to the trickle of rain.The writer took a deep breath before entering the building because she__________ .
| A．was excited |
| B．knew it would be hot in the theatre |
| C．was nervous |
| D．was preparing herself to be bored |
According to the writer, there were many people watching the performance because________.
| A．the drummers are dressed in different colors |
| B．they wanted to see something unusual |
| C．the people in the group are famous |
| D．the show had been well advertised |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the drums have been linked with religion for a long time |
| B．the show was more exciting at the beginning than at the end |
| C．the drummers make controlled movements with their drums |
| D．the best place to see the show is the seats nearest to the drummers |
Inchiro feels that____________.
| A．no one else should ever play the biggest drum |
| B．he must always make loud noises on his biggest drum |
| C．he is now the only one who can play the biggest drum well enough |
| D．it is very important for him to teach someone else to play the biggest drum |
The word I’m going to introduce to you today is-phubbing. Let’s see the definition of this term:phubbing n. the act of snubbing(冷落)someone in a social setting by looking at your cell phone instead of paying attention As you can probably guess, phubbing is a blend of phone and snubbing. The term was coined by a 23-year-old Melbourne resident Alex Haigh. Obviously, he got fed up with how people are always checking Facebook or Twitter on their phones when they are supposed to be interacting with someone face to face. He wanted to put an end to this social phenomenon, therefore he came up with this catchy term.
And it did catch on. The word’s earliest media mention dates back to June 2012, and in a little over a year’s time, phubbing has already been picked up by almost all the mainstream media outlets one can think of.
Here is a typical example from the British newspaper The Independent. In the article titled The Rise of Phubbing, which was published on August 5, 2013, Tom Chatfield writes, there’s an uncomfortable truth at the heart of phubbing: other people are easier to handle when seen on screen. They’re less likely to demand unreasonable efforts such as undivided attention or clean shirts.
While the term phubbing has undoubtedly taken off, some people question why it is called phubbing instead of phnubbing. Alex Haigh has not personally addressed the issue, but word has it that phubbing sounds more crispy and thus easier to remember.
Phubbing is indeed a univers al problem that can no longer be ignored. So why do people keep phubbing each other if they know it’s rude? Is there anything we can do to stop it? Or maybe we should just be more kind, because sometimes there are good excuses to phub.
I think there is plenty we can do to try and stop phubbing. For starters, we can jo in Alex Haigh in his Stop Phubbing campaign. Remind our friends and family that phubbing is not appreciated. We can also make or download some anti-phubbing posters to spread the word in public places. And don’t forget that some phubbers simply do not realize the harmful effect their behavior has on others，so be b rave enough to stop them, even if you are a total stranger.This passage is mainly talking about __________.
| A．the rise of phubbing in all the mainstream media outlets |
| B．a new term “phubbing”and its problem |
| C．the campaign of keeping phubbing |
| D．different opinions on phubbing |
The author’s attitude towards the act of phubbing can be described as ___________.
| A．bearable | B．Unacceptable |
| C．reasonable | D．understandable |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．People are easier to handle when seen on screen. |
| B．Alex Haigh doesn’t like the term “phnubbing” |
| C．More and more people have become phubbers. |
| D．We can phub if we have proper excuses. |
The writer suggests we should __________.
| A．stop phubbing in public places |
| B．not be afraid of the harmful effect |
| C．be brave to support a st ranger phubbing |
| D．remind our friends of Stop Phubbing campaign |
Your brain isn’t a muscle, but you can treat it like one
Many people focus on physical fitness, but few know that brain fitness is also something you can work on. In fact, you can exercise your brain as often as you do to your arms or legs-and the results can be positive and empowering.
To improve your brain, you can’t simply repeat the same exercises over and over. Just as lifting a two-pound weight will stop challenging you, so will repetitive exercises such as crosswords or Sudoku. Once you master easy exercises, you must move on to harder ones in order to push your brain-like your muscles-to a new level.
The science behind brain training
Scientists once believed that your mental abilities were fixed in adulthood. Since studies have shown just the opposite, millions of people around the world have adopted the new practice of brain training. The most popular of these brain training products is made by the San Francisco-based Lumosity. Lumosity’s scientists with an experienced team of game designers have developed a fun，effective online brain training program that measures, tracks, and adapts to your progress, so you’ll always be challenged.
Promising studies on the effects of brain training
In a 2013 Stanford study, a treatment group of 21 breast cancer survivors used 12 weeks of Lumosity training to work on processing speed, mental flexibility, and working memory tasks. On average, those who trained improved on tests of these abilities, compared to a group that did not train with Lumosity.
There is even some evidence suggesting that Lumosity may be beneficial to normal, healthy adults. In a 2011 study by Lumosity and San Francisco State University researchers. 13 people who trained over 5 weeks improved working memory scores by 10％and attention scores by 20％.
Brain training is designed to meet real-life needs
The design of brain train ing is targeted at real-life benefits instead of improving game scores. Better attention, for example, can mean greater focus in the classroom or at an important business meeting. With improved processing speed, you might react and adapt faster to the demands of a busy life. And a better memory could mean stronger, longer relationships with the people closest to you.We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．brain training speeds up the recovery of breast cancer |
| B．your brain is like a muscle because it gives you power |
| C．people’s mental abilities can’t develop after they grow up |
| D．Lumosity can measure, track and suit your level as you improve |
Which skill may brain training not improve?
| A．Better attention. |
| B．Better writing skills. |
| C．A better memory. |
| D．Higher processing speed. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People should care more about physical health instead of mental health. |
| B．Brain training has been proved effective through scientific researches. |
| C．A bad memory is the only reason for weak relationships with people. |
| D．Playing online games is the best way of brain training. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Brain Training Makes a Difference |
| B．Train Your Brain like a Muscle |
| C．Lumosity, Your Best Choice |
| D．How to Train Your Brain |
Are you single or married? Are you a cat or a dog owner? Do you exercise, or are you a “couch potato” (a person who sits on the sofa all day watching TV, eating and basically doing nothing)? These questions and many others are about your lifestyle.
People in the United States feel that they can choose their lifestyles and even shape their own identities. The great variety of lifestyles leads to constant national discussion of choices that people make. This freedom of choice is fun and exciting, but it also creates stress and uncertainty. In newspapers, lifestyle issues are discussed in the features or style section. In The Chicago Tribune this section is called “Tempo”. People turn to this section for lively discussion on lifestyle choices they face with regard to their personal identities, their families, and their social lives.
Many American people believe that they can make their lives happy and satisfying despite their problems. If they lack confidence or tend to feel anxious, shy, angry, or depressed, they believe that they can change themselves. Self-help books, magazines, and feature articles are filled with advice from experts about steps to take to become a happier or more satisfied person and to improve one’s self-respect. Part of this research for self-improvement is a belief that even one’s own appearance can be controlled. This is why there are so many articles in the newspaper about looking young, wearing the latest fashions, and becoming physically fit.
Lifestyle choices also involve moral and social issues. How should children be raised? How should people behave on a date? How should elderly people be treated? How can people stay happily married? All these kinds of issues are constantly discussed and are constantly changing. Not only are experts such as psychologists consulted, but stars from the political and entertainment worlds are held up as lifestyle leaders as well. In the newspaper, feature articles called profiles（简介）discuss in detail the personal lives or public work of movie stars, authors, artists, and excellent individuals who are not stars. The lifestyle choices these people make contribute to the public discussion of all the issues that people think about.
A well-known advertising slogan is “Just do it.” In the culture of the United States, people believe that they can take action and become the kind of people they want to be and live the way they want to live.The section “Tempo” in The Chicago Tribune mainly discusses _________.
| A．lifestyle choices |
| B．current affairs |
| C．experts’ opinions on life |
| D．how to improve one’s self-respect |
According to the author, Americans are pretty sure that they can _________.
| A．live a happy life in spite of their problems |
| B．solve all the problems in their life |
| C．improve their life by following the elders’ advice |
| D．control their own appearance |
According to the passage, people’s opinions on moral or social issues can be influenced by _________.
| A．their bosses |
| B．family members |
| C．friends and colleagues |
| D．experts and famous people |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Changes in the lifestyle |
| B．Choosing the Way We Live |
| C．Lifestyles in the United States |
| D．Make Our Lives Happy |