MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are free, but without tutoring, and are open to anyone, anywhere in the world. The courses are flexible – normally three to five hours of study a week – done at any time, short (5 to 10 weeks) and video-rich. They are also heavily dependent on crowd sourcing: you can discuss a course with fellow students through online forums, discussion boards and peer review. Students don't have to finish the courses, pass assessments or do assignments, but, if they do, they get a certification of participation.
The Open University launched FutureLearn, the UK's answer to US platforms such as Coursera, EdX and Udacity, which have been offering MOOCs from top US universities for the past two years. The response has been incredible, with more than three million people registering worldwide. Meanwhile, in 2012, Edinburgh University became the first non-US institution to join Coursera's partnership, comprising 13 universities. “We already run 50 online master's degrees, so this was a logical expansion,” says Professor Jeff Haywood, Edinburgh's vice-principal. “It's an investment in teaching methods research. How am I going to teach introductory philosophy to 100,000 people? That's what I call educational R&D.” He adds “If you look ahead 10 years, you'd expect all students graduating to have taken some online courses, so you've got to research that. Our MOOCs are no more in competition with our degrees than a lifelong learning course because they don't carry credits.”
Cooperation is key, Haywood stresses. It is far better to offer 20-30 courses in your own areas of expertise (专门技能) and let other institutions do likewise. Professor Mike Sharples, FutureLearn's academic lead, goes further: “We've tied the elements available before into a package of courses offered by leading universities worldwide on a new software platform, with a new way of promoting it and also a new social-learning teaching method. You won't just receive an exam, but be able to discuss and mark each other's assignments.”
Bath University, one of more than 20 universities working with FutureLearn, launches its first course, Inside Cancer, next January, and regards MOOCs as a way of breaking down age barriers. "There's no reason why someone doing GCSEs should not look at our MOOCs and get quite a way through them, or someone at PhD level and beyond," says Professor Bernie Morley, expert for learning and teaching.
MOOCs have these features EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．MOOCs are free of charge for anyone |
| B．MOOCs can be adjusted according to people’s learning pace |
| C．MOOCs provide teachers’ instructions if you have some difficulty |
| D．MOOCs have a platform for learners to share their learning experience |
The response to FutureLearn has been thought to be unbelievable mainly because ___________.
| A．all the courses on the platform are available to anyone in the world |
| B．Edinburgh University became the first non-US institution to join it |
| C．the number of people registering in the platform is beyond expectation |
| D．students can get a certification of participation without passing assessments |
What can be inferred from Professor Bernie Morley in the last paragraph?
| A．People with various learning levels will probably show interest in MOOCs. |
| B．People at PhD level have already known everything about MOOCs. |
| C．Inside Cancer will be the most popular course for someone doing GCSEs. |
| D．MOOCs are not so competitive as lifelong learning courses due to the problems of credits. |
The passage mainly deals with ___________.
| A．the various opinions on FutureLearn |
| B．the advantages of online teaching methods |
| C．the popularity of no-credit courses |
| D．the appearance of a new learning platform |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。
Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. .
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping..
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia.. In Califor
nia, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students.wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. . They made posters and talked to other students about it.
. The students at high
schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day.
| A．They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. |
| B．At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and, on TV telling us to “ buy, buy, buy!” |
| C．Buy Nothing Day has successfully persuaded people not buy anything. |
| D．Many people think highly of the idea of Buy Nothing Day. |
E. They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.
F. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day.
G. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29.
In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波纹） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then
sending it off on a journey．”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a l
arge wheel called a turbine （涡轮） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （发电机） ．
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．
The resource is huge．We will never run out of wav
e power, besides, wave energy does not create 
the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money． |
| B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources． |
| C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic． |
| D．Wave power may affect marine animals． |
We can infer from the passage that ______．
| A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy |
| B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world |
| C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world |
| D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution |
The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．
| A．regrets | B．adventures | C．disadvantages | D．difficulties |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Get Electricity by Waves | B．The advantages of Wave Energy |
| C．Can Waves Make Electricity? | D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy |
The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place
Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically(心理上) and physically（身体上）.
Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie 
not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale（秤）instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels.
On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don’t have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pai
n, and that life can be without resistance and struggle.
The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients(营养成分). Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only be
cause the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.
Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemica
ls. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them.One psychological effect of diet products is that people tend to _____.
| A．try out a variety of diet foods | B．hesitate before they enjoy diet foods |
| C．pay attention to their own eating habits | D．watch their weight rather than their diet |
In Paragraph 3, “gain comes without pain” probably means ______.
| A．losing weight is effortless | B．it costs a lot to lose weight |
| C．diet products bring no pain | D．diet products are free from calories |
Diet products indirectly harm people physically because such products ______.
| A．are over-consumed | B．lack basic nutrients |
| C．are short of chemicals | D．provide too much energy |
A good heart
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship(奖学金) to study medicine — but Coach(教练) John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this good-hearted man: “Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things.”
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos(录像) in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others — producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: “I believe it’s the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.”
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails(铁轨), and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he’s not a hero. He says: “We have got to show each other some love.” Mutombo believes that building the new hospital is ______.
| A．helpful to his personal development | B．something he should do for his homeland |
| C．a chance for his friends to share his money | D．a way of showing his respect to the NBA |
What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?
| A．Produce safety equipment for children. | B．Make videos to help protect children. |
| C．Sell children’s music and artwork. | D．Look for missing and exploited children. |
Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero?
| A．He helped a man get across the rails. | B．He stopped a man from destroying the rails. |
| C．He protected two little girls from getting hurt. | D．He saved a person without considering his own safety. |
The title of the passage is most like
ly to be_______________.
| A．Three Stories | B．Heroes of Our Time |
| C．Be Ready to Help Others | D．To Be a Kind Person |
At one time, people used to travel to foreign countries because they thought they would be different from home—the building, the food, the national dress. Nowadays, however, one large city is very like another. They all have their Hilton or Sheraton Hotels which look Hilton or Sheraton Hotels everywhere. They all have their McDonald’s, their KFCs, their Pizza Huts. Office buildings look the same everywhere, and most city centers are full of office buildings. And, of course, people are driving the same brands of Japanese or European cars, usually wearing the same kinds of clothing and the world’s airlines are all flying the same aircraft, Boeings or Airbuses.
What, therefore, is the purpose of foreign travel for people who are not on business? What do tourists hope to experience in a foreign country that they cannot experience at home? Why travel to foreign countries at all? The answer could be that people are very interested in the past. It is a nation’s history that is its main attraction. Most of today’s tourists travel overseas to find out what foreign countries and cultures used to be like, not what they are like today. The words “cultural tourism” are now part of the language of tourism, and it is the museums and works of art in many countries that are their main attractions.
If they are lucky—and have had sensible, strong governments—many countries also usually have at least a few beautiful places for tourists to visit.
Finally there is perhaps a nation’s greatest attraction: its people. A nation is not just its historical buildings, its works of art or beautiful places, it is also the people who live in it. This is why a country such as Thailand attracts millions of people every year. They come mainly because of the friendliness of the Thai people. It is why the Pacific Islands are also so popular. There may not be much to see or do in Fiji, but there are lots of friendly, smiling people to make visitors feel welcome.The passage is mainly about .
| A．the importance of tourism | B．different foreign cultures |
| C．how to plan an overseas trip | D．why people travel to foreign countries |
The writer thinks that large cities in foreign countries .
| A．are similar to one another | B．share the same aircraft |
| C．do not have good hotels | D．do not offer a warm service to foreigners |
The writer believes that many tourists are interested in foreign.
| A．hotels | B．history | C．cars | D．programs |
The underlined phrase “cultural tourism” means .
| A．visiting lots of museums | B．traveling overseas |
| C．studying the history of a foreign country | D．tourists being interested in a nation’s past and ideas |