The kids in this village wear dirty, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts made of sticks and mud. They have no school. Yet they all can chant the English alphabet, and some can make words.
The key to their success: 20 tablet computers(平板电脑) dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a U.S. group called One Laptop Per Child.
The goal is to find out whether kids using today’s new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing the project data say they’re already amazed. “What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten,” said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program.
The fastest learner—and the first to turn on one of the tablets—is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse. The device’s camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had figured out its workings and made the camera work. He called himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia.
With his tablet, Kelbasa rearranged the letters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own. “Seven months ago he didn’t know any English. That’s unbelievable,” said Keller.
The project aims to get kids to a stage called “deep reading,” where they can read to learn. It won’t be in Amharic, Ethiopia’s first language, but in English, which is widely seen as the ticket to higher paying jobs.How does the Ethiopia program benefit the kids in the village?
| A．It trains teachers for them. |
| B．It contributes to their self-study. |
| C．It helps raise their living standards. |
| D．It provides funds for building schools. |
It amazed Keller that with the tablet Kelbesa could _______.
| A． write letters to researchers. |
| B．draw pictures of animals. |
| C．learn English words quickly. |
| D．make phone calls to his friends. |
What is the aim of the project?
| A．To offer Ethiopians higher paying jobs. |
| B．To make Amharic widely used in the world. |
| C．To help Ethiopian kids read to learn in English. |
| D．To assist Ethiopians in learning their first language. |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates(气候), where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease.
Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?
| A．They eat too much for lunch. |
| B．They sleep too little at night. |
| C．Their body temperature becomes lower. |
| D．The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?
| A．About 12:30 pm. | B．About 1:30 pm. |
| C．About 2:30 pm | D．About 3:30 pm |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Taking a Rest |
| B．Taking a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern. |
| D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate. |
Many countries follow special customs when a child’s baby teeth fall out. Many of these customs tell stories about animals taking the teeth.
For example, Koreans have the custom of throwing the fallen tooth onto the roof of a house so that a magpie (喜鹊) can take the tooth away and bring a new tooth for the child. This custom is also followed by some other Asian countries, such as Japan and Vietnam.
Other countries, though, have tooth customs about other animals. In Mexico and Spain, for example, it is thought that a mouse takes a fallen tooth away and leaves some money. But in Mongolia, it is dogs that take children’s teeth away. Dogs are highly respected in Mongolian culture. It is believed that the new tooth will grow strong if the baby tooth is fed to a dog, so parents in Mongolia will put their children’s fallen teeth in a piece of meat and feed it to a dog.
In France and the USA, a child will put a fallen tooth under his or her pillow before going to bed. It is thought that in the early morning, when the child is still sleeping, the Tooth Fairy will take the tooth away and leave something else under the pillow. What she will leave is hard to know. It is said that in France the Tooth Fairy may leave some candies; however, in the United States, she may leave money.Koreans throw a tooth onto the roof of a house in order to __________.
| A．get money | B．feed magpies |
| C．get candies | D．get a new tooth |
In Vietnam, if a child’s tooth falls out, he or she will __________.
| A．throw it onto the roof of a house |
| B．feed it to a mouse |
| C．put it in a piece of meat and feed the meat to a dog |
| D．leave it to the Tooth Fairy |
From the last paragraph, we can know that in France and the USA _________.
| A．a child will put his or her fallen tooth beside the pillow |
| B．the Tooth Fairy takes the fallen teeth away at midnight |
| C．the Tooth Fairy will leave some candies to the children after taking the fallen teeth away |
| D．no one knows for sure what the Tooth Fairy will leave to the children after taking the fallen teeth away |
The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．customs about fallen teeth in western countries |
| B．customs about fallen teeth in different countries |
| C．stories about human teeth |
| D．stories about some animals |
In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something that both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. In the UK people usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching. “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may comment on the transport system. “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”Small talk is ________.
| A．a kind of conversation with short words |
| B．a greeting used when people meet each other |
| C．to let people disagree about something |
| D．something we talk about to start a conversation |
The favorite topic of small talk for English people is _________.
| A．the weather | B．politics |
| C．games | D．languages |
The passage suggests that when we learn a language _________.
| A．we should learn about the transport system of the country |
| B．we should only master the grammar and the vocabulary |
| C．we should learn the culture of the country |
| D．we should understand the importance of the language |
When we say “Great game, isn’t it?”, we are in fact __________.
| A．asking a question | B．having a conversation |
| C．make a comment | D．making small talk |
Anybody who’s noticed so many sweaty Sunday-morning photos on the Internet must think that marathons have recently regained popularity．According to Running USA，an organization that tracks the sport’s growth，52 percent of runners today track themselves with some sort of GPS-enabled device，like a smart phone or a fitness tracker．This statistic has likely played a role in running’s growing appeal--the easily available tracking information has attracted people to the sport，and kept them going，for it’s possible for anyone to see in real time how it’s affecting their bodias.
Today，free smart phone apps can give runners information on things like the number and length of their steps，their heart rate，even the estimated volume of oxygen they consume per minute．All this information can act as a reward and a motivator for the runner．“It’s one thing to hear encouragement from a coach．”Bryan Boyle，editor of Runner’s World magazine，explains．“It’s quite another，however，to appreciate-at a glance-progress made during weeks and months of running．’’
But run—tracking technology doesn’t just help runners train harder. It also gives them the power to train more intelligently．Recreational runners today no longer have to guess how far or how fast they’ve run，or what their body is doing．If they can monitor their heart rate，they can make sure they’re hitting the most strategic pace on each run，which can significantly increase their chances of having a positive experience on the course during race day．
No matter how much technology can promote the experience of running，though，many runners argue that the biggest benefit of the sport remains the chance to get outdoors，away from the computer，for an hour．“There’s so much more to experience，” adds Boyle．“fresh air，travel，shoot，just overall feeling better．There’s no app for that．”We can infer from the first paragraph that ．
| A．people enjoy posting sports pictures on the Internet |
| B．Running USA plays a key role in the growth of running |
| C．tracking technology is drawing more people on the road |
| D．run—tracking devices help people run faster than before |
Which of the following questions are the second and third paragraphs intended to answer?
| A．What information can run—tracking devices provide for the runners? |
| B．How is the run—tracking technology popularizing running? |
| C．In what way is run—tracking technology developed? |
| D．Why do people have to rely on wearable devices in modern society? |
As for the experienced runners，what attracts them most is ．
| A．the exciting experience technology brings them |
| B．a chance to enjoy nature outdoors |
| C．becoming popular on social media |
| D．being cool with a new wearable device on the road |
I saw a dear friend a few days ago and stopped by to ask her how she was doing．She looked up，voice lowered，just complaining：“I'm so busy…have so much going on”
Almost immediately after，I ran into another friend and asked him how he was．Again，the same tone，the same response：“I'm just so busy…got so much to do．”
Their responses knocked me down．How did we create a world in which we have more and more to do with less time for leisure，less time for reflection，less time for community? When did we forget that we are human beings，not human doings? What happened to a world in which we can sit with the people we love so much and have slow conversations with meaningful pauses and silences that we are in no rush to fill?
This disease of being “busy” is spiritually destructive to our health and well-being．It weakens our ability to be fully present with those we love the most in our families, and keeps us from forming the kind of community that we all so desperately tong for．
I don’t have any magical solutions．All I know is that we are losing the ability to live a truly human life．I am always a prisoner of hope, but I wonder if we are willing to make a change to our so-called busyness of life．Somehow we need a different model of organizing our lives，our societies，and our families．
I want us to have a kind of existence where we can pause，look each other in the eye，touch one another，and ask ourselves：Here is how my heart is doing，I am taking the time to reflect on my own existence，and I know how to express the state of my heart．
What’s the result of the busy lifestyle?
| A．People will become forgetful in their everyday life． |
| B．People are beginning to find some time for leisure． |
| C．People may lose the ability of enjoying their life． |
| D．People will further understand the importance of community． |
How can we live a relaxed and balanced life according to the author?
| A．By seeking help from local families． |
| B．By improving our working ability． |
| C．By reconstructing the model of our lives． |
| D．By creating a smarter open community． |
Calling himself a prisoner of hope，the author means that .
| A．he thinks people won’t change |
| B．he actually has magical solutions |
| C．it is harmful to have many hopes |
| D．he is always optimistic about life |
What is the purpose of the author writing the article?
| A．To express concerns about people’s complaints． |
| B．To criticize and reflect on the people’s present lifestyle． |
| C．To voice his opinions on how to live a simple life． |
| D．To question whether it is possible to live a slow life． |