If we agree that the function of education is to prepare us for life, then there is very little time to waste. So, while we can, we ought to concentrate on teaching children something really useful. Here is what our school should teach.
Politeness is a mark of civilization. The sooner children learn this, the better. In any case, a lot can be accomplished by a smile and good manners.
Like it or not, our adult lives will be consumed by the struggle for money, but we don’t make an effort to teach children how to manage it. So our schools have a duty to teach them this ability from the beginning.
We’re likely no accept something we are told, but that’s not what educated people do. Educated people are reasonable and they look at facts. If our schools teach nothing else, they should at least teach critical(批判性的)thinking.
Children should learn to take care of their health. They should know that if they eat junk food(垃圾食品), they will become fat and unhealthy. They should be very clear about what happens to their bodies when they drink or smoke.
All of us are part of society. We have rights and responsibilities. We ought to understand what they are. We have to know a little bit of history and geography, because we need to have an environment in which to relate to the people around us.
How will we test students on these? We can’t. But that’s not a reason to avoid teaching what is important. Our schools should spend every moment they have telling this to our children: ”This is life, this is what you are going to face, and this is how you deal with it.”
Title |
Very Useful |
Introduction |
Education should be a |
Advice |
Important things should be taught in |
Teaching |
●How to behave ●The basic skill of ●How to ●How to keep ●The rights and responsibilities one has in |
Conclusion |
Children should be taught what |
Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places:
lVisit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids' interest. Many offer workshops for making land-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writer, and even musical performances and other arts.
lHead to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龙) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up.
lGo to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet(木偶)making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find.
lTry hands-on science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They'll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums.If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit .
A.a Youtheater | B.an art museum |
C.a natural history museum | D.a hands-on science museum |
What can kids do at a Youtheater?
A.Look at rock collections. | B.See dinosaur models. |
C.Watch puppet making. | D.Give performances. |
What does "hands-on science" mean in the last paragraph?
A.Science games designed by kids. | B.Learning science by doing things. |
C.A show of kids' science work. | D.Reading science books. |
Where does this text probably come from?
A.A science textbook. | B.A tourist map. |
C.A museum guide. | D.A news report. |
You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.
First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let’s start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle (角度) to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45° angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn’t flap (摆动). It shouldn’t look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can’t go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.What should you consider first while sailing?
A.Sailors’ strength. | B.Wave levels. | C.Wind directions. | D.Size of sails. |
What does the word “It” underlined in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A.The boat. | B.The wind. | C.The sail. | D.The angle. |
What do you have to do when sailing against the wind?
A.Move in a straight line. | B.Allow the sail to flap. |
C.Lower the sail. | D.Tack the boat. |
Where can you probably find the text?
A.In a popular magazine. | B.In a tourist guidebook. |
C.In a physics textbook. | D.In an official report. |
At Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the lights are controlled by sensors that measure sunlight. They dim immediately when it’s sunny and brighten when a passing cloud blocks the sun.
A wall of windows at a University of Pennsylvania engineering building has built-in blinds (百叶窗) controlled by a computer program that follows the sun’s path. Buildings are getting smarter and the next generation of building materials is expected to do even more.
Windows could catch the sun’s energy to heat water. Sensors that measure the carbon dioxide breathed out by people in a room could determine whether the air conditioning needs to be turned up.
Many new materials and technology have been designed in the last 15 years. They are now being used in a wave of buildings designed to save as much energy as possible. They include old ideas, like “green roofs”, where a belt of plants on a roof helps the building keep heat in winter and stay cool in summer, and new ideas, like special coating for windows that lets light in, but keeps heat out.
As technologies such as sensors become cheaper, their uses spread.
The elevators at Seven World Trade Center, which is under construction in New York, use a system that groups people traveling to nearby floors into the same elevator, thus saving elevator stops. People who work in the building will enter it by swiping (刷) ID cards that will tell the elevators their floor, readouts will then tell them which elevator to use. The building also has windows with a coating that blocks heat while letting in light.
More new building materials and technology are in development. A Philadelphia building firm is now working on “smart wrap” that uses tiny solar collectors to catch the sun’s energy and transmitters (传输器) as wide as a human hair to move it. They are expected to change the face of the construction industry in the next ten years or so.________ will be developed and used in the construction industry.
A.“Green roofs” that cool or heat buildings |
B.“Smart wrap” that catches the sun’s energy |
C.Sunlight-measuring sensors that control lights |
D.Window coating that lets light in, but keeps heat out |
The elevators at Seven World Trade Center are special because they can ________.
A.send people to floors with fewer stops |
B.teach people how to use their ID cards |
C.make people stay very cool in summer |
D.help people go traveling in the building |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A.a human hair | B.smart wrap | C.the sun’s energy | D.a transmitter |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A.Buildings Are Becoming Smarter |
B.Buildings Are Getting More Sunlight |
C.Buildings Are Lacking in Much Energy |
D.Buildings Are Using Cheaper Materials |
Four out of ten women who diet end up heavier than when they started watching their waistline, a study revealed today. The research also showed that a large percentage of women start noticing the pounds creeping back on just 21 days after reaching their ideal weight.
Yesterday, Dr Ian Campbell of the Jenny Craig weight management program said, ‘In the UK 61.4 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Successful weight management requires a long-term commitment in order to lose weight successfully and for good. Dieting can be a real challenge so setting realistic goals and remaining focused on them is important. Otherwise as this research shows, women could end up heavier than when they started.’
The “Food, Body, Mind” report was publicized by Jenny Craig who quizzed 2000 women aged between 18 and 65 who diet regularly on their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around weight loss. Six in ten said they were currently on a diet and one in five women said they were on a continuous diet.
It found the most common triggers to start dieting was seeing their reflection in the mirror, preparing for a summer holiday or unflattering photos posted on social networking sites. Other popular reasons include comments by friends or relatives or their other half.
However, the study showed that one in ten give up within one day, while almost a fifth manage to make it to a week or more. The average is ten days. Many blamed pressure they put on themselves to lose weight too quickly for the weight gain, which leaves them with a bigger appetite than normal. Others blamed colleagues, who tuck into fatty lunches and snacks unaware of the effect it has on the dieter, while mothers’ polishing off(吃光)their children's leftovers was another common cause of weight gain. Which of the following might be the best title for this article?
A.Diet: a tricky path to weight loss |
B.Important things for successful diet |
C.Four in ten women gain weight on diets |
D.Obesity: problem for 61.4% adults in UK |
In the UK, women who go on a diet ________.
A.are all overweight or obese |
B.all fail because they are not persistent enough |
C.are likely to gain weight again after reaching their ideal weight |
D.end up heavier than when they start to diet |
The underlined word “triggers” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.
A.effects | B.causes | C.examples | D.imagination |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why many people stop dieting very soon?
A.The pressure they put on themselves to lose weight quickly. |
B.Colleagues who give them fatty lunches and snacks. |
C.Leftovers of children’s taken by their mothers. |
D.Reflections they see in the mirror. |
Washington, November 1, 2012 (CNN) -- After years of planning and months of campaigning(竞选), the most expensive presidential race in history comes down to a final five-day whirlwind of speeches and television ads in the eight states still up for grabs.
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to hold virtually nonstop events between now and the Tuesday election considered too close to call.
The focus is on battleground states worth 95 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Both sides are trying to close the deal with a decreasing number of uncommitted(未表态的) voters, while making sure supporters actually cast ballots.
That means a game of campaign chess that started Thursday, with appearances by the candidates (候选人)and their assistants as well as advertising dollars allocated to the places considered most vital to success.
Concluding a race expected to cost more than $6 billion overall, Obama and Romney and their running mates will hit all the battleground states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. The campaigns also are unloading a blast of television ads and mailings that threaten to overwhelm voters already saturated with politicking. Perhaps no one said it better than 4-year-old Abigael Evans of Fort Collins, Colorado, who -- according to NPR -- cried after listening to more election coverage on the radio and told her mother, ‘I'm tired of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.’The underlined phrase “too close to call” probably means .
A.a game that one side is clearly winning. |
B.a tie in which neither side seems likely to win |
C.so close that you need not use a telephone |
D.a visit close to one’s home state |
What is the focus of the last-5 -day campaigns for both presidential candidates?
A.To make sure that their supporters understand their policies. |
B.To collect enough money for campaign ads. |
C.To paint their rival as black as possible. |
D.To win over the voters who have not decide which candidate to vote for. |
The public generally feel ________ about these last-days election efforts.
A.excited | B.disappointed | C.annoyed | D.relieved |