In a class this past December, after I wrote some directions on the board for students about their final examination, one young woman quickly took a picture of the board using her smart phone. When I looked in her direction, she apologized: “Sorry. Was it wrong to take a picture?”
“I can’t read my own handwriting,”the young woman explained. “It’s best if I take a picture of your writing so I can understand the notes.”
That remark started a class-wide conversation about taking a picture instead of taking notes. For those in the photo-taking camp, motivations extended beyond their inability to comprehend their own handwriting. Some took pictures of notes because they knew their phone was a safe place to store material. They might lose paper, they reasoned, but they wouldn’t lose their phones. Some took photos because they wanted to record exactly the manner in which I had noted information on the board. Others told me that during class they liked to be able to listen to the discussion attentively.
Yet the use of cameras as note takers, though it may be convenient, does raise significant questions for the classroom. Is a picture an effective replacement for the process of note-taking?
Instructors encourage students to take notes because the act of doing so is more than merely recording necessary information—it helps prepare the way for understanding. Encouraging students to take notes may be an old-fashioned instructional method, but just because a method has a long history doesn’t mean it’s out of date. Writing things down engages a student’s brain in listening, visual, and kinesthetic(触觉的)learning—a view supported by a longstanding research. The act of writing down information enables a person to begin committing it to memory, and to process and combine it, establishing the building blocks of learning new concepts.
Taking a picture does indeed record the information, but it deletes some of the necessary mental engagement that taking notes employs. So can the two be equally effective?
I’m not sure how to measure the effectiveness of either method. For now, I allow students to take notes however they see fit—handwritten or photographed—because I figure that some notes, no matter the method of note-taking, are better than none.The woman apologized in the class because she____.
| A．took a picture of the board |
| B．missed the teachers’ directions |
| C．had the bad handwriting |
| D．disturbed other students’ learning |
Students refuse to take notes by hand because_____.
| A．they are unable to take notes |
| B．they are more likely to lose notes |
| C．they are interested in using their phones |
| D．they have a good memory of teachers’ instructions |
According to the passage, taking notes by hand_______.
| A．requires students to think independently |
| B．is unsuitable for students to learn new ideas |
| C．helps students actively participate in learning |
| D．proves to be an old and useless learning method |
What’s the author’s opinion towards taking notes by phones?
| A．Supportive. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Disapproving. |
Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice．However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner．
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters．Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers．She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris．
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics．When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities（设备）to help save the lives of wounded soldiers．Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium．Her services were recognized in the form of a Military’s Medal by the French government．
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute．In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work．They soon fell in love and were married in 1926．Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later．
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career．Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935．Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity（辐射能）．Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956．Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?
| A．Because she received a degree in mathematics． |
| B．Because she contributed to saving the wounded． |
| C．Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic． |
| D．Because she worked as a helper to her mother． |
Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?
| A．At the Curie Institute． | B．At the university of Paris． |
| C．At a military hospital． | D．At the College of Sevigne． |
When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?
| A．In 1932． | B．In 1927． | C．In 1897． | D．In 1926． |
In which of the following aspects was Irene Curie different from her mother?
| A．Irene worked with radioactivity． | B．Irene combined family and career． |
| C．Irene won the Nobel Prize once | D．Irene died from leukemia |
Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best．For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces．One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings．But why go to all that trouble when cities are full of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt （柏油） roads?
Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer．He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up．The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside．
The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes．Most of them run from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road．Some, however, dive deep into the ground．
When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes．At a depth of 100 meters lies a natural aquifer （蓄水层） into which several heat exchangers （交换器） have been built．The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warming the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe．The aquifer is thus used as a heat store．
In winter, the working system is changed slightly．Water is pumped through the heat exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer．This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up．After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice．Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss． |
| B．Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities． |
| C．The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used． |
| D．Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads． |
For what purpose are the diving pipes used?
| A．To absorb heat from the sun． | B．To store heat for future use． |
| C．To turn solar energy into heat energy． | D．To carry heat down below the surface． |
From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．
| A．some pipes have to be re-arranged in winter |
| B．the system can do more than warming up the building |
| C．the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surface |
| D．less heat may be collected in winter than in summer |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A．What we shall do if the system goes wrong． |
| B．What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads． |
| C．How the system cools the building in summer． |
| D．How the system collects heat in spring and autumn． |
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bikes to work every day. In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They declare that if more people rode bikes to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air form car engines.
For several years, this group had been trying to get the city government to help bike riders. For example, they want the city to draw special lanes(车道) for bikes on some of the main streets, because when bike riders must use the same lanes as cars there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.
But no bike lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business.
The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park—the largest place open ground in New York— is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bikes only.In New York, a group of bike riders__________.
A．are keepi ng practicing for health |
| B．have no cars of their own |
| C．are complaining there are not enough buses |
| D．are trying to settle the problem of air pollution |
The bike riders suggest that __________.
| A．bikes should be used instead of cars | B．bike lanes should be drawn |
| C．fewer buses or cars should be used | D．the number of special lanes should be decreased |
The advantage of the special lanes is that__________.
| A．they will make cars and buses run slowly |
| B．they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks |
| C．they will make the city more beautiful |
| D．they will prevent accidents |
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, 
Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut.” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “she used to cuddle up（拥抱） with me on the sofa and talk.” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, Children like to tell their parents what’is on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list.” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years.” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, and then maybe their teachers and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to fi
nd ways to talk and write 
to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with children is a better way to know them. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son__________.
| A．is always busy with his studies |
| B．doesn’t want to be disturbed |
| C．keeps himself away from his parents |
| D．begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that__________.
| A．their daughter isn’t as lovely as before |
| B．they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly |
| C．they don’t know what to say to their daughter |
| D．their daughter talks with them only when she needs help |
Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
| A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. |
| B．Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
| C．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
| D．Teenagers talk little about their own lives. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
| B．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers. |
| C．Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. |
| D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |
Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have. A US accent, perhaps modeled on the way a Hollywood star speaks? Or maybe you want to imitate（模仿） the British accent of a BBC news reader?
Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent. Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex! Let’s listen to what they have to say.
Stephen Yang, 17, from London, UK
A US accent is cute, especially when a girl speaks it. Whether it’s Jessia Alba speaking or the girl- next-door, the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle that is really sassy(时髦). A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood. Her Texan twang（鼻音） had all the boys here on their knees within seconds of meeting her.
To me, accents reflect the attitudes, characteristics and lifestyles of the people.
Jennifer Sun, 16, from New Jersey, US
From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe, my friends and I have developed a soft spot for British men. Some are attracted to the qualities of English males, while others admire their sense of style.
Everyone, however, agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent. For example, many American gir
ls watch Harry Potter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak.
The English accent seems almost like art.In Stephen Yang’s opinion, accents
just show__________.
| A．the beauty of the language | B．how the language is spoken |
| C．the cultural differences of the speakers | D．the fashion of the day |
The underlined word “cute “probabl
y means__________.
| A．strange | B．exciting | C．attractive |
D．fashionable |
Many American girls watch Harry Porter again and again in order to __________.
| A．learn the acting skills of the these stars |
| B．learn the magic performed by Harry Potter |
| C．imitate the actors’ accents |
| D．know more about British English |
What is probably the best title for this passage?
A．British English and Am erican English |
| B．British Accent or American Accent |
| C．American English Accent is Most Accepted |
| D．The difference between British Accent and American Accent. |