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take notes may be an old-fashioned instructional method, but just because a method has a long history doesn’t mean it’s out of date.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. |
I am a single working mother and going to college for a better life for my three-year-old child and myself. I am taking a nurse course called “Urban Community（社区）”. We were asked to do a major project on problems in urban communities. I chose the topic “Homeless”.
Each day I would walk down the streets of the homeless and offer them something to drink and to eat. I know it’s tough to survive on the streets. Last night I ran into a group of 30 kids who were living on the streets in New York. My heart went out to them and I just wanted to cry. But I had to be strong.
I asked about their families and if they contacted them to let them know they were alive. Most of them said, “NO!” They all looked like a happy family and they took care of one another. I tried to persuade them to get help and to contact their families but they did not want to. I did not want to make them to do it as they had their own reasons.
All these kids were very respectful. None of them was high on drugs nor were they drinking. Some of them enjoyed reading and writing. Some of them enjoyed skateboarding, dancing and playing music.
One girl asked me if I could give her a hug and I did so. She started to cry and said, “Thank you for not treating us as freaks（怪人）like everyone else does. People don’t realize that we all have our own problems and some are worse than others.” She told me that her stepfather （继父） was extremely mean to her and her mother did not believe her. She ran away. Her street name was Little Mary.
They were good kids just trying to make ends meet. I told them that I didn’t have much to offer because I was a single mother just making ends meet. I had offered them sandwiches and drinks. They were so happy to have something to eat and told me that I couldn’t change the world but at least there was someone who really cared.The author is _______.
| A．a homeless mother with a three-year-old kid |
| B．a single mother who attends college in New York |
| C．a teacher who teaches the “Urban Community” course |
| D．a full-time housewife with a three-year-old kid |
What does “My heart went out to them” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．My heart was taken away by them. |
| B．I wanted to hug them |
| C．I felt sympathy for them |
| D．I fell in love with them |
What kind of feeling did the author show when she failed to persuade the children to contact their families?
| A．Sorrow | B．Anxiety | C．Anger | D．Understanding |
Little Mary left home and became a wanderer because ________.
| A．her stepfather didn’t want to live with her |
| B．her stepfather treated her so badly that she was injured |
| C．her mother treated her so badly that she felt hurt |
| D．her mother didn’t believe her and her stepfather treated her badly. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A Story of a Single Mother |
| B．Care for the Homeless Kids |
| C．An Urban Community |
| D．How to Survive on the Streets |
Umbrella is what we easily forget and leave behind in our daily life. When the weather is fine, we certainly don’t think of it; only when it's raining, we’ll carry it purposefully. But as soon as the rain stops, most likely we’ll forget we’ve put it. It has to wait patiently and pitifully for
owner to claim it, otherwise it’ll remain alone as a deserted umbrella.
Once I suddenly found my longtime (use) umbrella “disappeared”. I really got lost and regretted quite some time
my own carelessness.
Several days later, out of my (expect), I saw it quietly stand in a corner of the house where I worked. I was extremely glad to regain it. Looking carefully at it, though it was so familiar
me, I found for the first time its wooden handle
（wear）out as a result of repeated rain-wash for years. I sought for it only when I needed it. It occurred to me that I should have paid
(much) attention to it.
It sets me thinking. Around us there are always people giving us support in silence just likeumbrella that protects us from the rain or any wretched weather. Will gou think of those individuals
have helped you get through difficlty when you are leading a comfortable life?
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
Reuters－Apple cofounder Steve Jobs，who changed the daily habits of millions by reinventing computing，music and mobile phones，died of pancreatic cancer(胰腺癌)at the age of 56.Jobs was surrounded by his wife and immediate family when he died in Palo Alto，California. Jobs，a Buddhist，was born in San Francisco. He started Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak in his parents' garage in 1976.
World leaders，business rivals and fans lamented his passing and celebrated his achievements. Apple loses a visionary leader who inspired personal computing and world-known products such as the iPod，iPhone and iPad，which made Jobs one of the greatest industry leaders of his generation. Jobs stepped down as CEO in August 2011 and handed the power to operations chief Tim Cook.
“The world has lost a genius. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented，” U．S. President Barack Obama said in a statement. “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him，it's been a great honor，” said Microsoft's Bill Gates，who once defeated Jobs but has seen the leading status replaced by the Apple cofounder in recent years. Fans paid homage to Jobs outside Apple stores around the world，from Los Angeles to Sydney.
A college dropout and the son of adoptive parents，Jobs changed the technology world in the late 1970s，when the Apple Ⅱbecame the first personal computer to gain customers. Apple Wednesday paid homage to its visionary leader by changing its website to a big black-and-white photograph of him with the words “Steve Jobs：1955 －2011”．
Outside Jobs' house in Palo Alto，neighbors and friends left flowers and drew messages with markers on the sidewalk. “Thanks for changing the world，” read one. “He was special for the area，like part of the family，” said Robert Blum，who brought flowers with his eight-year-old son，Daniel.The underlined word “passing” in Paragraph 2 can be best replaced by “________”．
| A．death |
| B．achievements |
| C．suffering |
| D．wisdom |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco. |
| B．Fans remembered Steve Jobs outside Apple stores around the world. |
| C．The iPod，iPhone and iPad are Steve Jobs' creative products. |
| D．Steve Jobs graduated from college with good performance. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Apple and its excellent CEO |
| B．A man who rocked the whole world |
| C．Apple's visionary Steve Jobs died at 56 |
| D．Steve Jobs，a dear family member that never dies |
| Home Laundry Automatic Dryer Product Full Two Year Warranty(保修) Limited Five Year Warranty on Cabinet(机箱) |
|
| Warranty Provides for: FIRST TWO YEARS Amana will repair or replace any faulty part free of charge. THIRD THRU FIFTH YEARS Amana will provide a free replacement part for any cabinet which proves faulty due to rust |
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| Warranty Limitations: • Warranty begins at date of original purchase. • Applies only to product used within the United States or in Canada if product is approved by Canadian Standards Association when shipped from factory. • Products used on a commercial or rental basis are not covered by this warranty. • Service must be performed by an Amana servicer. • Adjustments covered during first year only. |
Owner’s Responsibilities: • Provide sales receipt. • Normal care and maintenance. • Having the product reasonably accessible for service. • Pay for service calls related to product installation or usage instructions. • Pay for extra service costs, over normal service charges, if servicer is requested to perform service outside servicer’s normal business hours. |
| Warranty Docs Not Cover It If: • Product has damage due to product alteration, connection to an improper electrical supply, shipping and handling, accident, fire, floods, lightning or other conditions beyond the control of Amana. • Product is improperly installed or applied. |
In no event shall Amana be responsible for consequential damages. ★ ★This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have others which vary from state to state. For example, some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you. |
According to Warranty Limitations, a product can be under warranty if ______ .
A. shipped from a Canadian factor
B. rented for home use
C. repaired by the user himself
D. used in the U.S.A.According to Owner’s Responsibilities, an owner has to pay for ______ .
| A．the loss of the sales receipt |
| B．a servicer’s overtime work |
| C．the product installation |
| D．a mechanic's transportation |
Which of the following is true according to the warranty?
| A．Consequential damages are excluded across America. |
| B．A product damaged in a natural disaster is covered by the warranty. |
| C．A faulty cabinet due to rust can be replaced free in the second year. |
| D．Free repair is available for a product used improperly in the first year. |
Why does the writer mention Warranty Limitations ?
| A．To arouse the readers’ attention |
| B．Users must know something about the product in case that you are involved in some problems |
| C．Users must know something about the product. |
| D．Know something about the products used on a commercial or rental basis |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．It informs all aspects of the Home Laundry Automatic Dryer Product about the warranty |
| B．Anything wrong about the Home Laundry Automatic Dryer Product can be in warranty. |
| C．Servicer can use the Home Laundry Automatic Dryer Product freely |
| D．Service must be performed by an Amana servicer. |
Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. “Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money buying at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.” Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products.
“Here in 2012, $252 on average–the technology spend for consumers this year.” From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. “It’s kind of hard to make a decision.”
Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.
“The hardware inside is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.” Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest group of apps that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”
Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. “You can literally take a picture, upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”
Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.
With the growing popularity of Internet shopping, many consumers will visit a store first to look at a product, and then go online to find it at a lower price. Stores like Best Buy understand that and they want to stay competitive.
“We have something called the perfect match promise which means if you buy a certain device and you find it cheaper within 30 days we’ll go ahead and price match that for you.” Elman Chacon said.According to Brain Tong, ________.
| A．the Apple’s iPad Mini is more suitable for enthusiastic readers |
| B．the hardware in iPad Mini is more advanced than that in Nexus 7 |
| C．iPad Mini is more eco-friendly |
| D．Nexus 7 has fewer apps than iPad Mini |
If you’ve discovered that a certain device you bought at Best Buy is more expensive than one at another store, ________.
| A．you are sure to get double the amount you paid |
| B．the store will return the price differences |
| C．you can return the device and get your money back |
| D．the store will lower the price within 30 days |
Which of the following would be the best gift for a cab driver?
| A．Smart cameras. | B．Streaming media boxes. |
| C．Tablet computers. | D．Wireless speaker systems. |
What is true about the smart cameras ?
| A．To show the varieties of products |
| B．The smart cameras are more powerful. |
| C．It can make the users upload their photographs easily . |
| D．The smart cameras makes it more convenient to go on Internet . |
From the passage , we can infer _______ .
| A．Electronics have become one of the biggest consumer industries in the US. |
| B．There are many electronics in the United States . |
| C．The US becomes the Number One electronics consumers . |
| D．We can buy much cheaper products in US . |