If you were like most kids, your mother must have told you there were three no-no’s when it came to your fingers: Don’t put them in an electrical outlet, don’t stick them up your nose (at least not in public), and don’t use them when you are counting. 1. But experts in education and cognition now believe that using your fingers to do math is not only a perfectly good idea but may even help children become superior students.
It certainly makes sense. When children count on their fingers, they take an abstract concept — mathematics — and translate it into the most basic and visual form 2.. Even when we aren’t actually counting on figures, they still can help us on math problems.
3. It activates when we respond to heat, pressure, pain, or the use of a given finger.
Studying brain scans, researchers discovered that when students aged 8 to 13 work on subtraction (减法 ) equations, this region “lights up” on the scans, even if the students aren’t using their fingers. The more complex the problem is, the more activities are detected.
The connection between finger use and math ability has been proved on old-fashioned math tests as well. With their eyes closed, first graders were asked to identify which of their fingers a researcher was touching. 4.. When college students were given the same quiz, the highest scores once again performed best on calculation tests.
So what does all this mean? For one thing, parents and teachers shouldn’t discourage children from counting on their fingers. 5.. Memorizing the multiplication tables may help, but it is not the best option. “I would like to see interesting and creative representations of ideas.” says Jo Boaler, a professor of math education.
Recently, a series of activities have been designed to strengthen students’ perception of their fingers. Maybe in the near future, there will be only two no-no’s regarding the use of fingers.
A.There is a section of the brain, called the somatosensory finger area.
B.Researchers also stress that students simply learn better using visual tools.
C.The first two laws of fingers are as true as ever.
D.That may sound simplistic, but the researchers offer an interesting explanation.
E.Researchers found those scoring highest on the finger-ID questions scored higher on a math test.
F.Researchers are unimpressed by those students who finish quickly as well.
G.In fact, experts believe the brain is built to “see” any process with our fingers.
Young people in the United States do not have a strong understanding of the world and their place in it.
Two U. S.— based groups, the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Geographic, Society commissioned an online survey earlier this year. They wanted to know what young people educated in American colleges knew about geography, U. S. foreign policy, recent international events, and economics.
The survey was given to over 1,200 Americans between the ages of 18 and 26 years. All of them presently attending, or having previously graduated from, a 2- or 4-year college or university.
The average test score, out of 75 total possible answers, was 55 percent. The study identifies a few important problems. For example, only 30 percent knew that the only part of the U. S. government that can declare war is Congress. Only 60% of those taking the survey could identify Brazil on a world map.
Part of the problem, argue the organizers of the survey, is the internet. They say it is becoming harder to find high-quality information about world events amongst all the fake news and trivia which swamp the web. Forty-three percent of those questioned said they read about the news on Facebook.
Another problem is that most college courses do not require students to learn about international issues. If such information is not required, Richard Haass from the Council on Foreign Relations said, then the United States could have leaders like Gary Johnson. He was a recent presidential candidate who did not know about the Syrian city of Aleppo when a reporter asked him about it.
The survey results were not all bad. The young people also demonstrated a good understanding of climate change and renewable energy. And the majority of them said that international issues were becoming more important to them.
Haass says these findings suggest the need to find was to get good information to students, both in school and online. To help, the Council on Foreign Relations is creating a new program called CFR Campus, designed to help build knowledge about global issues.
1.What can we learn about the survey?
A.All the participants were recent university graduates.
B.It was an online survey conducted by two US universities.
C.Its aim is to figure out what the young people know about America.
D.It was given to over 1,200 American people aged from 18 to 26.
2.What’s one reason survey organizers give for young people’s lack of knowledge?
A.Young people are unwilling to travel abroad.
B.The sources from which they get their information.
C.The US university system is of poor quality.
D.Their lack of interest in knowing more about the world.
3.According to the survey, what topic did the young Americans understand best?
A.Environmental matters. B.Geographic information.
C.Foreign relations. D.Government organizations.
4.In which column of a newspaper could we find this article?
A.Economics. B.Entertainment.
C.Politics. D.Education.
Artemis is NASA’s new lunar exploration program. Through the Artemis program, NASA will use new technology to study the Moon in new and better ways, and prepare for human missions to Mars.
NASA’s new rocket will carry the Orion spacecraft to lunar orbit. Then, astronauts will dock (对接) Orion at a small spaceship called the Gateway, from which the crew will take trips to the lunar surface in a new human landing system, and then return to the Gateway. The crew will return to the Earth aboard Orion.
NASA will test the rocket and spacecraft in flight, then send a crew for a test flight:
Artemis 1 will be a test flight of the SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft with no crew.
Artemis 2 will fly SLS and Orion with a crew past the Moon, then circle it and return to the Earth. This trip will be the farthest any human has gone into space.
Artemis 3 will send a crew with the first woman and the next man to land on the Moon by 2024. The Artemis 3 crew will visit the Moon’s South Pole. No one has ever been there.
At the Moon, astronauts will:
Search for the Moon’s water and use it.
Learn how to live and work on the surface of another celestial body (天体) where astronauts are just three days from home.
Test the technologies we need before sending astronauts on missions to Mars, which can take up-to three years round trip.
The Moon is a good place to learn new science. NASA will learn more about the Moon, the Earth and even the Sun. The Moon is a “test bed” for Mars. The Moon is a place to show that astronauts will one day be able to work away from the Earth on Mars for long periods of time.
1.What is the aim of the Artemis program?
A.To help astronauts return to the Earth. B.To be ready for the landing on Mars.
C.To study the Mars using new science. D.To test the Moon landing spacecraft, Orion.
2.Which will be the achievement of the Artemis series?
A.Going to the Moon’s South Pole. B.Making the farthest trip into space.
C.Sending the first man to the Moon. D.Flying to the Moon with three persons.
3.What will Artemis astronauts do on the Moon?
A.Send astronauts to Mars. B.Run a three-year-long test.
C.Find and make use of water. D.Learn to live not far from home.
4.What can we conclude from the text?
A.It is possible to live on another planet now.
B.The crew will reach the lunar surface from the Orion.
C.NASA has sent the first woman astronaut to the Moon.
D.The Artemis program is of great help to Mars exploring.
I always wanted to be extraordinary at something. Not just as in,”Great job, Jimbo!” No, I wanted to be best-in-class, awe-inspiring, tiptop; a world-famous genius,like Michael Phelps or Mark Zuckerberg.
Unfortunately, my version of reality did not quite line up with this delusional vision. I was a good swimmer, but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level. My academic record was pretty solid, but I never would have made it into one of those ivy-league schools.
Though I rose to above-average status in a couple of areas, the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything more than a mid-sized fish in a small pond. God apparently had other plans.
What drove me crazy, though, was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn. Some folks just seemed to get an unfair intensive dose(剂量)of it. Why couldn’t I be like Bernie William, the famed New Yorkees player who also happens to be a world-class jazz guitar virtuoso(艺术大师)?
Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time. Around ten thousand hours, to be precise, according to author Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one’s expertise, but it seems that raw talent is equally important. You either have it or you don’t.
I’ve heard that as people approach middle age, their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations for themselves and the reality. After a few decades of frustration without the desired results, we eventually come to terms with how our lives turned out, even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectation.
Hope bends, it seems.
1.What does the word “delusional” in Para2 most probably mean?
A.Imaginary B.Realistic C.Abstract D.Practical
2.In the passage, the writer thinks of himself as .
A.a world-famous genius B.a mid-sized fish in a small pond
C.a world-class virtuoso D.a student in an ivy-league school
3.According to the writer, what makes “greatness”?
A.Extraordinary efforts B.Ten thousand hours of practice C.Raw talent D.Talent and time
4.Which of the following might be the best title ?
A.Hope Bends B.Frustrating Decades
C.Practice Works D.Youthful Expectation
The local dog park might be getting busier and cat cafés might be opening in every neighborhood, but do you know which traditional pet is the most popular around the world?
United States
The United States is home to the highest number of domestic (驯养的) dogs, cats, and fish, and Americans are more likely to treat their friends like humans. U.S. pet owners spend $50 billion a year on their animal companions, and 36% of dog owners have used some of that money to buy their pet a birthday present.
Russia
According to Russian tradition, keeping a cat as a pet is good fortunate, so it's no surprise the cat is Russia's most popular pet. In 2016, 57% of Russian households contained a cat, compared to the 29% that had dogs. On March 1, Russia celebrates National Cat Day as part of celebrations for World Cat Day.
Brazil
Brazils domestic bird population was about 19 million in 2013, while dogs held top rank at just over 37 million. Brazil has the highest number of small dogs per capital city in the world. The nearly 20 million small dogs are attributed to (归因于) a rapidly-growing middle class living in small urban apartments.
United Kingdom
Dogs and cats rank second and third in Britain, while fishes hold the top spot. It has been linked not only to the low maintenance (维护), but also to the fact that many other pets like dogs or cats are not allowed in some places.
1.Why are the figures mentioned in Paragraph 2?
A.To explain the importance of pets.
B.To show Americans growing wealth.
C.To explain why Americans have pets.
D.To show how Americans love their animal friends.
2.Where are cats regarded as the symbol of good luck?
A.In Brazil. B.In Russia.
C.In the United States. D.In the United Kingdom.
3.What are the most popular pets in the United Kingdom?
A.Dogs. B.Cats.
C.Birds. D.Fishes.
美籍教师Peter在你校工作三年，现即将回国就业。请你以学生会主席李华的名义给他写一封电子邮件表示感谢。内容包括：
1. 表示感谢；
2. 感谢的原因；
3. 表达祝福。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,
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Yours,
Li Hua
