There he was, turning the corner of Hawl...

    We know that a smart phone app can bring us a lot of benefits when we learn another  language. 1. Many of us have to endure hours of school lessons with our heads buried in textbooks. It's no wonder then that technology appears to be providing a better way of learning.

Having a smartphone means you can have a virtual teacher with you wherever you go, and there is certainly a huge demand for language learning apps. Many app developers are keen to cash in on the demand, hoping to share a piece of the app market. 2.One of many popular apps, Duolingo, offers 91 courses in 30 languages and has more than 300 million users.

3.They offer languages not popular enough to be taught at evening classes, or at most universities. And others offer' invented' language courses in Esperanto, Elvish and Star Trek's Klingon-lessons you might not find in a traditional classroom. Whatever you want to learn, apps allow you to go at your own pace and fit learning around other commitments. But they're not perfect-you might not get your head round the grammar. Lacking the peer support you could get in a classroom environment is a challenge, too.

So, does technology spell the end of traditional classrooms and teachers? Guy Baron, head of modern languages at Aberystwyth University, thinks not. He told the BBC that the apps are very conversational. . . they're not designed for degrees, but they could be additional resources. 4.

Certainly technology is going to help in and outside the classroom. But motivation can be a problem when using an app. 5.Of course, if you have a genuine reason to learn another language, you will no doubt stick with it.

A.There are numerous learning apps available.

B.Some educational apps are targeted at specific small groups.

C.A coming message may easily get distracted from your online lessons.

D.The content may be not what you really want and it is quite a waste of time.

E.Apps should be used alongside classroom methods, not separated from traditional teaching.

F.It opens doors, makes you more employable, helps you make new friends, and it's fun too.

G.Attending a real lesson, facing a real teacher, probably helps you to be more devoted.

    There has been a lot of such news lately. As far as the problems with today's schools are concerned, we can go back to how our culture has evolved.

In general, our culture, as represented in the media, gets excited by famous stars, and stresses that it's what you have, not what you are, that counts. Parents are  encouraged to be away from even very small children for most of the day. Too many people vote for politicians who would rather cut school funding than stop tax cuts for the wealthy. All contribute greatly to the problems of educating our children.

Today's teachers have to deal with a culture that is vastly different than in the past. They report that there is, among more children than ever, a lack of motivation, no drive to succeed or even try. In the media, the role models that boys see mostly consist of men in comedies and other shows, who are rude and often extremely childish; self-centered overpaid athletes; men in movies, television or video games, who are violent and powerful. As Leonard Sax wrote in Boys Adrift, "Teenage boys are looking for models of mature adulthood, but we no longer make any collective effort to provide such models."

Girls are attacked not only with such annoying images of males, but also with women who are extremely materialistic.

In such a cultural environment, it is more important than ever to have responsible parents who are devoted to their children and see to it as their duty to model for them and raise them with high standards of honesty and responsibility. They need to care enough to see that their children are not attacked with the rubbish that comes from movie, television and computer screens.

In today's culture, they are basically alone in this effort since, unfortunately, so much is working against them. Until we, as a culture, face the truth about ourselves- that we are not providing adequately for a great many of our children, as Jim Taylor titled his book "Your Children are Under Attack”。

1.What does "such news" in the beginning most probably involve?

A.Cultural evolution. B.Financial risk from tax cuts.

C.Problems in education. D.Social influence of the media.

2.What does today's culture bring to the children?

A.Narrow access to entertainment. B.Poor social abilities.

C.Few materialistic models. D.Too much negative effect.

3.What do parents have to do in today's culture?

A.Find more models for their children.

B.Keep their kids from the bad effect of the media.

C.Forbid their children to use computers.

D.Encourage their children to stay at school.

4.What is the author's attitude towards today's culture?

A.Indifferent. B.Ambiguous.

C.Dissatisfied. D.Approving.

    As doctors performed surgery on Dagmar Turner's brain, the sound of a violin filled the operating room. The music came from the patient on the operating table. In a video  from the surgery, the violinist was moving her bow(琴弓)up and down as surgeons behind a plastic sheet worked to remove her brain tumor(肿瘤).The King's College Hospital surgeons woke her up in the middle of the operation in order to ensure they did not damage parts of the brain necessary for playing the violin and keep her hand's functions intact.

Turner, 53, learned that she had a slow-growing tumor. Later doctors found that it  had become more aggressive and the violinist decided to have surgery to remove it. Turner recalled doctors telling her, "Your tumor is on the right-hand side, so it will not affect your right hand, it will affect your left hand. "Staring down at her left hand, she said, “This is my most important part. My job these days is playing the violin, which is my passion. ”

" We knew how important the violin is to Turner, so it was vital that we preserved function in the delicate areas of her brain that allowed her to play, "Keyoumars Ashkan, a  doctor at King's College Hospital, said in a press release.

Before Turner's operation, Ashkan and his colleagues spent two hours carefully  mapping her brain to identify areas that were active when she played the violin and those controlling language and movement. Waking her up during surgery then allowed doctors to monitor whether those parts were suffering damage. The surgery was a success. Ashkan said, "We managed to remove over 90 percent of the tumour, including all areas suspicious of aggressive activity, while retaining full function of her left hand."

Brad Mahon, expert at Carnegie Mellon University, said the basic features of an "awake craniotomy"-the type of brain surgery where patients are awake in order to avoid damage to critical brain areas--have remained largely unchanged for decades. For example, doctors have long used simple tests such as asking a patient to name what they're seeing in pictures to make sure language ability is preserved.

But he said that doctors are now able to map the patient's brain activity in great detail before the surgery, using an imaging technique called functional MRI. That means surgeons are coming into the operating room with tar more information about a specific patient's brain. That kind of information helps doctors tailor tests to a patient's particular needs.

1.What does the underlined word “intact" mean in the first paragraph?

A.strong B.sound

C.talented D.influential

2.Why did Ashkan and his colleagues map Turner's brain before operation?

A.To keep her brain more active when she played the violin.

B.To monitor whether her brain had suffered damage severely.

C.To recognize the areas related to music and movement precisely.

D.To remove the tumor while keeping all function of her brain.

3.What can we know according to Brad Mahon?

A.Doctors are using an imaging technique to monitor the surgery.

B.Patients are asleep to protect critical brain areas in a surgery.

C.A patient's language ability couldn't be preserved before.

D.Surgeons can personalize a patient's operation by mapping his brain.

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A.Musician joined in her own brain surgery

B.Mapping a brain is realized after surgery

C.The violinist suffers from a brain tumor

D.Doctors perform surgery on a brain

    A few years back I worked in a university building that also housed an entire department full of psychologists, all of whom seemed to see us as perfect guinea pigs(实验对象） for their latest studies. I learned to be cautious about answering seemingly casual  questions in the elevator. If one of them showed up in my office bearing a plate of snacks and asked me to pick some, I'd cast a doubtful glance and ask "Why?" before grabbing the apple fritter.

So one day, when someone from the Psychology Department posted instructions in the bathroom advising us to think about five things you're grateful for every day for a week, my response was frankly suspicious. I did the math. Five things a day for seven days is a lot of brainpower to consume without so much as the promise of an apple fritter.

I wandered into the office of Zetzer, the director of our school's Psychological Services Clinic. That was when I first heard the term" positive psychology" and discovered that "the gratitude thing", as Heidi had explained it. "It's only a week, "she urged. "Try it. ” So I did.

I started looking for my five moments of gratitude in each day. By the end of that  week, I found myself slowing down a little and taking time to notice things I might have walked past before, including a bunch of young students laughing together, They are so smart and optimistic, giving me so much hope for the future!

I couldn't be more grateful to my wonderful husband. He's a great cook. He always puts our family first. My oldest son took his vacation to come and help out at home. He took me to all my medical appointments, and made me laugh by titling his spring break "Driving Miss Leslie. "The kindness of a colleague with a green thumb made sure my plants stayed alive until I could care for them again.

Life will never be perfect, I still see news stories that distress me. But with just one simple exercise, I'm rediscovering the deep meaning of old sayings: accepting the things I cannot change, working to change what I can, and being wise enough to know the difference.

And all it took was a little gratitude.

1.Why did the author hesitate about the snacks offered by psychologists?

A.She had no appetite for snacks.

B.She didn't think snacks could show gratitude.

C.She disliked those psychologists.

D.She cared about what to be paid for them.

2.What can we infer from the second paragraph of the passage?

A.The instructions seemed to make sense to Leslie.

B.No one would behave as the instructions suggested.

C.Leslie had no intention of following the instructions.

D.The psychologists were actually playing a joke.

3.What did Leslie achieve at last?

A.She overcame her psychological problem.

B.She realized how hard it was to be grateful.

C.She found Heidi was really a reliable doctor.

D.She learned to be positive and show gratitude.

Winter Adventures Await in the Canadian Rockies

Alberta is the top destination for the outdoor wonderland experiences and the chilly winter is the hottest season of the year for you to adventure in the most beautiful, magical, powerful places on the planet and keeps you coming back. Here are tips for experiencing some of the best adventures winter has to offer in Alberta.

Hit the slopes

Set deep in what's widely regarded as the world's most scenic ski area at Banff National Park, the Lake Louise Ski Resort invites everyone from first-timers to advanced shredders to its 4, 200 acres of skiable area.

Climb a frozen waterfall

Jasper National Park, part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site, has an area of 6, 759 square miles of mountains, glacial peaks and forests. Rivers lead to steep falls, which freeze into ice climbs as early as October and valley climbs form just a month later. While experienced climbers can cope with the frozen waterfalls without a guide, beginners need not shy away:basic training courses are offered for free.

Blaze a trail in the snow

The Athabasca Glacier is an ancient relic among the massive Columbia Ice field. While it's recommended to access the glacier only with an experienced guide, the area surrounding it offers cross-country snowshoeing trails that lead to it. No matter your mode of transport, this area is one of the darkest in Canada, which means the night sky provides a perfect backdrop for the dancing northern lights-so dress extra warm and struggle through the deep snow to glimpse one of nature's most colorful wonders.

Hidden gem

The month-long Snow-Day festival takes over Banff National Park each January. Cultural and sporting events, including ice carving and the Big Bear ski and rail competition, unfold throughout the event, but the real treat comes at the start, when live music fills the streets during the party, and a beer garden and ice fire pit keep the tourists warm.

The most splendid winter sunset can be seen throughout Alberta. As Mike Libecki, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, says, Alberta is one that keeps him coming back.

1.What is a unique activity in the Jasper National Park?

A.Adventuring in the Canadian Rockies. B.Climbing the frozen waterfalls.

C.Watching beautiful sunset. D.Skiing in the snow mountain.

2.Which would be a destination for those who are eager to enjoy polar lights?

A.Banff National Park B.Jasper National Park

C.The Athabasca Glacier D.The Lake Louise Ski Resort

3.When is the best time for tourists to visit Banff National Park?

A.In early October. B.In late November.

C.At the beginning of January. D.In the middle of December.

4.What is Alberta most probably?

A.It is a region full of tourist resources in Canada.

B.It is the highest peak of the Canadian Rockies.

C.It is a beautiful village surrounded by attractions.

D.It is the biggest national park in Canada.