When given the choice, about 85% of people say they would not want to know about some negative event far in the future. Yet recently millions around the globe have downloaded FaceApp, which allows users to see how they might age in real life.
Many had fun with joking that they love the FaceApp old filter. Beneath the humor is a serious subject: How do we learn to relate to our future selves? It’s important that we try to because it could help strengthen the long-term decisions that we make. However, we often fail to make sacrifices for the grayer versions of ourselves.
More than half of the respondents in a recent survey of 2,800 Americans said they rarely or never thought about what their lives might be like 30 years from now. This isn’t surprising, since most of us are firmly rooted in the present and thinking about the distant future can seem like a distant priority (优先). My ongoing research might also offer an explanation: We tend to think about our future selves as if they are someone different from who we are today. In an effort to narrow these empathy (共情) gaps, my research workmates and I have tried to humanize people’s future selves in the same way others have tried to humanize charity receivers. Given that a photograph of one hungry child can spark emotional reactions, and cause viewers to donate, we have presented participants with vivid images of their distant selves.
That seems helpful. In a recently completed project in Mexico, we found that exposure to future-self images led more people to contribute to their pensions. Despite this research, I’m skeptical that the app users will suddenly increase their pension contributions and care about their health. The silly app isn’t paired with an immediate opportunity to change any of these things.
The lesson from FaceApp shouldn’t be that we need to marry hi-tech visuals with savings for retirement. The lesson, then, lakes the form of a question: What more can be done to urge us to think about, care for who we will one day become?
1.What can we learn about FaceApp?
A.It provides future-self images. B.It is the most downloaded app.
C.It helps people make decisions. D.It makes people age in real life.
2.Why do most respondents rarely think of their future life?
A.They have known future life from FaceApp.
B.They fail to make sacrifices for their future.
C.They attach greater importance to the present.
D.They consider future selves the same as today’s.
3.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A.Completing a project in Mexico. B.Offering aging images of participants.
C.Raising contributions among viewers. D.Giving a photograph of a hungry child.
4.What’s the author’s attitude to FaceApp?
A.Positive. B.Doubtful. C.Ambiguous. D.Unfavorable.
It seems every major city and town around the world hosts an annual marathon, with thousands of athletes running a gruelling 42.1 kilometres. While many runners' motivation is to beat their personal best and cross the finishing line without collapsing, they're also doing it for a good cause—to generate funds for charity. But like other major events, the marathon also generates a massive carbon footprint. Thousands travel —some by plane—to the location, and waste from food packaging and goody bags gets left behind by spectators and runners. This is becoming a big issue for cities—how to host a worthwhile event, encouraging people to exercise and help charities, while protecting the environment? Several cities have developed formal plans to reduce their environmental impact and promote sustainable （可持续的） ideas. One event in Wales, for example, introduced recycling for old running kit .
It's something that this year's London Marathon tried to tackle by reducing the number of drink stations on the running route, giving out water in paper cups and offering some drinks in eatable seaweed capsules. They also trialled new bottle belts made from recycled plastic so 700 runners could carry water bottles with them during their run. London Marathon event director Hugh Brasner told the BBC: “There are a lot of initiatives （倡议） we are using this year that we think will lead to some huge behavioural changes in the future.”
Meanwhile, some people still think running a marathon could be our best foot forward in helping the planet. Dr Andrea Collins from Cardiff University told the BBC: “Training for a marathon makes you more sustainable in day-to-day activities. I started walking or running to work every day and shunning public transport altogether. Being environmentally friendly while training sticks with you and becomes a way of life. ”
1.Why do many people enter for a marathon?
A.To achieve their own ambitions.
B.To generate a massive carbon footprint.
C.To improve themselves both physically and mentally.
D.To challenge their personal limitations and raise money for charities.
2.What did Hugh Brasner think of this year's London Marathon?
A.It may bring a large profit to London.
B.It saved a lot of water resources and power.
C.It may improve people's behaviour in the future.
D.It may make Londoners more friendly when running a marathon.
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “shunning” in the last paragraph?
A.Damaging. B.Avoiding.
C.Choosing. D.Changing.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Running a marathon can make more money.
B.Running a marathon can do great damage to the earth.
C.Running a marathon can change people's life completely.
D.Running a marathon can contribute to protecting the earth.
The famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem he has is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
This is both encouraging and discouraging. The fact that we were all born to be artists is certainly exciting, and yet the reality has proven that remaining one is a task that many of us have failed.
Fortunately, some people have seen the problem and want to solve it.
Western educators have suggested that we introduce the concept of “STEAM” instead of “STEM” - traditional “core majors” including science, technology, engineering, and math -since the “A”, which stands for “arts”, is just as important.
And on April 11, China’s Ministry of Education issued a guideline. Colleges and universities are required to provide more art-related courses and students need to earn a certain number of art credits in order to graduate.
These efforts came after many scientific studies had found that art education helps students develop self-confidence and teamwork skills, as well as habits of mind such as problem solving and critical thinking, according to The Washington Post.
It’s true that none of these skills target specific jobs. But as former US ballet dancer Damian
Woetzel told The Atlantic, the purpose of art is “to give kids the tools to become adults who are creative, adaptable, and expressive - capable of having their eyes and ears and senses alive”.And we can now see how we lost track of our born “artist self” on our way to growing up: We failed to keep our capabilities to see, hear and feel, and became blind, deaf and insensitive adults.
Hopefully, art education can help turn things around.
1.What is the function of the first paragraph?
A.To introduce a famous artist. B.To summarize the whole passage.
C.To lead in the topic. D.To encourage us to be artists.
2.Why should the concept of “STEAM” be introduced according to western educators?
A.Art is as important as traditional “core majors”.
B.All of us should learn art in college.
C.Traditional “core majors” are out of date.
D.Western education is more helpful.
3.What can we predict from the guideline issued by China’s Ministry of education?
A.More art-related courses will appear in all schools.
B.College students will have to gain enough art credits to graduate.
C.More students will major in art at colleges and universities.
D.Art will become much more important than science.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.Every child is an artist B.Bringing art to life
C.Learning from the artists D.Life is art
Foods of the Future
We asked young scientists to write an advertisement that answers this question: How will food options, food availability, and individuals’ food choices change in the future? A selection of their suggested marketing campaigns is below. Read previous NextGen Voices survey results at http://science.sciencemag.org/collection/nextgen-voices. — Jennifer Sills
Personalized Meal Plans
Send us your DNA, and we will predict your food preferences! Receive your personalized food basket, with a day-by-day diet program. We will send you full meals and personalized smoothies (水果奶昔) based on your genetic taste tendency.
Ada Gabriela Blidner
Twitter:@adagbb
Fresh Fruit
If you miss sweet temperate fruits, welcome to our Moon Farm. Our fruit trees are planted in hybrid-soil and artificial air that reproduce Earth’s environment from 5000 years ago. Pick fruits with your family or ship to your doorstep with MoonEx. Freshness guaranteed.
Yongsheng Ji
Email: jiyongshengkey@hotmail.com
Meat
Our steaks are sourced from natural grasslands, where cattle now fill the ecological roles. With FoodFootprint feeding system, we enhance natural grazing (放牧) to improve animal growth effectively while minimizing methane production and water consumption. At only $219.00/kg (including carbon taxes and ecological taxes), our steaks are affordable for the whole family.
Falko Buschke
Email: falko. buschke@gmail. com
1.Which of the following needs you to provide the information of your genes?
A.Meat. B.Fresh Fruit.
C.NextGen Voices. D.Personalized Meal Plans.
2.Who should you contact if you want to have fun with your family?
A.Jennifer Sills. B.Yongsheng Ji.
C.Falko Buschke. D.Ada Gabriela Blidner.
3.Which of the following best describes the steaks in Meat?
A.Fresh. B.Green.
C.Expensive. D.Personalized.
假定你是李华，你的笔友Peter所在的林肯中学将举办中国文化周活动，他来信向你寻求活动相关建议。请你给他回信，内容要点包括：
1. 活动内容及形式；
2. 说明推荐理由；
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 可能用到的词汇：剪纸 paper-cutting 书法 calligraphy
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有 10 处语言错误，每句中 最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线()划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改 10 处，多者(从第 11 处起)不计分。
It’s been two years when I joined the campus radio station. During this time, I had done several interviews. Every time I finish to writing an article, I am proud of myself for able to introduce my schoolmates to the things I’ve seen. It was difficult at times, but when I saw my stories publish in our school newspaper, you knew that it was something worth doing. My parents, teachers and schoolmates congratulated me on that I did. I felt happily when I shared a new story with them. The greatest thing about being the reporter is exchanging idea with others.
