A 17-year-old boy, caught sending text messages in class, was recently sent to the vice principal's office at Millwood High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The vice principal, Steve Gallagher, told the boy he needed to focus on the teacher, not his cellphone. The boy listened politely and nodded, and that's when Mr. Gallagher noticed the student's fingers moving on his lap. He was texting while being scolded for texting!
"It was a subconscious(下意识的) act," said Mr. Gallagher, who took the phone away. "Young people today are connected socially from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they close their eyes at night. It's addictive(上瘾的). They can’t simply stop doing that."
Because so many people in their teens and early 20s are in this constant whir of socializing – accessible(易接近的) to each other every minute of the day via cellphone, instant messaging and social-networking Web sites -- there are a host of new questions that need to be addressed in schools, in the workplace and at home. Chief among them: How much work can "hyper-socializing" students or employees really accomplish if they are holding multiple conversations with friends via text-messaging, or are obsessively checking Facebook? Almost a quarter of today's teens check Facebook more than 10 times a day, according to a 2009 survey by Common Sense Media, a non-profit group that monitors media's impact on families.
Will these young people get rid of this habit once they enter the work force, or will employers come to see texting and "social-network checking" as accepted parts of the workday?
"In past generations, students got in trouble for passing notes in class. Now students are adept at texting with their phones still in their pockets," said 40-year-old Mr. Gallagher, "and they're able to communicate with someone one floor down and three rows over. Students are just fundamentally different today. They will take suspensions(休学) rather than give up their phones."
1.When the boy was scolded for texting, _________________.
A. he was polite and regretful
B. he was trying sending another message
C. his fingers shouldn’t be put on his lap
D. he listened carefully and nodded
2.From what the boy did we know___________.
A. Using the cellphone is addictive for the boy
B. The boy will stop using the cellphone
C. The boy will leave school
D. The boy wasn’t willing to accept being scolded
3.What can we learn about the students in their teens and early 20s?
A. All of them are addicted to using cellphones.
B. They will get rid of the habit once they go to work.
C. They are greatly different from the past generations.
D. Most of them check Facebook more than 10 times a day.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Facebook is a kind of book students need to read at school.
B. The employers will accept texting at workday.
C. The students will give up their phones one day.
D. It’s convenient for students to communicate with others with cellphones.
Years ago, I lived in a building in a large city. The next building was only a few feet away from mine. There was a woman living there, and I had never met her, yet I could see she sat by her window each afternoon, sewing or reading.
After several months had gone by, I began to notice that her window was dirty. Everything was unclear through the dirty window. I would say to myself. “I wonder why that woman doesn’t wash her window. It really looks terrible.”
One bright morning I decided to clean my flat, including washing the window on the inside.
Late in the afternoon when I finished the cleaning, I sat down by the window with a cup of coffee for a rest. What a surprise! Across the way, the woman sitting by her window was clearly visible (看见). Her window was clean!
Then it dawned on me. I had been criticizing (批评) her dirty window, but all the time I was watching hers through my own dirty window.
That was quite an important lesson for me. How often had I looked at and criticized others through the dirty window of my heart, through my own shortcomings?
Since then, whenever I wanted to judge (评判) someone, I asked myself first, “Am I looking at him through my own dirty window?” I try to clean the window of my own world so that I may see the world about me more clearly.
1.The writer couldn’t see everything clearly through the window because _______.
A. the writer’s window was dirty
B. the woman’s window was dirty
C. the woman lived nearby
D. the writer was near-sighted
2. “It dawned on me” in paragraph5 probably means “_______”.
A. it began to get dark
B. it cheered me up
C. I began to understand it
D. I knew it grew light
3. It’s clear that ________.
A. they lived in a small town
B. the writer often washed the window
C. they both worked as cleaners
D. the writer had never met the woman before
4.From the passage, we can learn _______.
A. one shouldn’t criticize others very often
B. one should often make his windows clean
C. one must judge himself before he judges others
D. one must look at others through his dirty windows
It was at 6 a.m. that I arrived in the hospital kitchen. “Hi, I’m Janet.” I tried to sound cheerful, although I already knew that it was to work with Rose.
Rose, a middle-aged woman, stopped what she was doing and me over her glasses. I could tell from her expression that she wasn’t to see a student worker.
“What do you want me to do? the coffee?” Rose and went away. I filled the pot with cold water and began making coffee when Rose suddenly and took over, “That’s not the to make coffee.” I was as I just followed the steps our supervisor (视导员) showed us.
I did pleased her. All morning her eyes missed nothing and her words me. Totally tired, I came home late that afternoon. Fighting back , I thought of my situation alone in my room. Should I see if my supervisor would change my ? But I didn’t want to . Then I had the answer — I needed to her.
Working with Rose the next morning, I her sharp words and did things in her way as much as possible. Things began to over the next few days. She became to me. As I worked with this woman, I listened to her — something no one else had done.
I never Rose again after that summer, but I still remember her. That summer I learned a that love is the best way to turn an enemy into a friend.
1.A. useful B. difficult C. strange D. interesting
2.A. looked at B. shouted at C. smiled at D. cared about
3.A. sad B. nervous C. pleased D. interested
4.A. Serve B. Make C. Buy D. Find
5.A. spoke B. bent C. nodded D. stood
6.A. appeared B. decided C. agreed D. calmed
7.A. time B. place C. way D. student
8.A. shocked B. excited C. bored D. serious
9.A. Something B. Nothing C. Anything D. Everything
10.A. attracted B. moved C. taught D. hurt
11.A. kindness B. worry C. pride D. tears
12.A. work B. project C. mind D. tool
13.A. get down B. go away C. give in D. come up
14.A. notice B. love C. show D. trust
15.A. enjoyed B. judged C. ignored D. considered
16.A. happen B. change C. worsen D. arise
17.A. helpful B. angry C. friendly D. grateful
18.A. young B. lonely C. strong D. kind
19.A. refuse B. mention C. call D. see
20.A. lesson B. word C. story D. way
At present, you do meet with some difficulty in English learning, but you will have a good knowledge of it.
A. by accident B.in time
C. as usual D. now that
No one knows the age of the old man wandering in the street all day, but judging from his appearance, he is in his sixties.
A. approximately B. exactly
C. actually D. gradually
At the Boao Forum on March 28, 2015 President Xi said, “When looking at China's economy, one should not focus on growth rate only. As the economy continues to grow in size, around 7% growth would be quite_____”.
A. slight B. wealthy
C. fundamental D. impressive
