Play time is in short supply for young children these days and the lifelong consequences for developing children can be more serious than many people realize.
An article in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Play details not only how much children’s play time has declined, but how this lack of play affects emotional development, leading to the rise of anxiety, depression, and problems of attention and self control. “Since about 1955, children’s free play has been continually declining, at least partly because adults have applied ever-increasing control over children’s activities.” says the author Peter Gray, Ph. D, Professor of Psychology at Boston College.
We can describe the unstructured freely-chosen play as a testing ground for life. It provides critical life experiences without which young children cannot develop into confident and competent adults. So kids need more of it, not less. Because play is how young children learn important social and emotional skills such as sharing, cooperating, communicating, and empathizing. It helps them develop fit bodies, strong minds, and brave hearts, so they can take on new challenges and risky situations.
Gray’s article is meant to serve as a wake-up call regarding the effects of lost play. We must know that lack of childhood free play time is a huge loss that must be paid attention to for the sake of our children and society. But parents who keep a lookout over and disturb their children’s play are a big part of the problem. It is hard to find groups of children outdoors at all, and, if you do find them, they are likely to be wearing school uniforms and following the directions of coaches while their parents dutifully watch and cheer.
Actually, when children are in charge of their own play, it provides a foundation for their future mental health as older children and adults. Play gives children a chance to find and develop a connection to their own self-identified and self-guided interest. It is through play that children first learn to make decisions, solve problems, improve self-control, and follow rules. Play helps children make friends and learn to get along with each other as equals. Most importantly, play is a source of happiness.
When parents realize the major role that free play can take in the development of emotionally healthy children and adults, they may wish to reassess the priorities ruling their children’s lives. The needs for childcare, academic and athletic success and children’s safety is important. But perhaps parents can begin to identify small changes——such as openings in the schedule, backing off from quite so many supervised (有监督的) activities, and possibly slightly less keeping watch on the playground that would start the slow returning to the direction of free, imaginative-directed play.
1.What do we know from the first two paragraphs?
A. The rise of children’s anxiety is more serious than people realize.
B. Lack of play time leads to kids’ unhealthy emotional development.
C. More young children are suffering from depression due to free play.
D. Playing too much leads to problems of kids’ attention and self control.
2.According to Peter Gray, unstructured freely-chosen play _______ .
A. is full of challenges and risky situations
B. should be balanced with adult-directed activities
C. does harm to children’s confidence and competence
D. has good effect on children’s social and emotional skills
3.The article is intended for ____________.
A. parents B. teachers
C. coaches D. children
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Do Children Need More Self-guided Play?
B. Are Children Interested in Guided Play?
C. Can Children Guide Themselves?
D. Are Children’s Problems Serious?
A recent experiment proves that bees can save time and energy when they fly around to different flowers.
Dr Nigel Raine, from the Royal Holloway University of London, has always been interested in finding out why animal behave like they do. He is also interested in bees. It was not a surprise when he and some other scientists from Queen Mary University of London discovered that bees can quickly solve a problem that takes computers many days.
Flowers make pollen (花粉), and when bees visit them, they carry the pollen to other flowers. The plants need the pollen to make seeds that will grow. Dr Raine notes that we get a lot of our food from plants, so it is important to know how the bees move around and take the pollen between flowers. The scientists wanted to examine the journey that the bees take and how they save energy when they do this. They completed the experiment on the roof of Queen Mary University, using artificial flowers and a large amount of nectar, a sweet liquid produced by flowers. They taught one bee to visit all the flowers in one place at the same time. When the bee got to know the location of the flowers well, they saw how it flew around and returned home with the nectar. After this, they changed the locations of the flowers. The scientists thought the bee would follow the route it knew already. This would mean that it followed a longer route than it needed to, and so it would use more energy. They watched the bee carefully as it travelled between the flowers in their new location, and they made notes. But in the experiment, the bee changed its route and flew a shorter distance.
The problem that the bee solved is similar to a maths puzzle called the ‘travelling salesman problem’. A salesman who goes to different places to sell things wants to travel the shortest distance. But he has to calculate the length of many possible routes to know which one is the shortest. A computer can calculate this but the experiment shows bees can do the same calculation quickly with a tiny brain. Scientists are very interested in how they do this. It would help us to understand how pollen is moved around. In addition, if they find this out, it could help us to improve communication networks. This might help humans to reduce traffic jams when there is an accident, for example.
1.The underlined word “nectar” in the third paragraph means_________.
A. powder B. honey
C. vitamin D. water
2.The researcher’s experiment found _________.
A. bees could manage to avoid accidents
B. bees showed signs of being very intelligent
C. bees could take the same route they knew before
D. bees were faster at calculating distance than computers
3.According to the last paragraph, the next step of the study is to discover how _______.
A. pollen is moved around
B. traffic jams can be reduced
C. bees can calculate so quickly
D. communication networks are improved
4.Where does this passage probably come from?
A. A novel. B. A website.
C. A science magazine. D. An advertisement.
WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL REALITY CINEMA AMSTERDAM
World’s First Virtual Reality Cinema
Going to the VR CINEMA offers you the opportunity to watch movies like you’ve never done before. You can see 360 degree movies using a VR headset. In the VR CINEMA, ringing mobile phones and noisy visitors belong to the past. Furthermore, traditional red cinema chairs or the big white screen are nowhere to be found. Instead, a Samsung Galaxy S6 (smart phone) together with the Samsung Gear VR (virtual reality glasses) transports you to a completely new world. Headphones shut out background noise, and above all, offer super sound quality. Turning chairs allow you to freely look around and see what’s happening above, below, behind, in front, on the right and on the left side of you. So no sore neck, we promise.
In the VR CINEMA, you will experience 30 minutes of the coolest virtual reality films. We proudly present four film selections in different themes in order to please every virtual reality lover. Are you brave enough for our scary films? Will you immerse (沉浸于) yourself in VR documentaries from around the globe? Do you prefer to go on an adventurous journey like no other? Or do your kids want to swim with dolphins, interact with magical characters, and experience the moving stories beyond imagination? Supernatural, Documentary, Journey and Fun are waiting for you!
For kids, young and older ones, there’s the cheerful and colourful selection. The only thing you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the VR experience of your choice.
Location: Oosterdokskade 5, 1011 AD Amsterdam The Netherlands
Tel: +31(0) 6 27 00 69 16
E-mail: mail@thevrcinema.com
Ticket Price: ￡12.5
Opening hours: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 14:00-21:00
Saturday & Sunday: 12:00-22:00
1.According to paragraph1, we know that the headphone functions as a(n)_________.
A. cellphone B. screen
C. earphone D. reader
2.What is the VR CINEMA like?
A. It has a big white screen. B. It is full of noisy visitors.
C. It offers 360 degree movies. D. It is equipped with red chairs.
3.What’s the main purpose of the text?
A. To introduce new VR films. B. To present VR film schedules.
C. To report development of VR films. D. To attract people to the VR CINEMA.
I grew to be a tall girl but I tried to be as ordinary as possible. At school, I always chose a seat in the back of the room, and never raised my hand in class. When I was 16, I went to my new school. And I liked the English teacher. In my last year in high school, however, we were told that a new English teacher, Oliver Bascom, was going to teach us.
Oliver Bascom! The girls laughed as we imagined a short and bald（秃头的）man．The situation was not funny, because this man would teach us for the whole year. Surprisingly, after we opened the door, there in front of the blackboard, we saw a young and handsome man!
What followed was chaos, seventeen-year-old girls flying to get to seats in the front of the room. And I managed to get a front and center desk.
I really wanted to make a good impression on my new teacher, but I usually kept quiet. The day that directions were given for our first major writing assignment, I arrived late to class. A friend later gave me the guidelines and I thought I understood them. I worked the whole weekend on the essay and waited nervously for Mr. Bascom’s evaluation.
After three days, he arrived in class holding the corrected papers. “I’ve chosen the ten best essays for class discussion.” he said.
Twenty minutes later, my heart sank when he got to the last essay, and I didn’t hear my name.
“These are all great essays,” Mr. Bascom continued. “However, I am now going to read you the most successful of all…” We were all surprised as I was the author of this unusual work. A different girl walked out of the classroom that day. I knew that I had a new set of standards to live up to and that anything was possible in the future. Finally, I raised my head.
1.Before 16, the author______.
A. was not active in class B. behaved badly in class
C. couldn’t fit in high school D. disliked her English teacher
2.When the girls first saw their new teacher, they_______.
A. played a joke on his name B. rushed to get the back seats
C. became totally quiet at once D. were attracted by his appearance
3.When the teacher announced the most successful work, the author felt______.
A. calm and relaxed B. amazed and excited
C. upset and puzzled D. anxious and disappointed
4.Through the experience, the author _______.
A. gained her self-confidence
B. came top of the class in English
C. decided to work harder at writing
D. dreamed of being a teacher in the future
Overcome the Fear for Your Dream
I stood nervously behind the red curtain and glanced out across the stage. A girl about my age sat at a piano; I could see her fingertips moving over the black and white keys in front of her. The beautiful melody (旋律) was so relaxing, ________ my body tensed with anxiety.
My body ________ when the girl stood up from the bench. It was finally my turn. A part of me wanted to run home and ________ under my bed, but I knew I had chosen to ________. When the girl onstage walked toward me, I could hear my heart beating ________. The girl had a proud smile on her face and when she passed me, I heard her say “Good ________”!
“Well, here goes nothing.” I said to myself.
I stepped onto the ________ and walked slowly toward the piano. The bright lights nearly ________ me, making it difficult to see the audience. When I reached the ________, I automatically slid onto the bench into position. The sounds of whispering and people walking around gave way to complete silence. I stared at my ________ fingers and for a moment my mind went ________. Closing my eyes, I imagined the music sitting in front of me and tried to recall every tiny detail.
Finally, I took a deep breath and began to play Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata（协奏曲）. The rich tones of the piano rang out. One by one, each muscle in my body loosened and relaxed. I sat on the bench and my ________ danced over the row of black and white keys as if they had a mind of their own.
All the practice and ________ I put in for six months showed this was what my teacher was pushing for. I tried to ________ all the things she reminded me to do. “Keep your wrists up, relax your arms, don’t raise your shoulders… ” I remembered feeling slightly annoyed hearing these things continuously, but I never realized until now how it really ________.
When I reached the end of the piece, the audience started ________. I rose from the bench and gave a deep bow. A proud smile ________ up my face. Inside I felt ________ that it was over and that I had done so well. As the applause died down, I turned and walked to the other side of the stage. I saw a young boy standing nervously behind the red curtains staring ______out at the stage. When I walked by, I passed to him the two words that were given to me for______: Good luck!
1.A. but B. and C. for D. so
2.A. ached B. bent C. froze D. moved
3.A. drink B. sleep C. play D. hide
4.A. run B. perform C. stand D. escape
5.A. happily B. loudly C. weakly D. lightly
6.A. guy B. music C. luck D. performance
7.A. chair B. bridge C. path D. stage
8.A. hurt B. blinded C. killed D. frightened
9.A. entrance B. curtain C. light D. piano
10.A. shaking B. waving C. unfolding D. crossing
11.A. blank B. wild C. awake D. wrong
12.A. fingers B. feet C. arms D. legs
13.A. excuse B. support C. effort D. service
14.A. recall B. forget C. ignore D. grasp
15.A. started B. helped C. stopped D. formed
16.A. joking B. blaming C. clapping D. leaving
17.A. burned B. lit C. dried D. lifted
18.A. confused B. worried C. embarrassed D. relieved
19.A. confidently B. excitedly C. fearfully D. angrily
20.A. reward B. sympathy C. appreciation D. encouragement
在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Over the past few years, square dance 1. (become) a more and more popular exercise, especially among senior citizens. They often dance in the open areas in community. However, many 2. (resident) who live around are annoyed by the loud music. For example, students 3. (prepare) for important exams are 4. (deep) affected.
People may have different opinions on this issue. Some people think 5. is necessary for senior citizens to give up the hobby for the good of most people, 6. others argue that senior citizens have the right 7.（do）something they like in public places. They are both right to some extent. 8. my opinion, the authorities, instead of forcing senior citizens to stop dancing, should do something to meet everybody’s requirements. For example, they can supply some buses which can transport senior citizens to a place 9.there are few apartments around. Besides, local communities can also organize leisure activities that little noise 10. (create).
In short, there are always some good ideas that can meet the needs of people. After all, everybody has the right to live a happy and fulfilled life.
