It’s been two years since I came to Helsinki, and while I have already forgotten my confusion about street names, in my mind the structure of it is still forming. There are stages of adjustment to a new place — from loving all the new to hating just about everything — but feeling settled can take a while.
I consider New York City my second hometown. You fight your way into NYC. It isn’t easy. It isn’t cheap. It isn’t particularly friendly, at least until you’re used to a four-letter word as part of a compliment. So when I got to Helsinki, I was suspicious(怀疑的)of how easy it was(aside from the street names). People were friendly and nice.
Aside from the coffee and the cost of living, Helsinki and New York don’t have much in common; but I was born in the US Midwest, which was heavily influenced by Nordic immigrants(移民), so as foreign as it was, parts of Finnish life seemed familiar.
Still, I missed New York. I visited it last year, and went to my old coffee cart(咖 啡车), still in the same place. Although it was 2019, my mind insisted that it was 2007and I had never left. Or, I did: cities change, bit by bit, day by day, so slowly that they always seem the same, when you close your eyes for twelve years, even if everything looks the same when you open them, it isn’t. The slang(俚语）is slightly different; there are references to a TV show I’ve never seen.
In my mind, this was home. It was the place I saw when I dreamt of my childhood, long after I left it; and now I am the same as the tourists. So I get back on the plane to Finland. I’m leaving the ghost behind to return to a place where I’m real, and that is itself changing, bit by bit, day by day.
1.We can know from the passage that _____ .
A.it took the authors some time to adapt to Helsinki
B.the author has lived in Helsinki for many years
C.the author is tired of everything in Helsinki now
D.the author has never returned to New York since she left
2.When the author got to Helsinki at first, she _____ .
A.found people there were not friendly
B.was confused about street names
C.thought it was easy to praise people using four-letter words
D.thought the life in Helsinki was harder than that in New York
3.Why does the author feel familiar with parts of Finnish life?
A.Because her birthplace was affected by Nordic’ immigrants.
B.Because Finland has the same coffee as her hometown.
C.Because the cost of living in Finland is the same as that of her hometown.
D.Because Helsinki and New York have much in common.
4.Which of the following might be the title for passage?
A.A place where I was born
B.A place where I worked
C.A place that I visited
D.A place where I am real
Don’t get mad the next time you catch your teenager texting when he promises to be studying. He simply may not be able to resist. A University of lowa (UI) study found teenagers are far more sensitive than adults to the immediate effect or reward of their behaviors. The findings may help explain why the initial rush of texting may be more attractive for adolescents than the long-term payoff of studying.
“For the teenager, the rewards are seductive.” says Professor Jatin Vaidya, an author of the study. “They draw adolescents. Sometimes, the rewards are a kind of motivation for them. Even when a behavior is no longer in a teenager’s best interest to continue, they will, because the effect of the reward is still there and lasts much longer in adolescents than in adults.”
For parents, that means limiting distractions so teenagers can make better choices. Take the homework and social media dilemma: At 9 p.m., shut off everything except a computer that has no access to Facebook or Twitter, the researchers advise. “I’m not saying they shouldn’t be allowed access to technology,” Vaidya says “But some help in resetting their concentration is necessary for them so they can develop those impulse-control skills.”
In their study, Vaidya and co-author Shaun Vecera note researchers generally believe teenagers are impulsive(冲动的), make bad decisions, and engage in risky behavior because the frontal lobes(额叶) of their brains are not fully developed. But the UI researchers wondered whether something more fundamental was going on with adolescents to cause behaviors independent of higher-level reasoning.
“We wanted to try to understand the brain’s reward system and how it changes from childhood to adulthood," says Vaidya, who adds that the reward character in the human brain is easier than decision-making. “We’ve been trying to understand the reward process in adolescence and whether there is more to adolescent behavior than an under-developed frontal lobe,” he adds. For their study, the researchers persuaded 40 adolescents, aged 13 and 16, and 40 adults, aged 20 and 35 to participate.
In the future, researchers hope to look into the psychological and neurological(神经学上的)aspects of their results.
1.What does the passage mainly tell us?
A.Always, rewards are attractive to teenagers.
B.Sometimes, adolescents just can’t resist.
C.Resistance can be controlled well by adolescents.
D.Getting rewards is the greatest motivation for adolescents to study.
2.What does the underlined word “seductive” mean?
A.Necessary. B.Attractive.
C.Useful. D.Important.
3.Which statement agrees with Vaidya’s idea?
A.The influence of the reward is weak in adolescents.
B.Parents should help children in making decisions.
C.Children should have access to the Internet.
D.Children need help in refocusing their attention.
4.What result does teenagers’ brain underdevelopment lead to?
A.Doing things after some thought. B.Making good decisions.
C.Joining in dangerous actions. D.Escaping risky behavior.
Twenty-three elementary schools in Orange County, Florida, have been cutting back on recess（休息）, and even canceling it altogether to increase class time. In a recent Orange County School Board meeting, parents asked that recess time be carried out in all local schools for all students.
Angela Browning, a parent in the area, said that schools provided 0 to 30 minutes of recess per day.
“Five-year-olds not getting recess is nothing short of abuse ,” said
Browning , who added that her twins, who are in the second grade, had attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD 注意力缺陷多动障碍) and benefited from taking a break to use up some of their energy. “We will not accept a ‘recess for some, but not all’ approach.”
“They have become machines that produce data as opposed to children,”
Amy Narvaez, a mother of two children said.
At the center of issues in Florida are Common Core exams, mandatory(强制 的)standardized tests in math, language, arts and literacy(读写能力), where the students’ performance often decides teachers’ pay and sometimes their jobs. Many teachers are using that extra 20 minutes to teach the test.
“Because so much of the money is tied to the schools’ scores and their grades, everybody is pressured,” said Diana Moore, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
“We’ll come to a place in Florida and probably nationally where we have to admit that we really don’t have enough minutes in the day to get everything done for our children,” said Orange County Public Schools leader Barbara Jenkins.
The decision of whether recess takes place, and for how long, has thus far been up to each school’s principal.
“Florida law requires that districts provide 900 teaching hours during the school year,” Florida’s Department of Education press secretary Cheryl Etters said in a statement. "Whether recess is part of the school day is a decision made by the school board(学校董事会)”
Canceling recess also can taper off chances for children to learn social skills, according to many experts. Many children take advantage of their rest to learn skills, according to some experts. If recess is canceled, they have to give up.
“At the end of the day, who cares if you have straight A’s and you get a scholarship to Harvard if you act with no skill?” Heather Mellet, a mother of two children in the district said.
1.Which is the best title for the passage?
A.Which is more important: scores or ability?
B.Schools should take care of children with ADHD
C.Parents fight for their children’s right to recess
D.Elementary schools give children no recess time
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Students who get straight A’s can have much recess.
B.Angela Browning thinks recess is good for her children.
C.Heather Mellet thinks that rest is more important than scores for children.
D.Barbara Jenkins doesn’t agree that schools should have done everything well for students.
3.Why do some schools give students little or no time for rest?
A.Because they must give students’ parents a perfect explanation.
B.Because what students have to learn is too much.
C.Because there’s no law to request schools to do so.
D.Because they want students to gain good test scores.
4.About recess time for students in Florida we can learn ______ .
A.there is little possibility to happen
B.the local government has no request for it
C.all schools will have the same recess time
D.it is decided by students and their parents
As one of our remote editors, you will have the ability to work at home while choosing the types of tasks that interest you. You will receive free training through online talks and our company newsletters(时事通讯).You will have a safe job and be paid on time every day. Working for Scribendi Inc. requires a middle level of computer and Internet knowledge. You need to be good at downloading and uploading files to e-mails, saving and finding files on your computer, file transfers, and renaming files. You should have a good working knowledge of type setting and using software programs.
Standard Qualifications(资格):
Editor: A university degree in a related field.
At least three years of experience in editing, writing, file production, or language teaching.
English must be your native language.
Excellent reading comprehension skills, and the ability to follow written instructions and work independently.
Editing or proofreading(校对) speed of 1,000--1,500words per hour.
Microsoft Word 2010 on a secure PC (not Mac) computer.
Broadband/high-speed Internet access.
The ability to accept payments in your own account in US dollars using PayPal.com. Please review PayPal’s international payment network.
Preferred Qualifications:
A graduate degree in a related field.
The ability of word processing/files production and using software (e.g., Star/Open
Office, Word Perfect, LaTeX, Acrobat, iWorks, Publisher, PageMaker, etc.)
In-depth knowledge of one or more style guides(e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, Turabian, APA, etc.).
To get the job please visit https://www.scribendi.gom/apply. Be careful about meeting deadlines.
1.Who will probably be one of the remote editors?
A.An American, with a university degree, who worked 3 years for a translation company.
B.A Chinese, with a university degree, who worked 5 years for a newspaper.
C.An Englishman, with a graduate degree, who worked 3 years for a newspaper.
D.A Frenchman without a university degree, who has a high level of computer knowledge.
2.Which of the following is necessary for getting the job?
A.An editing or proofreading speed of 1,000--1,500words per hour.
B.The ability to write interesting stories.
C.In-depth knowledge of computers.
D.A university degree in a foreign country.
3.Which of the following is TRUE?
A.People who get the job need to work late.
B.One can apply for the job throughout the year.
C.Communication is very important for one to get the job.
D.One can apply for the job through the website.
From a young age, I was taught to be kind to people around. My parents _________ explained to me the importance of giving help generously to the less _________. So out of habit, whenever there is something I can _________, I give it to someone on the streets.
Last week, as I left the house for work, I carried with me some _________ clothes, a handbag and some food to hand over to someone _________.
As the car _________ at a traffic red light, I saw a girl of five or six asking for money. I _________ her to come to me and quickly _________ all the stuff I had and put them into the handbag. As I started handing it over, she seemed _________. She looked up at me with a sweet smile on her face and asked what was in the __________. I told her there were some clothes and food for her.
Once again she __________ me, “Can you give me some water?” It was then that I __________ her dry lips. It seemed that she had not had a __________ of water all day. I __________ the water bottle that I always carry with me and helped her to drink from it. She finished it quickly and gave me a heartwarming smile of __________.
I was thankful that I could __________ what she really wished and realized once again that day that you don’t necessarily have to make big __________ to help someone. And this incident, as well as a lot that followed, ________ my belief in the simple acts of kindness and how they can make someone’s day.
Next time you want to do something nice for someone, don’t __________, seizing the right __________, or it would be late. Go ahead and do it!
1.A.cheerfully B.confidently C.particularly D.smoothly
2.A.difficult B.rich C.comfortable D.fortunate
3.A.find B.exchange C.spare D.abandon
4.A.casual B.worn C.old D.fashionable
5.A.needy B.clumsy C.lucky D.lonely
6.A.pulled B.stopped C.approached D.drew
7.A.wanted B.ordered C.touched D.signaled
8.A.threw B.collected C.dragged D.dropped
9.A.surprised B.embarrassed C.panicked D.worried
10.A.bag B.pocket C.car D.hand
11.A.waved at B.looked up at C.shook hands with D.nodded at
12.A.realized B.watched C.recognized D.noticed
13.A.bottle B.drop C.lot D.cup
14.A.pointed out B.gave out C.picked out D.took out
15.A.satisfaction B.communication C.appreciation D.expectation
16.A.afford B.offer C.understand D.remember
17.A.donations B.differences C.senses D.kindness
18.A.strengthened B.changed C.shook D.destroyed
19.A.hold out B.hold on C.hold back D.hold down
20.A.idea B.power C.position D.opportunity
According to the statistics, Chinese families own _____ private cars today as they did in the 1990s.
A.more than twice B.as twice as many
C.twice as many as D.more than twice as many
