In the United States if your parents attended a college or university, there is a good chance that you will, too. Even if your parents did not go to college, you still have a good chance of completing higher education if your family is wealthy. But your chances are mitigated if you come from a needy family, a community with limited educational resources or you simply have no one to follow as an example.
Helping those in need is one of the main ideas behind a strategy of behavioral science called nudge theory or nudging. Nudging is a way of changing people’s behavior through indirect suggestions and by supporting positive actions. It was popularized in the 2008 book Nudge. The book was a project of a legal expert and an economist with the University of Chicago.
A growing number of US colleges and universities look to nudging as a way to support poor, minority and first-generation students. They also are using it to increase overall graduation rates. Two common forms of nudging are emails to students and text messages to their mobile phones. Schools and other educational organizations keep in contact with students this way, offering advice and help when needed.
However, recent studies have shown that there is more than one way nudging can go wrong. And making use of nudging to influence large groups of students is harder than it seems. Alejandra Acosta is a higher education policy expert at New America, an independent research group. She notes that there are several qualities a nudge campaign must possess in order to be successful. Acosta says messages must be timely, meaning they reach college students well before the date by which a student is required to take action. Additionally, nudges should be written clearly and provide as much information as possible. If students start to struggle in class, school officials should give information about what kinds of support the college or university offers and exactly how the student can make use of them.
1.What does the underlined word “mitigated” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A.replaced. B.reduced.
C.increased. D.wasted.
2.What does nudging involve?
A.Helping the needy take action positively.
B.Setting a good example for the needy.
C.Making use of various good theories.
D.Giving the needy direct suggestions.
3.What can we learn about nudging from Paragraph 3?
A.It’s of no use to wealthy people. B.It hasn’t drawn wide attention yet.
C.It can be used in a variety of fields. D.It’s being increasingly recognized.
4.What’s the best title of the text?
A.Nudge: a book written by a legal expert and an economist
B.Nudge: a strategy to help more US students
C.Nudging: a way for US colleges to support students
D.Nudging: a way to improve graduation rates in the USA
It’s a Friday morning in Boston, which means Dr. Jim O’Connell is making his rounds.
He might be a little more comfortable inside an exam room, but that’s not where his patients are. Dr. Jim O’Connell is Boston’s only doctor left still making house calls to the homeless.
Nearly 600,000 Americans are homeless, and many have health problems with no access to care. O’Connell and his well-known team of “street doctors” are doing something about it, treating about 700 regular patients.
O’Connell and his team of psychologists and social workers spend their days walking around the downtown where his patients live – in parks, under bridges and on the outskirts of town. During his morning rounds, O’Connell himself usually see about 20 patients. “I feel like I’m a country doctor in the middle of the city.” he said. “You couldn’t find a more grateful population.” “This man is unbelievable!” one patient remarked. “This is my doctor. He’s been my doctor for life,” another added.
O’Connell does just about everything, from stitches (缝补)for an arm to surgery for the soul. If patients can’t be treated on the street, he finds them a temporary treatment bed in a shelter.
“Everything I had been taught to do in my medical school – go fast, be efficient – was counterproductive (适得其反) when you take care of homeless people.” O’Connell told Harvard Magazine.“When you see somebody outside, you get them a cup of coffee and sit with them. Sometimes it took six months or a year of offering a sandwich or a cup of coffee before someone would start to talk to me. But once they engage(参与), they’ll come to you any time because they trust you. I often say that the best training for this job is being a bartender because it’s all about listening.”
When asked about how his life might have turned out, had he become a highly paid doctor, O’Connell said, “I never think about it anymore.”
1.Who does “a more grateful population” refer to?
A.The 700 regular patients. B.600,000 homeless Americans.
C.O’Connell and his team. D.People with health problems.
2.What can we infer from the text?
A.O’Connell is quite wealthy.
B.Homeless patients don’t care about their health.
C.O’Connell used to be a bartender.
D.There are doctors dropping out of O’Connell’s team.
3.What’s O’Connell’s problem when he is making his rounds?
A.He doesn’t know where his patents are.
B.He finds it hard to be trusted by his patients.
C.He has little time to listen to his patients.
D.He often receives complaints from his patients.
4.According to the passage, which words can be used to describe O’Connell?
A.Generous and impatient. B.Selfless and careless.
C.Devoted and unselfish. D.Unbelievable and efficient.
Casting Call for TV Role
Gender: Female
Location: Hollywood, California
Genre: TV Serials
Producer: Cooper&Cole Productions
Full details
Who we are looking for:
Are you a woman between the ages 20 and 30? Have you had at least two years of experience as a professional actress? Would you like to appear on a TV show watched by hundreds of thousands of viewers? If you answer yes to all of these questions, this can be a great opportunity.
About the role:
Cooper&Cole Productions is looking for someone to play a role in the popular series, The Mystery of Glastonbury Grove. After two successful seasons, the show is about to start production of the third season. The new season will introduce a number of new characters to the show. The role we are currently seeking to fill is a main character’s distant relative. The character will appear in three episodes(剧集) out of the eight in the new season. This is a silent role.
How to apply:
If you think you meet the requirements and are interested in working with us, submit the following information to coopandcole@gmail.net no later than October 12.
Name: E-mail:
Phone: Age:
Height: Weight:
Your work(s): (Please attach the VIDEO/LINK.)
**Attach several recent photos of yourself.
Auditions (试镜) will be held at our Hollywood office at 8:00 am on Saturday, October 19. If you are selected for an audition, we will contact you by October 16.
1.Who might be an ideal applicant for the TV role?
A.A schoolgirl having a gift for performing.
B.An experienced actor proud of what he did.
C.A famous person eager for a role in movies.
D.A 29-year-old actress acting in many films.
2.What can we learn about the new role?
A.It will not have any dialogue. B.It will exist in the fourth season.
C.It will appear in at least 8 episodes. D.It will be the wife of a main character.
3.What should applicants submit?
A.The address. B.Previous works.
C.Recent family photos. D.A recommendation letter.
请阅读下面材枓，并按照要求用英语写一篇150 词左右的文章。
（写作内容）
1. 用约 30 个单词概述上述信息的主要内容；
2. 用约 120 个单词发表你的观点，内容包括：
（1） 支持成反对共享单车的推广；
（2） 用 2-3 个理由或论据支撑你的观点。
（写作要求）
1. 写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
3. 不必写标题。
（评分标准）
内容完整，语言规范，语篇还贯，词数适当。
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Issues around children learning to read are rarely out of the news, which is hardly surprising—becoming a successful reader is of vital importance in improving a child’s life chances. Nor is it surprising that reading creates a virtuous circle: the more you read the better you become. But what may come as a surprise is that reading to dogs is gaining popularity as a way of addressing concerns about children’s reading.
Underachievement (学业不良) in groups of children in the UK is recognized in international studies—and successive governments have sought to address the issues in a range of ways. Reading to dogs, so far, has not been among them, but it’s time to look at the strategy more seriously.
Many children naturally enjoy reading and need little encouragement, but if they are struggling, their confidence can quickly decrease—and with it, their motivation. This brings about the destructive cycle, and therefore reading ability fails to improve.
So how can dogs help?
A therapeutic (疗法的) presence
Reading to dogs is just that—encouraging children to read alongside a dog. The practice originated in the US in 1999.
The presence of dogs has a calming effect on many people—hence their use in Pets as Therapy schemes (PAT). Many primary schools are becoming increasingly pressurized environments and children (like adults) generally do not respond well to such pressure. A dog creates an environment that immediately feels more relaxing and welcoming. Reading can be an independent activity, but can also be a pleasurable, shared social event. Children who are struggling to read benefit from the simple pleasure of reading to a loyal, loving listener.
Children who are struggling to read, for whatever reason, need to build confidence and rediscover a motivation for reading. A dog is a reassuring, friendly audience who will not mind if mistakes are made. Children can read to the dog, uninterrupted; comments will not be made. Errors can be addressed in other contexts at other times. For more experienced or capable readers, they can experiment with intonation and “voices”, knowing that the dog will respond positively—and building fluency further develops comprehension in readers.
For children who are struggling, reconnecting with the pleasure of reading is very important. As Marylyn Jager-Adams, a literacy (读写) scholar, noted in a seminal review of beginner reading in the US: “If we want children to learn to read well, we must find a way to attract them to read lots.”
Reading to a dog can create a helpful balance, supporting literacy activities which may seem less appealing to a child. Children having difficulty with reading, for example, need focused support to develop their understanding of the alphabetic code (字母代码). But this needs to be balanced with activities which support independent reading and social enjoyment or the child can become less motivated.
Creating a virtuous circle
Breaking a negative cycle will inevitably lead to the creation of a virtuous circle—and sharing a good book with a dog enables children to apply their reading skills in a positive and enjoyable way.
Research evidence in this area is rather limited, despite the growing popularity of the scheme. A 2016 systematic review of 48 studies—“Children Reading to Dogs: A Systematic Review of the Literature” by Hall, Ge and Mills--demonstrated some evidence for improvement in reading, but the evidence was not strong. There clearly is more work to do, but interest in reading to dogs appears to have grown through the evidence of case studies. The example, often given in the media, is that of Tony Nevett and his pet dog Danny. Tony and Danny’s involvement in a number of schools has been transformative, not only in terms of reading but also in promoting general well-being positive behavior among children with a diverse range of needs.
So, reading to dogs could offer many benefits. As with any approach, it is not a cure—but set within a language—rich literacy environment, there appears to be little to lose and much to gain.
Title: How Dogs Could Make Children Better 1. ▲
Introduction | •Reading is so important that issues around children learning to remain hot. But 2. ▲, reading to dogs becomes an increasingly popular way to address concerns about it. •Struggling to read will decrease children’s confidence and motivation and gets in the 3. ▲ of their reading ability building. |
Benefits of reading to dogs | •Governments in the UK haven’t employed the strategy of reading to dogs to help underachievers, which needs serious 4. ▲ in the near future. |
| A therapeutic presence •Reading to a dog can help children 5. ▲ down, feel relaxed and get pleasure, for dogs are loyal and loving listeners. Reading to a dog can help children build confidence, as children can read without being interrupted or being 6. ▲ on. •Reading to a dog can also create a helpful balance, making children 7. ▲ to participate in literacy activities. |
Creating a virtuous circle •Sharing a good book with a dog likely enables children to apply their reading skills positively and enjoyably, though more work remains to be done to 8. ▲ it. •More case studies of reading to dogs indicate it might 9. ▲, both promoting children's reading interest and positive life. | |
Conclusion | With so little to lose and so much to gain, it 10. ▲ to read to dogs although it is not a cure-all. |
句子翻译
1.要确保道路安全、避免事故，一切都在于我们道路使用者。
2.这让一些人阅读起来有困难，因此经典文学作品常常被遗忘在书架上。
3.这一时期的诗歌通常关注自由、美丽等概念，往往运用想象触及强烈的情感。
4.想象一下在紫禁城上演这出歌剧吧——不可能有比这儿更令人叹为观止的场景了！
5.来自许多国家的这群人的联袂演出、音乐以及恢弘的场景显然是这场令人惊叹的演出的重要因素。
