When I was nine years old my greatest desire in life was to own a pogo stick(蹦蹦跷). My mother told me they were too _______ and that we simply couldn't _______ one. One day before Christmas, my _______ and I went to the department store to pay our credit bill. While my mother and I were at the counter paying the _______, my dad said he needed to see something in the tool department. Soon he _______ with a long thin box. I remembered _______ at the very moment if it was a pogo stick in that box.
When we got home my dad put the box in the barn (谷仓). While my parents were _______ with their housework, I _______ out to the barn and found the box. I was so _______ and I knew that as soon as I opened that ________ box, my bright shiny pogo stick would ________.
No such ________！Inside the box was a silly old ________. And so Christmas morning was both great and ________. I got some nice gifts but I didn't get the present that I ________ wanted.
After all the packing paper was cleaned up my dad said he needed to tend to something in the barn. When he came back in, he was ________ my beautiful pogo stick. I couldn't believe it, how they were able to ________ the money for it and how they ________ me with the broom.
________ we didn't have much money, my parents gave me the most important ________ of all, an abundance of love.
1.A.heavy B.expensive C.ugly D.dangerous
2.A.afford B.order C.handle D.make
3.A.mother B.father C.parents D.friend
4.A.fine B.price C.bill D.fee
5.A.came back B.went away C.passed by D.walked around
6.A.asking B.checking C.examining D.wondering
7.A.tired B.familiar C.busy D.satisfied
8.A.helped B.slipped C.jumped D.escaped
9.A.upset B.worried C.anxious D.excited
10.A.magical B.strange C.broken D.delicate
11.A.arrive B.leave C.change D.appear
12.A.luck B.fun C.hope D.joy
13.A.stick B.book C.broom D.toy
14.A.annoying B.disappointing C.frightening D.disturbing
15.A.usually B.shortly C.secretly D.really
16.A.cutting B.decorating C.carrying D.repairing
17.A.save B.lose C.donate D.offer
18.A.cheated B.tricked C.taught D.hurt
19.A.If B.Since C.Unless D.Although
20.A.tool B.gift C.advice D.promise
Robots have been taking our jobs since the 1960s. However, humans haven't become completely redundant (多余的) because these robots may be very efficient but they're also kind of stupid. 1.. They just act in very accurate but very limited ways. Humans are still needed to work around robots, doing the jobs the machines can't do and fixing them when they get stuck. But this is all set to change, thanks to a new wave of smarter and better value machines that can adapt to multiple(数量多的) tasks. 2..
The era(时代) of "Industry 4.0" is being driven by the same technological advances that enable the abilities of the smartphones in our pockets. It is a mix of low-cost and high-power computers, high-speed communication and artificial intelligence. 3.. They can adapt to different tasks, and even organize their work to meet demands without the input of humans.
4., they are still not as smart as us. Today’s industrial artificial intelligence operates at a narrow level, which gives the appearance of human intelligence exhibited by machines, but designed by humans.
5.. Similar to big data analysis, it processes large quantities of data in real time to make decisions about what is the best action to take. The difference is that the machine learns from the data so it can improve its decision-making. A perfect example of deep learning was presented by Googles AlphaGo software, which taught itself to beat the world's greatest Go(围棋) players.
A. They do not think
B. But there is still some way to go
C. While these machines are getting smarter
D. What's coming next is known as "deep learning"
E. It comes down to the question of what a robot really is
F. This change will be so significant that it will create a new industrial revolution.
G. This will produce smart robots with better sensing and communication abilities.
Learning a second language is tricky at any age. Now, in a new study, scientists have worked out the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency in a second language seem to drop: 10.
The study, published in the journal Cognition, found that it's nearly impossible for language learners to reach native-level fluency if they start learning a second tongue after age 10. But that's not because language skills start to go downhill. "It turns out you're still learning fast, "says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College. "It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old. People who start a few years after age 10 may still become quite good at a language," the authors say, "but they are unlikely to become fluent." Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they're better able to adapt and respond to new information. "All learning involves the brain changing," Hartshorne says, "and children's brains seem to be a lot more skillful at changing. " Kids may also be more willing to try new things and to potentially look foolish in the process than adults are. Their comparatively new grasp on their native tongue may also be advantageous. Unlike adults, who tend to obey the rules and patterns of their first language, kids may be able to approach a new one with a blank page.
These findings might seem discouraging, but it was heartening for scientists to learn that the critical(关键的) period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than previously thought. Some scientists believed that the window began to close shortly after birth, while others extended it to early adolescence. Compared with those estimates (评估), age 17 or 18 — when language-learning ability starts to drop off—may seem relatively old.
1.What is the best period to learn a second language?
A.Before ten. B.Early adolescence. C.Age fifteen. D.Age seventeen or eighteen.
2.When it comes to new things, what does the writer think of kids compared with adults?
A.They're less skillful. B.They're less interested.
C.They're more flexible. D.They're more stubborn.
3.What does the underlined word "window" in the last paragraph refer to?
A.Interest. B.Chance. C.Confidence. D.Motivation.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.It's Never Too late to Learn a Second Language.
B.It Takes Time to Be Good at a Second Language.
C.Do We Really Need to Learn Foreign Languages?
D.Why Kids Learn Languages More Easily than Adults.
The moon and its possible influence over human behaviors have been objects of tales for centuries. Although the full moon can't turn people into werewolves (狼人), some people do blame it for causing a bad night's sleep or discomfort.
To find out if lunar phases (月相) affected humans, an international group of researchers studied children to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities. The research studied a total of 5, 812 children from five continents. Data collection took place over 28 months, which is the same as the number of lunar cycles. These were then divided into three lunar phases: full moon, half-moon and new moon.
The findings of the study indicated that in general, sleep duration around full moon reported an average decrease of five minutes compared to new moon. “Our study provides evidence that the moon doesn't seem to influence people's behaviors,” said Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute. The only significant finding was one percent sleep decrease in full moon. However, sleeping for five minutes less time during a full moon is not a danger to health. “Our behaviors are largely influenced by many other factors like genes, education and income,” he added.
“Folk tales and even certain examples suggest that behaviors of humans and animals are affected by lunar phases,” Dr. Chaput explained. “Whether there is science behind it or not, the moon secret will continue to attract human civilizations in the years to come.”
1.Where does the moon's bad influence on human behaviors usually come from?
A.Tales. B.Textbooks. C.News reports. D.Scientific papers.
2.Why did the research last 28 months ?
A.To attract more attention. B.To cover the lunar cycles.
C.To look into more children. D.To collect as much data as possible.
3.What can be concluded from the findings ?
A.We should go to bed five minutes earlier during a full moon.
B.The moon is a major cause to affect our sleep and behaviors.
C.We shouldn't worry about the moon's influence over health.
D.The moon plays a significant role in children's sleeping patterns.
4.How does Dr. Chaput feel about the topic of the moon influence?
A.It's boring. B.It's worrying C.It's frightening . D.It's interesting.
If you see a problem, you should find a solution. That is what Alex Knoll, a 13-year-old boy from Post Falls, Idaho, believes. When he noticed a man struggling to open a heavy door from his wheelchair, Alex started thinking. "I wondered if there was a resource available to him to show which business had automatic doors, so he could actually access them, "Alex told Time for Kids."I couldn't find anything, so I created it."
That was four years ago. The idea is Ability App. Alex's website says the app will help people with disabilities and their caregivers find the exact position of public spaces and find safe, reliable services and employment opportunities. Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres liked Alex's idea so much that she had him on her show and surprised him with a $25,000 check. "I think it's really going to help me get going, " Alex says.
Worldwide, there are more than a billion people with some kind of disability, according to The World Health Organization. A disability can make it hard to do everyday activities and find a Job. Tara Miller is a friend of Alex's family. She uses a wheelchair. She helps Alex with his app by sharing her experience of what it is like to live with a disability. "We all want to be able to be in the same establishments(机构) as any able-bodied person, " Miller says. "It' s about little things like low tables in restaurants and automatic doors, which can make a huge difference, she says. Alex has yet to set a launch (发布) date for Ability App. But he is determined to meet his goal. "I'm going to work as hard as I can and as fast as I can, "he says.
1.What made Alex create Ability App?
A.The desire to make money. B.The idea of a friend of his family.
C.The inconvenience to a disabled man. D.The encouragement of a well-known host.
2.How does Tara Miller help Alex?
A.By sharing her experience as a disabled girl.
B.By collecting employment information.
C.By lending him some money.
D.By looking after his family.
3.How do the disabled benefit from the App?
A.They can get donations.
B.They are offered discounts in restaurants.
C.They are invited to a talk show to raise public attention.
D.They enjoy easy access to public services and job opportunities.
4.What is Alex like?
A.Generous and honest. B.Brave and easy-going.
C.Creative and determined. D.Confident and energetic.
High School Course Requirements for College Admissions
While admissions standards vary greatly from one school to another, nearly all colleges and universities will be looking to see that applicants have completed a standard core (核心) curriculum. As you choose classes in high school, these core courses should always be the most important. Students without these classes may be automatically disqualified for admission. In general, a typical high school core curriculum looks something like this.
English: 4 years
Foreign Language: 2 to 3 years
Math: 3 years
Science: 2 to 3 years including lab science
Social Studies and History: 2 to 3 years
Art: 1 year
Keep in mind that the required courses for admission differ from the recommended courses. At selective colleges and universities, additional years of math, science and language will be necessary for you to be a competitive applicant.
When colleges calculate your Grade Point Average (GPA) for admissions purposes, they will often ignore the GPA on your transcript (成绩单) and focus only on your grades in these core subject areas. Grades for physical education, music performance and other non-core courses are not as useful for predicting your level of college readiness as these core courses. This doesn't mean that electives aren't important. Colleges do want to see that you have a large variety of interests and experiences, but they simply don't provide a good window into an applicant's ability to handle strict college courses.
Core course requirements vary from state to state, and many of the more selective colleges will want to see a strong high school academic record that goes well beyond the core. Advanced Placement, IB and Honors courses are a must to be competitive at the most selective colleges. In most cases, the strongest applicants to highly selective colleges will have four years of math (including calculus), four years of science and four years of a foreign language.
1.How many courses are included in a typical high school core curriculum?
A.Three. B.Six. C.Eight. D.Ten.
2.What does your non-core courses mean when you apply to college?
A.Your intelligence level. B.Your academic standard.
C.Your talents and creativity. D.Your interests and experiences.
3.Who will most probably be interested in the text?
A.High school students B.High school teachers
C.College students D.College teachers
