Olympiads(奥林匹克竞赛)are a kind of competitive exam to tap exceptional students with the best of potential,talent,and IQ.These exams are conducted to challenge and motivate the brightest students from around the world and to urge more and more children to take up a career in pure science.But why do most parents nowadays want their children to participate in Olympiads?
Participating in and winning any kind of competition is one of the best feelings in the world.Competitions award merit(优点),performance,excellence—quite literally,the best in a human being.Thus,it might be understandable that:a lot of pride is associated with a child qualifying at any of the Olympiad levels.Who doesn’t want to be the proud parent of a smart,intelligent young child?
It has also been claimed that Olympiads can act as a great morale booster(信心增强剂).Bangalore-based programmer of Olympiad Helper,Vikash Anil says,“Even when students don’t win,their confidence grows.”
However,there are a number of serious considerations parents are missing out on,which has impacts on children.They are being burdened with the pressure of performing well in these exams—a pressure that is often too high and unhealthy for their young minds and bodies.They are also being introduced to peer pressure and“competition”in a very negative and ugly light.
What’s worse,the age at which children are being forced to take these exams keep dropping with each passing year.Children as young as 5 or 6 years old are being sent away to tuitions(辅导)right after school gets over.Many educationists are condemning this,because the International Science Olympiads is for high school students only.
The claim that Olympiads actually make children“more confident”cannot be readily accepted.While a lot of good outcomes are possible from Olympiads,it is also true that all students will not react positively to“failing”at Olympiads.More students are going to come out feeling miserable for having failed the exam.
Being a parent in today’s dynamic,commercial and material world is not easy.It is indeed a pity if parents are chasing“recognition”,rather than“excellence”and“merit”for their children.There is no such thing as a“good”,or a“poor”child.Parents should realize this,embrace this,and empower themselves and their children with this.
As a parting thought I would like to leave this Einstein quote:“Everybody is a genius.But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
1.Why do most parents want their children to participate in Olympiads?
A.To prove their children’s potential and excellence.
B.To prepare their children for a pure science career.
C.To strengthen their children’s competitive awareness.
D.To make their children benefit from stress and failures.
2.What is the author’s attitude to Vikash Anil’s words?
A.Doubtful. B.Positive. C.Disapproving. D.Uninterested.
3.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Olympiads:Are Children Relying on Tuitions Too Much
B.Olympiads:Are Children Starting at a Too Young Age
C.Olympiads:Are Parents Being Driven by Commercials
D.Olympiads:Are Parents Becoming Over-Ambitious
Free Haircuts on a Red Chair
Last summer, Katie Steller was on her way to work. She stopped at a traffic light, where a man, in his 60s,looking out of luck, was sitting alone. She rolled down her window.
“Hey!” she shouted.“ I’m driving around giving free haircuts. Do you want one right now?”
The man, missing a few teeth, paused and laughed. “Actually,” he said, “I have a funeral(葬礼)to go to this week. I was really hoping to get a haircut.”
Then, Steller unloaded a red chair from the car. The man,named Edward, took a seat.As Steller was cutting his curly graying hair,he told her about growing up in Mississippi,about moving to Minnesota,and how he still talked to his mom over phone every day.
To date,Steller has given 30 or so such haircuts to people around the city.They are all living on the margins,and she is aware of the power of her work.
“It’s more than a haircut,”she says.“I want it to be a gateway,to show value and respect,but also to get to know people.”
Steller knows that a haircut can change a life.One changed hers:As a teen,she suffered from ulcerative colitis(溃疡性结肠炎)that was so serious,her hair thinned severely.Seeing this,her mother arranged for Steller’s first professional haircut.
“To sit down and have somebody look at me and talk to me like a person and not just an illness,it helped me feel cared about and less alone,”she says.
After that,Steller knew she wanted to have her own hair salon so she could help people feel the way she’d felt that day.Not long after finishing cosmetology school(美容学校)in 2016,she realized her dream.Two years later,she began what she now calls her Red Chair Project,reaching out to people on the streets.
Steller said,“I can’t fix their problems,but maybe I can help them feel less alone for a moment.”Steller listens to people’s stories of loss,addiction,and struggle to get back on their feet.
An offshoot of the Red Chair Project is the Steller Kindness Project,in which people who commit acts of kindness are invited for a free makeover(美容)at Steller’s salon.In exchange,they tell their stories,which Steller shares on her website.Her hope is that by reading about kind acts,others will be inspired to do their own.
So far,it’s working.“You have no idea what people are going to do with the kindness that you give to them,”says Steller.
1.Edward agreed to have a haircut by Steller because________.
A.he wanted to talk with Steller about his life
B.he wanted to look good for a special occasion
C.he was too old to go to a hair salon by himself
D.he was just waiting for a free haircut on the street
2.In paragraph 5,the underlined words“living on the margins”can probably be replaced by________.
A.living with little care and attention
B.living far from downtown areas
C.living with serious illnesses
D.living in untidy conditions
3.What made Steller want to set up her own salon?
A.Her excellent haircut skills.
B.Her mother’s encouragement.
C.Her experience of a formal haircut.
D.Her dream to offer people free haircuts.
4.What’s the purpose of Steller Kindness Project?
A.To make contributions to charity.
B.To encourage people to spread kindness.
C.To reward kind people with free makeovers.
D.To collect moving stories for Steller’s website.
Come to build robots!
Robots are fun to play with, but did you know that they are equally fun to build? Don’t worry, it’s easier than you may think. You don’t have to know lots about electronics or be a genius at engineering to have a go at creating your own robot. There are lots of simple kits (配套原件) and resources available that make it easy to build a robot in your own home, and if you don’t feel confident enough to have a go at home, there are plenty of clubs that offer courses in robot-building for young people.
◇Why to build?
“Creating a robot teaches you in great about how it is put together and how it works, “says Steve Hubbard, of Robot Fun, which hosts robotics master classes for teens in Suffolk. “As you build and test a robot, you also learn how to fix it when things go wrong, as they always do.” Building and programming a robot is a practical application of science and engineering and a great way of learning how to solve all sorts of problems. You don’t need any special skills. If you can build with Lego or draw a line, you can build and program a robot.
◇How to start?
Matthew Applegate runs the Creative Computing Club in Ipswich, Suffolk. He says, “The Lego Robots kits are amazing. You can use cardboard, glue sticks and string to make a prototype (雏形).’’ Some kits can be expensive but there are ways to build your robots using things around the house. You can build an arm with cardboard, straws and string, adding it to a low-cost kit.
Building robots is really great. It isn’t easy at first，but when you get better, you will be surprised how much you can do. Come to get your first robot kit and make it whirr into life!
For details on how to build a Raspberry Pi buggy:tinyurl.com/TW J-robotbuggy
For details on how to join a robot club:tinyurl.com/TW J-members
For more information on kits and classes:tinyurl.com/TW J-resources
For more information on robots and their history:tinyurl.com/TW J-realrobots
1.What’s essential to build a robot at home?
A.Good skills at electronics.
B.Necessary parts to put together.
C.Much knowledge on engineering.
D.Rich experience in playing with robots.
2.If you want to know more about different robot kits,you can visit________.
A.tinyurl.com/TW J-robotbuggy B.tinyurl,com/TW J-realrobots
C.tinyurl.com/TW J-resources D.tinyurl.com/TW J-members
3.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To encourage teens to learn to solve problems by building robots.
B.To explain the advantages of building one’s own robots.
C.To analyse the need of teens to build their own robots.
D.To advertise a method of building robots with fun.
The spot of a red balloon in a tree was what first caught Randy Heiss’s _____on December 16,2018.He then walked toward it and found the balloon attached to a piece of_____.“Dayami,”it read on one side, in a child’s_______.Heiss flipped the paper over. It was a numbered list in Spanish. His Spanish isn’t very good, but he could__________it was a Christmas list.
He was charmed and wondered whether he could_____the child. About 20 miles to the southwest, just across the border, was the city of Nogales，Mexico.____the prevailing wind(常刮的风),he was pretty sure that’s where it came from.
Back home, Heiss’s wife who is fluent in Spanish_____the list. Heiss listened carefully: Dayami, ____a girl, had asked for a doll, a dollhouse, clothes and art supplies. Heiss then posted about his quest on Facebook,____photos, hoping someone might know the girl’s family.
A few days passed with no leads; Heiss worried that time was running out_____Christmas. On December 19,he decided to send a private Facebook message to Radio XENY in Nogales. The next morning, when he was still in bed, Heiss_____a message: The staff had_____Dayami, who indeed lived in Nogales and would be willing to arrange a get-together at the radio station.
Heiss and his wife rushed to_____everything on Dayami’s list. Then they drove for 45 minutes,____the border into Nogales. They finally met the very_____girl.“ Her eyes were wide open with wonder. Like,‘ Oh my gosh，this really did work!’ It was a beautiful experience,”Heiss said. “Quite healing for us.”
Heiss,61 , has lived in Bisbee, Arizona for more than three decades. Ten years ago, he and his wife_____their only child in an accident. They have even no grandchildren. Now they split their time between Nogales and Bisbee.
“Being around children at Christmastime has been_____in our lives,”Heiss said. “It’s been kind of a gaping hole in our Christmas experience. ”He has since reflected on what a miracle it was that he occasionally_____the balloon, let alone that he was able to meet Dayami and her family.
1.A.hands B.breath C.attention D.imagination
2.A.paper B.glass C.wood D.cloth
3.A.steps B.voice C.eyes D.writing
4.A.remember B.see C.hope D.promise
5.A.find B.adopt C.teach D.challenge
6.A.Amazed at B.Sponsored by C.Accustomed to D.Based on
7.A.drafted B.polished C.translated D.finished
8.A.eventually B.probably C.ever D.even
9.A.downloading B.taking C.attaching D.analyzing
10.A.before B.at C.after D.until
11.A.searched for B.decided on C.subscribed to D.awoke to
12.A.saved B.comforted C.located D.appointed
13.A.consume B.buy C.produce D.exchange
14.A.examining B.closing C.defending D.crossing
15.A.frightened B.excited C.determined D.embarrassed
16.A.left B.stopped C.lost D.disabled
17.A.abused B.abnormal C.abstract D.absent
18.A.blew B.released C.spotted D.decorated
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
A
I have the1.(great)job in the world. I travel to unusual places and work alongside people from all over the world. Sometimes using2.(science)equipment and sometimes meeting local people and tourists, I am never3.(bore).Although my job is occasionally dangerous, I don’t mind because danger excites me and makes me feel alive. However, the most important thing about my job is that I help protect ordinary people4. one of the most powerful forces on earth—the volcano.
B
Water is a precious resource. Every person needs it5. (survive),and we use it for cooking, drinking, growing our food and washing. However，it is scarce(缺乏的).Just 1% of water on Earth can6. (use)by humans. What’s more，treating water to make it clean and safe and pumping it to our homes uses up lots of energy. So, what can you do to help save water? One easy way is by7.(turn)off the tap when you brush your teeth.
C
Robbie Phillips has become the first British person to complete one of the toughest challenges in rock climbing. 8.(know)as the Alpine Trilogy(阿尔卑斯三部曲),the challenge consists of three climbs on mountains in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, 9.Phillips completed in four years. Until now, only four other people10.(conquer)all three of the extremely difficult climbs.
假如你是李华，受学生会的委托，围绕“垃圾分类，从我做起”这一主题，请你为校报英语专栏写一封倡议书，内容包括分类的意义，现状和你的建议。
注意1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：垃圾分类 garbage sorting
注意：1.词数100左右2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
