The WHO says that 80% of the world’s teens don’t get enough exercise to live healthy lives. The report was based on research done with students aged 11 to 17 in 146 different countries. 1. It’s a pity that not much has changed since then, as the WHO reports.
Doctors say 60 minutes of exercise daily is needed for teens to build up their bone and muscle strength. It’s also hugely important for the health of the heart and lungs. 2. Besides, more and more research is showing that exercise doesn’t just help the body, but also the brain, improving thinking, test scores, and school grades.
3. They were also very different between boys and girls. In the US, for example, 64% of boys were not active enough, compared to 80% of girls. South Korea was the country with the lowest activity levels — 91% of the boys and 97% of the girls didn’t get enough exercise.
One big reason for the lack of activity in today’s teens is technology, such as smartphones, computers and TVs. Many teens find it hard to pull themselves away from them. 4.
So the WHO warns that teens need to do less playing in the digital world, and more playing in the real world. Teens should take part in sports, whether on official teams or just playing around on the playground. 5. For many people, walking or biking to school is one way to make that happen. It’s very important for young people to build these habits now, because the positive effects of those habits can carry through into adult life.
A.Exercise benefits you academically.
B.Activity levels vary from country to country.
C.The WHO has spared no effort in the research.
D.Such inactivity can severely affect their growth.
E.Exercise can also be built into a normal day’s activities.
F.Regular activity can help them control their weight, too.
G.The WHO has been studying teen activity levels since 2001.
We live in a society that labels everything. We like the convenience of neatly packaged words so we can sum up the person, place or thing and know what to expect. However, especially with children, even harmless labels (标签) can play a lasting role in self-respect, behavior and long-term personality.
Children develop and define their sense of self by processing what others tell them about who they are, what they are good at, how they behave and so on. The communication principle of the “Looking-Glass Self” from Charles Cooley can be applied. Cooley believes that by reflecting back to us who we are, other people function as mirrors for us. Every time a teacher says he or she is a “good student” or a coach says “average player”, that helps define the way the child views himself or herself. Typically, that label will follow them for years to come.
However, parents often refer to children with less severe labels that are just as significant. If you notice one child follows musical interests, he becomes “the musician”. Another loves sports, and she becomes “the athlete”. Another excels in school and is the “brainiac”. None of those labels has negative ideas, but can classify children into pre-defined boxes. What if the “brainiac” really wants to try soccer? Unfortunately, there is already an “athlete” in the family, which creates a fight or flight response. The child can either fight to redefine his or her place as a smart child who also plays soccer, or go back to where he or she has already been.
Labels have much more of an impact that we realize, and we need to be mindful of how we talk about our children. If you must define certain things about them to yourself or others, try to choose positive versions of the same quality, i.e. “cautious” rather than “timid” (胆小的). Keeping the focus on the child’s positive qualities, while avoiding labels, can encourage children to become healthy and happy.
1.What can we learn from the principle of “Looking-Glass Self”?
A.One tends to satisfy others’ curiosity.
B.One gains the sense of identity by mirror.
C.Children will live up to the expectations of their parents.
D.People shape self-concepts by understanding how others view them.
2.If the “brainiac” girl decides to play soccer, what will happen?
A.Her family will be in favor of her.
B.She must struggle or she must quit.
C.Her family will deny her athletic talent.
D.She can’t but give in to parental authority.
3.Which word can best describe a child who performs well in class interaction?
A.Active. B.Influential.
C.Intelligent. D.Competitive.
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards labeling children?
A.Uncertain. B.Indifferent.
C.Negative. D.Positive.
Cara Clarkson and her family were overjoyed when spotting two young grizzly bears (灰熊) — one with rarely seen all-white fur, alongside the Trans-Canada Highway.
“White grizzly bears are unheard of, so it was a luxury and incredible experience,” said Cara, sharing her images and videos on social media and saying that was a real treat given that the family was out celebrating her husband’s and son’s birthdays. Mike Gibeau, an animal
specialist, said the Clarksons who encountered the white bear — now called Nakoda, are truly lucky, for white grizzly bears are incredibly rare.
The expert doesn’t believe the grizzly’s white fur is a case of albinism, a disorder in which an animal fails to produce melanin, which is responsible for skin, hair, and eye color. Instead, he thinks the bear’s unusual coloring is the result of a recessive (隐性) gene (基因), the characteristics of which are often covered by those of dominant genes. However, if both parents carry the same recessive gene — in this case, one that results in white fur — it can be passed on to latergenerations.
Though this is the first time the world has seen the white grizzly, park officials, who have known of Nakoda’s existence since 2018, never publicized the unique bear due to fear that it would be heartlessly run after by fans eager to see these unusual-looking animals.
As it turns out, they were right. Nakoda’s photos and videos, which have gone viral, have led to crowds of people rushing to the bear’s current location, resulting in unsafe parking and traffic jams. The concerned officials enforced a 10-kilometer no-stopping zone, which they hope will inform visitors to travel through the area safely and to prevent these bears from getting hit on the highway.
Wildlife experts, who are trying to lead the young grizzlies away from the highway, hope to help them develop a behavior of avoidance of humans and eventually head to the forests, where they can live a long, healthy life.
1.For the Clarksons, what does “a real treat” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Observing two birthdays.
B.The reunion of the family.
C.Sharing their experience online.
D.The sighting of a white grizzly bear.
2.What is the main idea of paragraph 3?
A.The classification of genes.
B.The effect of a physical disorder.
C.The possible cause of the bear’s white fur.
D.The characteristics of recessive and dominant genes.
3.Why did the park officials hide Nakoda’s existence from the public?
A.To save the trouble of further explanation.
B.To protect it from crazy disturbance.
C.To stop it being mercilessly shot.
D.To avoid enthusiastic reporters.
4.What do wildlife experts expect of the young grizzlies?
A.They’ll stay where they belong.
B.They’ll ignore human activities.
C.They’ll safely cross the highway.
D.They’ll live in harmony with humans.
The amount of rubbish that piles on our shore lines is hugely worrying and a growing problem for the planet. It seems like no matter how remote you hike and how high you climb, there’s always a dropped plastic container there waiting for you.
Mariah Reading, an American artist, spends the majority of her time outdoors looking for inspiration for her art, based in nature and our natural surroundings. On noticing the amount of waste filling her natural areas, she decided she had to reflect it in her works.
For her latest project, Mariah is looking at both the problem of wasteful littering and the way that art itself can be wasteful in materials, taking the dropped items that fill her natural spaces and painting them to reflect the place in which they were left.
Applying paint to create her masterpieces, Mariah has collected trash (垃圾) from different mountains and parks. “I’ve been considering my relationship with art and the large amount of waste it can produce,” says Mariah. “I wanted to find ways I can confirm art and its important purpose by working with recycled materials found in landscape environments.”
“Since the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, I’ve especially appreciated and been inspired by the natural beauty the parks offer, and found how easily we can take these precious places for granted. I seek to gather as much trash as possible, sculpt it into a canvas (画布), and paint the scene where the trash originated onto the trash itself,” says Mariah.
As well as through this project, Mariah has explored nature in her art in various different ways and through exhibitions. Mariah’s work might not solve the litter problem, but it’s just another way that we can get people talking about the problem and the ways we can prevent it from growing any larger.
1.What gave Mariah the idea of the latest project?
A.The beauty of nearby scenery.
B.The rubbish-covered surroundings.
C.The potential security risks of beaches.
D.The high energy consumption of her artworks.
2.What’s the important purpose of Mariah’s art?
A.To keep people from wasting natural resources.
B.To remind people of the litter problem.
C.To encourage people to explore parks.
D.To make full use of rubbish.
3.What is special about Mariah’s new artworks?
A.They are made of oceanic rubbish.
B.They appear in the form of sculpture.
C.They reflect the trash places on trash itself.
D.They’re designed to inspire people’s love for painting.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.The Growing Problem of Rubbish
B.Mariah Reading: a Sociable Artist
C.An Artist Turns Waste into Amazing Works
D.Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service
Long Island’s hiking trails (路线) offer an escape for family time. It’s a relaxing thing to do in the stressful time, so open your senses.
Southampton Trails
Many guided trails are run in Hamptons, some suitable for kids. Behind the South Fork Natural History Museum is a small field with butterflies and birds flying about. Upon arrival, check out the posted map that shows the trails through the fields with a connection that goes all the way to Sag Harbor.
Arboretum State Historic Park, Oyster Bay
Half the park is woodland that includes nature walks and a greenhouse. You’ll see lots of wildlife from foxes to birds, a delight for kids. Pick up a map on the website and enjoy the historic Gold Coast property. Walkers can select from different paths, covering about six miles in total, as well as all different lengths to accommodate different ages and abilities.
Richard D. Fowler Preserve, Southampton
A pleasant short hike right in Southampton Village. The trail begins near the intersection of Wickapogue Road and Narrow Lane and heads through a wooded area with a river. Dress properly, for it could be a little muddy. The trail features hedges (树篱) along one side and plantings along the other. It reaches the site where the first settlers spent their first winter about 1640. This trail takes about one hour.
Downs Farm Preserve, Cutchogue
This family-friendly place is an easy walk with the trail a mile long. It’s a very peaceful location to see wildlife and birds. The trail is flat and pushchair-friendly. You’ll also find Downs River, with chairs along the way to rest. Home to the defence works of the Corchaug Indians, the preserve is on the National Park Register of Historic Places and is considered ancient land.
1.What do Southampton Trails and Arboretum State Historic Park have in common?
A.They distribute free tourist maps. B.They’re convenient to get to.
C.They offer guided trails for all ages. D.They’re ideal places for bird watching.
2.What can you do in Downs Farm Preserve?
A.Visit a historical site. B.Appreciate the hilly landscape.
C.Feed wild animals at random. D.Communicate with local Indians.
3.In which hiking trail is appropriate clothing suggested?
A.Southampton Trails. B.Arboretum State Historic Park.
C.Richard D. Fowler Preserve. D.Downs Farm Preserve.
假定你是李华,你市新建成图书馆将于下周开放,请你写封信告诉爱读书的交换生朋友Jack办理借书证相关手续。内容包括:
1.填写申请表;
2.提交一寸个人照;
3.预付押金。
参考词汇:押金deposit
注意:
1.词数100左右;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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