When I think of the word “personalized” I immediately think of Amazon and Google. For years I have been receiving email from Amazon sharing that I might be interested in a specific book because of the books I have purchased in the past. I also see a stream of book ideas when I log in to my account. Similarly, when I do a Google search I know that Google is now using my past search behavior, my online presence and connections, to serve up information that is personalized for me. Author Cathy Davidson defines learning as being a constant disruption (中断，扰乱) of an old pattern, a breakthrough that substitutes something new for something old in a cyclical process. I like this definition because learning needs to be thought of as a continuous process that will require us to be exposed to new information constantly while we reflect on what we know and what we need to know. When you combine these two terms you get an approach that will help define a system that assumes that we can use technology and human capacity to figure out what students need to learn and what they want to learn and expose them to opportunities formally and informally. So how does this help us transform our education institutions?

1)What makes it necessary for educators to rethink how and where learning happens?

A.  The fear of lagging behind other institutions.

B.  The needs of the 21st century for transformation.

C.  The impact of technology on young learners.

D.  The appearance of new phrases in a language.

2)The examples about Amazon and Google are given to illustrate __________.

A.  how personalized information can be made today

B.  why information needs to be personalized

C.  where one can get personalized information

D.  what is necessary to personalize information

3)According to Cathy Davidson, learning happens when __________.

A.  it is thought of as a continuous process

B.  people keep themselves exposed to new information

C.  older information alternates with newer information

D.  older information is constantly replaced by newer information

4)By “these two terms” (underlined in paragraph 2), the writer refers to __________.

A.  “something new and something old”

B.  “what we know and what we need to know”

C.  “technology and human capacity”

D.  “what students need to learn and what they want to learn”

5)What is the main concern of this passage?

A.  How to define the meaning of “learning” today.

B.  How to serve up personalized information.

C.  How to transform the education institutions.

D.  How to respond to the needs of the 21st century.

Left-handedness is, however, much more common among individuals with severe learning difficulties, such as mental slowness. A slightly higher proportion of left-handers have problems in reading or speaking. Other problems, such as a higher rate of accidents reported in left-handers, mostly result from a world designed for the convenience of right-handers, with many tools not made for left-handed use. Although some people claim that a higher percentage of left-handers are exceptionally bright, large research studies do not support this idea.

If by “smarter” you mean more talented in certain areas, left-handers may have an advantage. Left-handers’ brains are structured differently from right-handers’ in ways that can allow them to process language, spatial (空间的) relations and emotions in more diverse and potentially creative ways. Also, a slightly larger number of left-handers than right-handers are especially gifted in music and math. A study of musicians in professional orchestras (管弦乐队) found a significantly greater proportion of talented left-handers, even among those who played instruments that seem designed for right-handers, such as violins. Similarly, studies of adolescents who took tests to assess mathematical giftedness found many more left-handers in the population. The fact that mathematicians are often musical may not be a coincidence.

For other talents and skills, the benefits of being left-handed are less clear. In one-on-one competitive sports, being in the minority can be a tactical advantage. For instance, most right-handed tennis players have little experience playing left-handers, whereas left-handers have plenty of experience playing right-handers. Sports arenas can also be asymmetric (不对称的), which may give left-handers an advantage. In baseball, for instance, a left-handed hitter is closer to first base after striking the ball than a right-handed batter is.

Whatever the advantages, handedness seems to be genetic. With 10 percent of people preferring their left hand, there must be some selective advantage, or else the genes would probably not survive.

6)In writing this passage, the writer mainly deals with ___________.

A.  the advantages and disadvantages displayed by left-handers

B.  the areas in which left-handers often display an advantage

C.  the differences between left-handers and right-handers

D.  the reasons why some people turn out to be left-handers

7)In the writer’s opinion, most of the left-handers’ accidents have been caused by _______.

A.  their lower IQ score

B.  their learning difficulties

C.  their different brain structure

D.  the inconvenience of tools they use

8)One area in which the left-handed are found not to have an advantage is ___________.

A.  music

B.  Math

C.  reading or speaking

D.  one-on-one competitive sports

9)The advantage that left-handers get in a baseball game is a result of ___________.

A.  their playing positions in the game

B.  the design of the game field

C.  the tactics they use in the game

D.  the asymmetric movement of the ball

10)The writer tends to believe that ____________.

A.  left-handers are born not made

B.  the benefits of being left-handed are not clear

C.  to be or not to be left-handers is a matter of choice

D.  it’s a coincidence for mathematicians to be often musical

Experiments designed to measure attractiveness usually involve showing a series of images of human faces and asking subjects to rate their visual appeal. Surprisingly, people from a variety of different ages, races and cultures agree on what is and isn’t beautiful. Babies as young as three months can identify and prefer faces that most adults would deem beautiful. Europeans can pick out the same beautiful Japanese faces as Japanese subjects; Japanese can agree on which European faces another Europeans will view as beautiful. So what’s going on?

Our brains have a special part called “the fusiform” (纺锤体), located in the back of the head near the spine. It’s the same neural pathway needed to recognize faces of family, friends and people we have met. When it’s damaged, the patients cannot recognize anyone, even people they have just met. Also, in experiments, they cannot discriminate between photographs of plain and beautiful faces.

When we recognize a face as “beautiful”, we tend to think in terms of facial symmetry, the similarity of the left and right halves of a face. This is because the human brain relates this feature to the health and vitality of an individual. A non-symmetrical face, or Facial Asymmetry (FA), increases with the presence of genetic disturbances and the exposure to environmental perturbations (干扰) during development such as extremes in temperature and pollution. This implies a genetic weakness and less than optimum health. In contrast, Bilateral Symmetry of a face is equated with resistance to infection and debilitating (使人虚弱的) bacteria or virus. It is an important factor that shows optimum health and increases the success in competition.

Thus, when we rate a face as “beautiful” or “plain”, we are actually judging whether that individual is healthy or not. We interpret facial symmetry to mean that a person has good genes and has been free from diseases, and we understand facial asymmetry as a sign of being weaker and less healthy.

1)Experiments that measures attractiveness show that ___________.

A.  age is a crucial factor involved in how human beings define beauty

B.  people from different countries have little agreement on what is beautiful

C.  images of human faces are effective tools for people to rate themselves

D.  cultural differences have no influence on how human beings define beauty

2)The fusiform can help us do all of the following EXCEPT ___________.

A.  distinguishing between good-looking faces and plain ones

B.  distinguishing between the neural cells in different parts of the face

C.  recognizing the face of someone we have just met a moment ago

D.  recognizing the face of a family member or a long-time friend

3)Facial symmetry plays an important role in our definition of beauty because ___________.

A.  the brain considers it as a crucial indicator of an individual’s health and vitality

B.  the brain associates it with high probability of developing serious infections

C.  the brain can only interpret the genes of an individual with a non-symmetrical face

D.  the brain can only evaluate the vitality of an individual with a symmetrical face

4)A non-symmetrical face is likely to develop when ___________.

A.  a person experiences genetic disturbances in his development

B.  a person has optimum health and excessive physical strength

C.  a person is exposed to extreme conditions in the natural environment

D.  a person has strong resistance to most kinds of infection and bacteria

5)The passage is mainly concerned with ___________.

A.  the biological factors of face recognition and discrimination

B.  the brain mechanism underlying the evaluation of beauty

C.  the structure and function of the fusiform in the human brain

D.  the genetic foundations of health and disease prevention

The phenomenon could help explain some apparently physically mismatched couples such as the glamorous Beyonce and Jay-Z, the striking Lara Stone and David Walliams, or the statuesque Sophie Dahl and the diminutive Jamie Cullum.

The “positive illusion” theory comes from researchers who asked 70 couples to rate their other halves for attractiveness. Questions included how attractive their husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend was to the opposite sex, and how they rated compared with others of the same age. The results, reported in The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, revealed that couples rated the physical appeal of their partners higher than that of strangers.

The researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands explain this from a psychological perspective. During the course of a romantic relationship, partners will frequently uncover sources of negativity or conflict that may raise the fear that their partner is not the “right” person after all. Such doubts about the partner are troublesome because negativity typically surfaces when the individuals have already invested in their relationship.

In order to reach some resolution between their hopes and doubts, and sustain a sense of security, partners often weave an elaborate fictitious (虚构的) story that both magnifies a partner’s virtues and minimizes his faults. By means of these positive illusions, partners may enhance their sense of security and stabilize their long-term bond.

Those who participated in the study were relatively young and had been together on average for just two and a half years. The researchers said that more work is needed to see if those in long marriages are still blind to their partner’s physical flaws. They think it is possible that positive illusions are much stronger in the beginning of the relationship when partners are still in love and tend to idealize each other strongly. Likewise, positive illusions may be stronger when people are younger and, as a consequence, relatively attractive.

6)According to the passage, people think their partners are attractive ___________.

A.  even if physical flaws are seen clearly through glasses

B.  even if physical flaws appear to be dark colored

C.  even if the partners have obvious physical flaws

D.  even if their partners decide to turn them off

7)The author mentions physically mismatched couples for the purpose of ___________.

A.  explaining the rules of romantic relationships

B.  explaining the standards of physical appeal

C.  supporting the importance of being attractive

D.  supporting the theory of positive illusion

8)Researchers believe that partners tend to ignore their other halves’ faults in order to ___________.

A.  improve the long-term security of their family

B.  maintain the stability of their relationship

C.  solve conflicts between dreams and reality

D.  uncover potential problems in their relationship

9)It can be inferred from the researcher’s view that ___________.

A.  a woman in her 20s may view her husband more positively than when in her 40s

B.  a man in his 2nd-year marriage may view his wife less positively than 10 years later

C.  a woman in her 40s care more about her husband’s appearance than before

D.  a man in his 20s may care less about his wife’s appearance than 10 years later

10)Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?

A.  Romance reduces marriage stability.

B.  Attractiveness comes with age.

C.  Love is blind for a good reason.

D.  Appearance enhances happiness.

When it comes to paying yourself a salary, you’ve got to remember an important point: You’re in this for the long run, and your rewards and compensation will come once you’ve got your business established. You’ve got to be patient, because paying yourself too much too soon is a sure recipe (食谱) for disaster.

If you go to a business consultant or accountant, they will tell you that your compensation needs to be a secondary consideration during the startup of your business. Focusing only on how much you’re going to pay yourself will detract from the overall purpose of the business and could drain the company of necessary cash resources during critical growth phases.

Of course, that’s not to say you don’t deserve compensation – you just need to be realistic that it may take a while before your business can provide it to you. That’s one reason entrepreneurs are often advised to start a business part time while maintaining their current “job” so there are other sources of income to help carry them through the startup phase. When it comes to compensation, having patience will allow your company to grow to the point where it can support a reasonable compensation package for you.

When you do start paying yourself, determine what you would be worth in a similar position if you were an employee. While you may feel you deserve more, you need to start small and work your way up the compensation scale as your profits allow. The key to paying yourself the right amount is to remember to keep enough aside so you don’t drain the business of its resources by taking too much money for your own personal use.

1)According to the author, why is salary one of the main frustrations small-business owners would experience during startup?

A.  Because they cannot make any profit during startup.

B.  Because they work hard but cannot obtain a salary.

C.  Because they wonder whether it is right to pay themselves.

D.  Because they usually fail to get a salary equal to their devotion.

2)Why is it wrong to pay oneself too much too soon?

A.  It could drain the company of necessary cash resources.

B.  Earning more money is not the overall purpose of a business.

C.  It leads to disaster no matter how well the business develops.

D.  You don’t deserve compensation if you start it part time.

3)As a new entrepreneur, one should take care not to ________.

A.  start a business part time while maintaining his current “job

B.  pay himself to the worth in a similar position of an employee

C.  take as much compensation as one feels what he deserves

D.  pay himself the right amount even if he would keep enough aside

4)According to the author, what should be the initial concern of a business at an early stage?

A.  Getting the business well-established.

B.  Being patient and not to think of profit.

C.  Putting as much money aside as possible.

D.  Keeping other sources of income to help one through.

5)What might be the possible occupation of the author?

A.  A new entrepreneur.

B.  An experienced businessman.

C.  A business executive.

D.  An accountant.

In the past two decades, world trade has expanded from $$200 billion to more than $$4 trillion while international direct investment has grown from $$211 billion to $$1.8 trillion. The growth of both has been more rapid than the growth of most domestic economics. As a result, nations are much more affected by international business than in the past. Global linkages have made possible investment strategies and business alternatives that offer tremendous opportunities. Yet these changes and the speed of change also can represent threats to nations and firms.

Over the past 30 years, the dominance of the US international trade position has gradually declined. Increasingly, new participants in international business compete fiercely for world market share, and US firms have fallen behind in their global competitiveness. Apart from changes in the world environment, this development is mainly the result of delays in policy adjustments and unwillingness by the US private sector to participate in international business.

Yet times are changing. Individuals, corporations, and policymakers have awakened to the fact that international business is a major tendency and opportunity for future growth and prosperity. International business offers access to new customers, affords economies of scale, and leads to the progress in competitive skills. Performing well in global markets is the key to improved standards of living, higher profits. And the continued leadership of the United States in the world knowledge about international business is therefore important to everyone in the country, whether it is used to compete with foreign firms or simply to add to an understanding of the world around us.

6)According to the first paragraph, what is the result of the development of international business?

A.  The formation of national borders.

B.  The change of economic environment.

C.  The restoration of economic linkages.

D.  The creation of a global marketplace.

7)What is the amount of international direct investment about 20 years ago?

A.  200 billion dollars.

B.  4 trillion dollars.

C.  211 billion dollars.

D.  1.8 trillion dollars.

8)According to the author, what is the main reason for the decline of the dominant position of the US in international trade?

A.  Constant changes in the world business environment.

B.  Uncompetitive skills of the US firms when faced with a world market.

C.  Fierce competition of new international trade participants for world market share.

D.  Policy adjustment delays and the US private sector’s reluctance to participant in world business.

9)Why should US companies participate further in international business?

A.  Because international business is the only opportunity for future growth in modern times.

B.  Because international business can create new customers and afford economies of scale.

C.  Because only through international business could companies improve in competitive skills.

D.  Because participating in international business would surely bring about higher profits.

10)What attitude does the author take toward maintaining the leadership position of the US in international business?

A.  Strongly positive.

B.  Mildly negative.

C.  Neutral.

D.  Indifferent.

For a proper understanding of children’s creativity, one must distinguish creativity from intelligence and talent. Some experts expressed concern about whether creativity in young children could be differentiated from other cognitive abilities. More recent studies have shown that components of creative potential can indeed be distinguished from intelligence. The term “gifted” is often used to imply high intelligence. But some scientists have argued that intelligence and creativity are independent of each other, and a highly creative child may or may not be highly intelligent.

Creativity goes beyond possession and use of artistic or musical talent. In this context, “talent” refers to the possession of a high degree of technical skill in a specialized area. Thus an artist may have wonderful technical skills, but may not succeed in evoking the emotional response that makes the viewer feel that a painting, for example, is unique. It is important to keep in mind that creativity is evidenced not only in music or art, but throughout the curriculum, in science, social studies and other areas.

Most measures of children’s creativity have focused on ideational (构思的) fluency. Ideational fluency tasks require children to generate as many responses as they can to a particular stimulus, as is done in brainstorming. Ideational fluency is generally considered to be a critical feature of the creative process.

For young children, the focus of creativity should remain on process: the generation of ideas. Adult acceptance of multiple ideas in a non-evaluative atmosphere will help children generate more ideas or move to the next stage of self-evaluation. As children develop the ability for self-evaluation, issues of quality and the generation of products become more important. The emphasis at this age should be on self-evaluation, for these children are exploring their abilities to generate and evaluate hypotheses, and revise their ideas based on that evaluation.

1)What should be paid attention to in terms of young children’s creativity development?

A.  Their intelligence and talent.

B.  Their process of developing original ideas.

C.  Mastery of a higher degree of technical skills.

D.  Better understanding of their creative potential.

2)The main purpose of Paragraph 2 is to _________.

A.  show that highly creative children are usually intelligent

B.  reveal the connection between intelligence and creativity

C.  illustrate that intelligence and creativity are not always related

D.  express concern about whether intelligent children are creative

3)How can an artist make the viewers feel that he is creative?

A.  He must possess artistic talent.

B.  He must have great technical skills.

C.  He must express emotions in his paintings.

D.  He must make people feel his paintings are unique.

4)What ability does “ideational fluency” (Para. 4) refer to?

A.  The ability to provide many ideas about a topic.

B.  The ability to generate ideas as fast as possible.

C.  The ability to make full use of the intelligence.

D.  The ability to come up with many creative ideas.

5)How should adults induce creativity in children?

A.  By teaching children to be able to evaluate their own ideas.

B.  By responding to children’s ideas in a non-judgmental way.

C.  By reminding children of the importance of others’ evaluations.

D.  By asking children to correct their ideas whenever they are wrong.

For a bookstore to remain successful, it must improve “the experience of buying books,” says Alex Lifschutz, an architect whose London-based practice is designing the new Foyles. He suggests an array of approaches: “small, quiet spaces surrounded with books; larger spaces where one can dwell and read; other larger but still intimate spaces where one can hear talks from authors about books, literature, science and travel.” The atmosphere is vital, he adds. Entrances must be full of eye-catching presentations and a bar and café is essential.

The trend for not only incorporating cafés in bookstores but also placing them on the top floor makes good sense. The new Foyles will have one, Mr. Lifschutz explains, because this draws shoppers upwards floor-by-floor, which is bound to encourage people to linger longer and spend more.

There are plenty of ways to delight the bookstore customer, but few are easily monetized. It is agreed that bookstores need to become cultural destinations where people are prepared to pay good money to hear a concert, see a film or attend a talk.

But forcing people to pay for the privilege of potential good services could deter (震慑) shoppers altogether. A more attractive idea might be a membership scheme like those offered by museums and other cultural venues (场地). A club membership could provide priority access to events (talks, literary workshops) and a private lounge where members can eat, drink and meet authors before events. Different memberships could tailor to the needs of children and students.

The future of the bookstore will have to work hard. Service will be knowledgeable and personalized, spaces well-designed and the cultural events tempting. But still, the fate of these bookstores, especially small independents, is a cliffhanger (悬而未决的局势).

6)According to Alex Lifschutz, what “experience of buying books” should a bookstore provide?

A.  The design of the bookstore should cater to different needs.

B.  There must be many eye-catching best-sellers displayed.

C.  There must be enough spaces for readers to communicate with authors.

D.  Authors of best-sellers should be invited to give talks or lectures.

7)Why is it a good idea to place a café on the top floor of a bookstore?

A.  Because the rent for the café is lower on the top floor.

B.  Because shoppers can have a better view on the top floor.

C.  Because shoppers tend to spend more time and money in the store.

D.  Because the top floor will be much quieter for readers.

8)What does the first sentence (Para. 4) most likely mean?

A.  It is hard for bookstores to please customers and earn money at the same time.

B.  It is difficult for bookstores to work out right ways to please customers.

C.  It is rather common for customers not to be able to afford the books in the stores.

D.  It is necessary for bookstores to be customer-centered instead of money-centered.

9)According to the passage, what privilege do members of bookstores have?

A.  They don’t need to pay for the events they attend.

B.  Children and students can enjoy a special discount.

C.  They will be considered first when there are some activities.

D.  They can attend any cultural events organized by the bookstore.

10)What does the author think of the future of bookstores?

A.  Promising.

B.  Doomed.

C.  Challenging.

D.  Depressing.

Most French people I meet are subtle and dignified. They are not loud, and they are reserved in their expressions. We like to say words like “great”, “magnificent”, or “marvelous”. The French will say “pas mal” (not bad) even if they win the lottery! And you will be wrong if you think Europeans don’t have their own negative idea of Americans. Most young Europeans I’ve met view Americans as “fake” and loud, since we do tend to have big hellos and smiles for strangers and ask “how are you” and walk away before a response. We should make a conscious effort to show the French that we can adjust to our surroundings, and that we don’t expect to enter a foreign country and have everything be just as we wish it to be.

I wasn’t able to completely forget my American roots during my stay. I was still the one getting strange looks wearing my sandals in the cold (with socks of course). I was still the one with the loudest laugh. And I could never quite get my voice to that level which is “loud enough for the waiter to hear but not nearby diners”. I will always feel a bit like an awkward teenager as I stumble my way around Europe. I was very lucky in that my French friends insisted my American idiosyncrasies (习性) were charming and deserving of acceptance.

So look at the French in a new light. They have a rich culture, a rich past. I can attest to the fact that if you are kind and polite, you will gain friends, and perhaps even improve foreign relations! 

1)According to the passage, what makes Americans think that the French are rude?

A.  The way French people greet strangers in public is impolite and unkind.

B.  The way French people behave differs from what Americans are used to.

C.  Few French hold a friendly or favorable attitude toward English speakers.

D.  Few French respond to strangers’ gentle and kind greetings favorably.

2)Compared with Americans, the French tend to ___________ when they give compliments.

A.  speak at a loud and dignified voice

B.  avoid using negative expressions

C.  choose subtle and moderate expressions

D.  be generous and somewhat exaggerating

3)The author talks about how Americans greet others in Paragraph 3 in order to ___________.

A.  justify the friendly behavior of Americans when they speak to the Europeans

B.  demonstrate the necessity for the French to adjust to foreign surroundings

C.  argue for the view that Americans are rude when they visit a foreign country

D.  explain the reasons why Americans may appear fake and loud to Europeans

4)Which of the following does the author probably agree?

A.  One should stick to his own culture when he communicates with foreigners.

B.  One should fully adapt to the cultural norms of a foreign country which he lives in.

C.  One can maintain some rules of his native culture when living in a foreign country.

D.  One can easily make friends with foreigners by learning about their idiosyncrasies.

5)The main purpose of the passage can be best put as to ___________.

A.  refute a national stereotype with evidence from the author’s own experience

B.  tell a true story based on the author’s own experience in a foreign country

C.  prove a popular view on a nation by use of logical reasoning

D.  explain a cultural concept by comparing two peoples’ behavior

One of the most pervasive Asian stereotypes is that Asian Americans are foreigners who cannot be assimilated. Because Asian Americans are racially and culturally distinctive from the American mainstream, so / and they have been widely seen as unable to be absorbed into American society. According to this view, anything Asians do is thus inherently “alien” to America. For instance, mainstream TV and movie often portray Asian Americans as being “unassimilated”, or having “exotic” qualities like martial arts ability, accented English, and a propensity (嗜好) for eating strange things.

The problem in my experience is that these few portrayals end up being what people expect of me, and other Asian Americans, too. When people look at me, they expect something that I am not – they expect an exotic “other” that doesn’t belong “here”, that is, in the United States. I often encounter people who assume that I’m either an immigrant restaurant worker or an international student at the local university – two things that place an immigrant or foreign identity on me, even though I’m an American citizen and have been living in the US my entire life.

The stereotype of Asian Americans as foreign or “other” is embedded in American culture and passes by unnoticed. My identity as an Asian American becomes invisible. It creates a divide between who I am and how I am perceived – it’s like my US citizenship status is dictated by my appearance and my ethnic background.

How do we fix these things? We should become more aware. We think about them and talk about them. We maybe even yell about them. We acknowledge how these representations make us feel uncomfortable about ourselves, or, in the best cases, proud to be who we are. As people of color, we should fight for the right to our own identities and who we are. It’s an ongoing process: think, talk, yell, and fight. 

6)The author thinks that Asian stereotypes in American society ___________.

A.  are not as offensive as people think

B.  are not as popular as people think

C.  cause more debate than they should

D.  receive less attention than they should

7)Asian Americans tend to be considered as ___________.

A.  unwilling to adapt to exotic food habits of other cultures

B.  unable to integrate themselves into mainstream society

C.  good at speaking English with an American accent

D.  fond of demonstrating their culture on the mainstream media

8)It can be inferred that the author probably believes ___________.

A.  Asian Americans who are born American citizens are culturally not much different from mainstream Americans

B.  Asian immigrants who have become American citizens encounter less prejudice than Asians who are foreigners in the US

C.  Asian Americans should make great efforts to expand their career choices rather than only work as restaurant workers

D.  Asian Americans expect mainstream Americans to see Asians as culturally and racially different from other Americans

9)How does the author feel about his experience as an Asian American?

A.  Peaceful.

B.  Inspired.

C.  Fearful.

D.  Annoyed.

10)Which of the following approach best fits the author’s suggestions on how to correct Asian stereotypes?

A.  Proudly accepting positive comments made by mainstream society.

B.  Bravely shouting at those who have misunderstandings of Asian Americans.

C.  Openly talking about and refuting Asian stereotypes in the public media.

D.  Carefully avoiding and withdrawing from conversations about Asian stereotypes.

Focusing on STEM skills is important,but the reality is that STEM skills are enhanced and more relevant when combined with traditional,hands-on creative activities.This combination is proving to be the best way to prepare today’s children to be the makers and builders of tomorrow.That is why technology companies are partnering with educators to bring back good,old-fashioned play.

In fact many experts argue that the most important 21st-century skills aren't related to specific technologies or subject matter, but to creativity; skills like imagination, problem-finding and problem solving, teamwork, optimism, patience and the ability to experiment and take risks. These are skills acquired when kids tinker(鼓捣小玩意).High-tech industries such as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that their best overall problem solvers were master tinkerers in their youth.

There are cornitive(认知的) benefits of doing thines the way we did as children-building something,tearing it down,then building it up again.Research shows that given 15 minutes of free play four- and five-year-olds will spend a third of this time engaged in spatial, mathematical,and architectural activities. This type of play-especially with building blocks-helps children discover and develop key principles in math and geometry.

If play and building are critical to 21st-century skill development, that's really good news for two reasons:Children are born builders,makers, and creators,so fostering(培养)21st-century skills may be as simple as giving kids room to play,tinker and try things out,even as they grow older. Secondly,it doesn't take 21st-century technology to foster 21st-century skills. This is especially important for under- resourced schools and communities. Taking whatever materials are handy and tinkering with them is a simple way to engage those important“maker”skills.And anyoneanywhere,can do it.

46. What does the author say about educators?

A)  They seek advice from technology companies to achieve teaching goals. 

B)  They have been successful in preparing the workforce for companies.

C)  They help students acquire the skills needed for their future success.

D)  They partner with technology companies to enhance teaching efficiency

47.How can educators better develop students’STEM skills, according to the author?

A)  By blending them with traditionalstimulating activities. 

B)  By inviting business leaders to help design curriculums. 

C)  By enhancing students’ability to think in a critical way. 

D)  By showing students the best way to learn is through play.

48. How do children acquire the skills needed for the 21st century?

A)  By engaging in activities involving specific technologies 

B)  By playing with things to solve problems on their own. 

C)  By familiarizing themselves with high-tech gadgets. 

D)  By mastering basic principles through teamwork.

49. What can we do to help children learn the basics of math and geometry?

A)  Stimulate their interest as early as possible. 

B)  Spend more time playing games with them.

C)  Encourage them to make things with hands.

D)  Allow them to tinker freely with calculators.

50.What does the author advise disadvantaged schools and communities to do?

A)  Train students to be makers to meet future market demands 

B)  Develop students’creative skills with the resources available. 

C)  Engage students with challenging tasks to foster their creativity. 

D)  Work together with companies to improve their teaching facilities. Passage Two

According to a recent survey,employees who have a job reliant on IT support consider IT a majon source of job dissatisfaction. Through no fault of their own, they can suddenly find their productivity deteriorating or quality control non-existent.And there’s little they can do about it.

The experience of using IT penetrates almost the entire work field.It has become a crucial part of employees’overall work experience. When IT is operating as it should, employee self-confidence swells.

Their job satisfaction, too, can surge when well-functioning machines relieve them of dull tasks on repetitive processes.But if there's one thing that triggers widespread employee frustration, it's an IT transformation proiect gone wrong, where swollen expectations have been popped and a long list of promised efficiencies have been reversed.This occurs when business leaders implement IT initiatives with little consideration of how those changes will impact the end user.

Which is why managers should appreciate just how influential the IT user experience is to their employees, and exert substantial effort in ensuring their IT team eliminates programming errors and application crashes. Adequate and timely IT support should also be available to enable users to cope withtechnological issues at work. More importantly,IT practitioners need to understand what employees experience mentally when they use IT.

Therefore,businesses need to set up their T infrastructure so that it is designed to fit in with their employees’work, rather than adjust their work to fit in with the company’s IT limitations.

51. What does the author say about working in IT?

A)  It is envied by many. 

B)  It does not appeal to him. 

C)  It is financially rewarding.

D)  It does not match his abilities. 

52.What is the finding of a recent survey on employees who have a job reliant on IT support?

A)  IT helps boost productivity.

B)  IT helps improve quality control.

C)  Many employees are deeply frustrated by IT.

D)  Most employees rely heavily on IT in their work

53. What is said to happen when IT is functioning properly?

A)  There is a big boost in employeeswork efficiency 

B)  Employees become more dependent on machines. 

C)  There are no longer any boring or repetitive tasks 

D)  Employees become more confident in their work.

54.What should business leaders do before implementing new IT initiatives?

A)  Consider the various expectations of their customers. 

B)  Draw up a list of the efficiencies to be promised. 

C)  Assess the swollen cost of training the employees. 

D)  Think about the possible effects on their employees.

55. How can a business help improve its employees’experience in using IT?

A)  By designing systems that suit their needs. 

B)  By ensuring that their mental health is sound. 

C)  By adjusting their work to suit the IT system.

D)  By offering them regular in-service training.

What might surprise consumers is just how many present-day nutrition studies are still funded by the food industry. Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle of New York University spent a year informally tracking industry-funded studies on food.“Roughly 90% of nearly 170 studies favored the sponsor's interest, Nestle tells us.Other systematic reviews support her conclusions.

For instance, studies funded by Welch Foods-the brand behind Welch's 100% Grape Juicefound that drinking Concord grape juice daily may boost brain function. Another,funded by Quaker Oats concluded,as a Daily Mail story put it, that“hot oatmeal(燕麦粥) breakfast keeps you full for longer.’

Last vear, The New York Times revealed how Coca-Cola was funding well-known scientists and organizations promoting a message that, in the battle against weight gain, people should pay more attention to exercise and less to what they eat and drink.Coca-Cola also released data detailing its funding of several medical institutions and associations between 2010 and 2015.

“It's certainly a problem that so much research in nutrition and health is funded by industry,” says Bonnie Liebman,director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.“When the food industry pays for research, it often gets what it pays for.”And what it pays for is often a pro-industry finding.

Given this environment, consumers should be skeptical(怀疑的) when reading the latest finding in nutrition science and ignore the latest study that pops up on your news feed“Rely on health experts who've reviewed all the evidence ”Liebman says, pointing to the official eovernment Dietary Guidelines. which are based on reviews of hundreds of studies.

“And that expert advice remains pretty simple,”says Nestle.“We know what healthy diets are-lots of vegetables, not too much junk food, balanced calories. Everything else is really difficult to do experimentally.”

46. What did Harvard scientists do 50 years ago?

A)  They raised public awareness of the possible causes of heart disease. 

B)  They turned public attention away from the health risks of sugar to fat. 

C)  They placed the sugar industry in the spotlight with their new findings.

D)  They conducted large-scale research on the role of sugar in people's health

47. What does Marion Nestle say about present-day nutrition studies?

A)  They took her a full year to track and analyze. 

B)  Most of them are based on systematic reviews. 

C)  They depend on funding from the food industries. 

D)  Nearly all of them serve the purpose of the funders

48. What did Coca-Cola-funded studies claim?

A)  Exercise is more important to good health than diet. 

B)  Choosing what to eat and drink is key to weight control 

C)  Drinking Coca-Cola does not contribute to weight gain. 

D)  The food industry plays a major role in fighting obesity

49. What does Liebman say about industry-funded research?

A)  It simply focuses on nutrition and health. 

B)  It causes confusion among consumers. 

C)  It rarely results in obiective findings. 

D)  It runs counter to the public interest.

50. What is the author's advice to consumers?

A)  Follow their intuition in deciding what to eat 

B)  Be doubtful of diet experts’recommendations 

C)  Ignore irrelevant information on their news feed. 

D)  Think twice about new nutrition research findings

When I started my career,things were already different.If you weren’t changing companies every three or four years, you simply weren't getting ahead in your career. But back then, if you were a consultant or freelancer(自由职业者),people would wonder what was wrong with you. They would assume you had problems getting a job.

Today,consulting or freelancing for five businesses at the same time is a badge of honor.It shows how valuable an individual is. Many companies now look to these“ultimate professionals” to solve problems their full-time teams can’t. Or they save money byhiring“toptier(顶尖的) experts” only for particular projects.

Working at home or in cafes, starting businesses of their own, and even launching business ventures that eventually may fail,all indicate“initiative,”“creativity,”and “adaptability,”which are desirable qualities in today’s workplace.Most important, there is a growing recognition that people who balance work and play, and who work at what they are passionate about, are more focused and productive delivering greater value to their clients.

Who are these people? They are artists, writers, programmers, providers of office services and career advice."What’s needed now is a marketplace platform specifically designed to bring freelancers and clients together.Such platforms then become a place to feature the most experienced, professional, and creative talent. This is where they conduct business, where a sense of community reinforces the culture and values of thegigeconomy(零工经济), and where success is rewarded with good reviews that encourage more business.

Slowly but surely,these platforms create a bridge between traditional enterprises and this emerging economy.Perhaps more important, as the global economy continues to be disrupted by technology and other massive change, the gig economy will itself become an engine of economic and social transformation.

51. What does the author use the example ofhis father to illustrate?

A)  How long people took to reach the top of their career 

B)  How people accumulated wealth in his father's time. 

C)  How people viewed success in his father’s time 

D)  How long people usually stayed in a company.

52. Why did people often change jobs when the author started his career?

A)  It was considered a fashion at that time 

B)  It was a way to advance in their career.

C)  It was a response to the changing iob market 

D)  It was difficult to keep a job for long.

53. What does the author say about people now working for several businesses at the same time

A)  They are often regarded as most treasured talents. 

B)  They are able to bring their potential into fuller play 

C)  They have control over their life and work schedules 

D)  They feel proud of being outstanding problem solver.

54. What have businesses come to recognize now?

A)  Who is capable of solving problems with ease. 

B)  How people can be more focused and productive 

C)  What kind of people can contribute more to them. 

D)  Why some people are more passionate about work.

55. What does the author say about the gig economy?

A)  It may force companies to reform their business practice. 

B)  It may soon replace the traditional economic model. 

C)  It will drive technological progress on a global scale. 

D)  It will bring about radical economic and social changes.