Kenya is losing an average of 100 of its 2,000 lions each year because of growing human settlements, increasing farming, climate change and diseases, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“Lions have a special place in Kenyans’ life,” said Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the organization. “Other than being the symbol of national strength, they are among the Big Five, a main attraction for visitors to Kenya.”
There were 2,749 lions in Kenya in 2002 and their population dropped to 2,280 by 2004 and to about 2,000 today, according to KWS figures.
“The fall of the lion population is worrying and every effort needs to be made to make sure that Kenya either protects its population of 2,000 lions at present or increases the numbers to an ecologically (生态上地) acceptable level,” said Mr. Udoto.
“There is no doubt that the numbers are in free fall. I’d be surprised if they even last as long as 20 years,” said Laurence Frank, project director of Living With Lions, a Kenya-based animal protection organization. “When I first came here 30 years ago, I would always hear lions roaring across the land at night and see their tracks in the morning. Now that is very rare.”
“The reason is simple. As the numbers of people grow and the numbers of cows increase, they take up much of the lion’s space. Alongside that there are other ways, including poisoning, to kill lions.”
Animal lovers are making a new strategy to save the animals. Part of the measures will include tracking lions fitted with radio collars (无线电项圈) in the Amboseli area in southern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania.
Wildlife officials in Tanzania face similar challenges in protecting their lions, but there is far less human encroachment(侵犯) on the animals’ homeland there than in Kenya.
The lion population is falling in Kenya for the following reasons EXCEPT __________.
A.climate change | B.too many visitors | C.disease | D.human activities |
In Paragraph 2, Paul Udoto wants to show __________.
A.the importance of lions in Kenya |
B.the tourist attractions in Kenya |
C.Kenyan’s special lifestyle |
D.Kenya’s national symbol |
We know from Laurence Frank’s words that __________.
A.lions are losing their attraction for visitors to Kenya |
B.the lion population will be controlled from now on |
C.lions will disappear within twenty years in Kenya if not protected |
D.more cows are needed to feed lions in Kenya |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Kenya is losing its Big Five. |
B.Kenyan wildlife is in danger. |
C.Lions face extinction in Kenya. |
D.Lions’ place in Kenyans’ life is falling. |
What will the following passage most probably talk about?
A.Lions’ past living condition in Kenya. |
B.Ways of improving lions’ condition. |
C.Radio collars tracing lions. |
D.Lions’ present living condition in Tanzania |
In a recent announcement, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)said that they have joined forces to offer free online courses in an effort to attract millions of online learners worldwide.
Beginning this fall, a number of courses developed by teachers at both universities will be offered online through a new $60 million program, known as edX. “Anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world can use our online courses,” Harvard President Drew Faust said during a meeting to announce the plan.
MIT has offered a program called OpenCourseWare for ten years that makes materials from more than 2,000 classes free online. It has been used by more than 100 million people. In December, the school announced it also would begin offering a special certificate, known as MITx, for people who complete certain online courses. Harvard has long offered courses to a wider population through a similar program.
The MITx will serve as the foundation for the new learning platform.
MIT President Susan Hockfield said more than 120,000 people signed up for the first MITx course. She said Harvard and MIT hope other universities will join them in offering courses on the open-source edX platform.
“Fasten your seatbelts,” Hockfield said.
Other universities, including Stanford, Yale and Carnegie-Mellon, have been experimenting with teaching to a global population online.
The Harvard-MIT program will be monitored by a not-for-profit(非盈利的)organization based in Cambridge, to be owned equally by the two universities. Both MIT and Harvard have provided $30 million to start the program. They also plan to use the edX platform to research how students learn and which teaching methods and tools are most successful.
According to this text, edX is _______.
A.a part of the free MIT OpenCourseWare |
B.a free computer program by MIT and Harvard |
C.a Harvard-MIT platform of free online courses |
D.a free program online for universities worldwide |
What is said about online education in the text?
A.Universities have been trying online courses. |
B.About 2,000 online courses have been offered. |
C.Over 100 million people have finished courses online. |
D.Stanford and Yale together have courses similar to edX. |
The underlined part in the text probably means “ ”.
A.Get ready for the difficulties |
B.Get ready for this educational change |
C.Get prepared to complete the online courses |
D.Get prepared to make materials for the edX courses |
What can be said about MITx according to the text?
A.It is first offered as part of the edX learning program. |
B.It is another free MIT-Harvard online learning program. |
C.It is a standard to recognize online learners’ achievement. |
D.It is a new kind of free online course of Harvard and MIT. |
The Intel Science Talent Search is the top science competition for high school students in the US. The 40 finalists were honored in Washington last week. They met with scientists and politicians. President Obama welcomed them to the White House.
These 40 students were selected from almost 2,000 contestants nationwide. They had to present original research to be judged by professional scientists. The students showed their research projects on large posters. The winners were announced on March 15th, 2011.
Wendy Hawkins is executive director of the Intel Foundation, who says the 40 finalists represented excellence across many areas of science.
Selena Li is from Fair Oaks, California. She wanted to find a more effective treatment for liver cancer. She began her research four years ago. A scientist at the University of California, Davis, taught her how to design and do experimental work in the laboratory. Ms. Li placed 5th in the Intel Science Talent Search and was awarded 30,000 dollars.
Scott Boisvert lives near Phoenix, Arizona. He began using a laboratory at the University of Arizona at the age of 14. Over four years, he completed a project studying a fungus(真菌) linked to the decrease in amphibians(两栖动物)around the world. He was trying to find out if different chemicals and substances in the water could kill the fungus. He collected and tested water samples across Arizona. He says, “My results were able to identify a list of chemicals that were significant in the growth and in the movement of the fungus.” He placed10th in the Intel competition and was awarded 20,000 dollars.
Evan O’Dorney of Danville, California, won the top award of 100,000 dollars in this year’s Intel Science Talent Search. For his mathematical project, he compared two ways to estimate the square root of an integer (整数) , a number with no fractional parts.
Wendy Hawkins at the Intel Foundation says these young people represent the next generation of scientists who will help shape America’s future.
According to the passage, if you want to win the Intel Science Talent Search, you must________.
A.have high academic achievement |
B.be excellent in all areas of science |
C.offer original research |
D.do many experiments in a university lab |
Who will be probably engaged in math study in the future and become a mathematician?
A.Wendy Hawkins. | B.Selena Li. |
C.Scott Boisvert. | D.Evan O’Dorney |
Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Scott Boisvert found a new fungus linked to the decease in amphibians. |
B.The 1st, 5th and 10th students in the competition come from California. |
C.Scott Boisvert is the youngest winner among the 40 students. |
D.The Intel Science Talent Search is an intense competition. |
The Wendy Hawkins’s attitude to these 40 finalists is ______.
A.critical | B.negative | C.positive | D.mixed |
BEIJING—Apple Inc. is one step closer to beginning sales of iPad2 tablet computers with cellular network compatibility (兼容) for the first time in the Chinese mainland, where the consumer-electronics giant is in the midst of an aggressive expansion.
According to China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, a device by Apple with third-generation high-speed wireless data capabilities was issued the network access license needed for the company to begin official sales in China.The device, listed under model number “A1396”, is compatible with the 3G standard WCDMA, and would work with the cellular network operated by Apple’s local iPhone partner, China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd.
China Unicom declined to comment.
Apple already offers the 3G iPad2 in Hong Kong through its partners, but currently only offers Wi-Fi versions of the device in the Chinese mainland.Still, consumers in China, which according to research firm IDC surpassed the US as the world’s largest PC market in the second quarter, have been purchasing 3G tablets through unofficial channels.
Separately, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Sept 6 that the company’s first Hong Kong store, set to open this quarter, will be located in the city’s central shopping and business district in the International Finance Center’s upscale (高档的) IFC mall, a commercial center and sightseeing spot along the city’s waterfront.Wu also said that Apple is planning a new store in Shanghai later this quarter, which will be its biggest store in China.She declined to give more details or to comment on the 3G iPad2.
Apple currently has four full-service Apple stores in the mainland, which receive the most traffic of any Apple stores in the world.The company otherwise relies on resellers to get its products into the market.
The new stores reflect Apple’s confidence in rising demand for its products such as smart phones and tablet computers.Sales in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan helped boost (增长) the company’s third-quarter results, newly appointed Chief Executive Tim Cook said in July.China revenue (收益) surged (激增) six-fold to about $3.8 billion during the three months ended June 25.
“This has been a substantial (重大) opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we’re just scratching the surface right now,” Cook said at the time, referring to strong sales in China.“I see an incredible opportunity for Apple there.”
From China Daily 2011-09-08
According to the news, which of the following statements is true?
A.WCDMA is not the only 3G standard in the world. |
B.Apple Inc. sells its products in the market of the Chinese mainland all by its own stores. |
C.The consumers in China can only get iPad2 of Wi-Fi versions. |
D.Chinese mainland is the second largest PC market in this year’s second quarter. |
Which one of the following phrases can replace the underlined word in paragraph 1?
A.in the interests of | B.in the front of |
C.in the process of | D.in the case of |
How many full-service Apple stores in China?
A.4 | B.6 | C.8 | D.Unknown |
What’s the probable meaning of “six-fold” in the last but one paragraph?
A.six times | B.one-six | C.60 percent | D.2times |
By saying “we’re just scratching the surface right now”, Cook means ________.
A.they don’t know much about China’s market |
B.they will sell more products and gain more profit in China |
C.they need to obtain more permission from China’s government |
D.they ignored the rural market in China |
What is Kelly Chan going to do?
A.To hold a concert. | B.To go on a diet. | C.To watch a game. | D.To make a dress. |
According to the news the player from ________ won the tennis match on Saturday.
A.Russia | B.Japan | C.South Korea | D.America |
The medical group from America said last week that _________.
A.America has too many good athletes |
B.children shouldn’t have too many soft drink |
C.schools should organize more picnics |
D.most parents in America have health problem |
From the news we know that __________.
A.Kelly Chan has been dancing with 40 people |
B.Maria Sharapova has won the Japan Open 17 times |
C.soft drinks and fast food are really good for children’s health |
D.many American children have too much fast food and too little exercise |
London: It’s well known that Charles Darwin’s famous theory of evolution annoyed many people because it was against the Biblical view of creation. But few know that it also created problems for Darwin at home with his deeply religious wife, Emma.
“Darwin held back the publication of On the Origin of Species to avoid offending (触怒) his wife,” says Ruth Padel, the naturalist’s great – great – granddaughter. “Emma told him that he seemed to be putting God further and further off”, Padel says in her north London home. “But they talked it through, and Emma once said, ‘Don’t change any of your ideas for fear of hurting me.’”
As the world celebrates the 200th birthday of the man who changed scientific thought forever and the 150th anniversary of his book today, even his opponents admitted he was a giant figure.
Though opposition to his theory continues, it is the elegant explanation of how species evolutes through natural selection that makes his 200th birthday such a major event.
More than 300 celebrations have been planned in Britain alone, where Darwin's face graces (使增光)the 10-pound bill along with that of Queen Elizabeth II.
Shrewsbury, the central England town where Darwin was born and raised, is holding a month-long festival for its most famous son. Down House, his former home near London, will hold a permanent exhibition recreating some of his most famous experiments.
Many more events have been planned all over the world.
What would he be doing if he were alive today? Padel thinks he would properly be studying DNA and the immune system.
The main purpose of the author is .
A.to say something about Darwin and his wife |
B.to introduce Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution |
C.to sing high praise for the book On the Origin of Species |
D.to report some celebrations of Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his books |
Which of the statements is NOT true based on the passage?
A.Everyone agrees with Darwin now. |
B.Darwin was brought up in Shrewsbury. |
C.Emma was not really fond of his theory. |
D.Darwin was very interested in living things. |
The underlined phrase “held back” in the second paragraph probably means .
A.prevented from | B.kept a secret | C.cared about | D.put off |
It can be inferred that the passage is most probably .
A.a scientific report | B.a news report |
C.an English composition | D.a text |
To help the environment, many Americans have made the change from paper and plastic bags to reusable grocery bags. But a report by a Florida newspaper says that reusable grocery bags sold by some supermarkets contain high levels of lead(铅). Lead is a metal that can be harmful to humans, especially young children. Now, Senator Charles Schumer is asking the US government to investigate(调查) the use of lead in reusable shopping bags.
“When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about is poisonous bags.” Schumer said, “A quick investigation will allow everyone to make informed, timely decisions.” Schumer added.
Lead in the bags is not likely to rub off on food. But over time, paint on the bags can chip and the bags can wear out. When this happens, lead can be released(释放).
The Tampa Tribune newspaper said certain bags sold at Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarkets had lead levels that were a concern(担忧) to health officials. The affected bags were found in Florida. But Publix has more than 1,000 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Sough Carolina and Tennessee. Publix says that all of its bags are under current laws about lead content, but that they have asked the makers of the bags to reduce the lead levels in the product.
The bags with the highest levels of lead had fancy designs and many pictures. Plain reusable bags without decoration were found to contain little lead. Consumers worried about lead levels in reusable bags can change to cloth or string bags. Paper bags are also a good choice, since paper can be recycled(回收).
Since 2007, Publix supermarkets have sold more than 13 million reusable bags. The store says because shoppers have made the change to reusable bags, it has saved more than 1 billion paper and plastics bags.
The shopping bags containing high levels of lead ________.
A.have been reported by a newspaper |
B.have been stopped by the government |
C.have stopped people from using reusable bags |
D.have caused serious health damage to customers |
From Schumer’s words we can learn that ________.
A.reusable bags do little harm to kids’ health |
B.people have shown much concern for the reusable bags |
C.people will be informed of the facts about the reusable bags |
D.people should refuse to buy things from supermarkets |
It can be inferred from the text that Publix might believe that the bags they sold are _____.
A.dependable | B.convenient | C.harmful | D.popular |
Customers are advised to choose bags ________.
A.with colorful designs | B.with fancy pictures |
C.made of plastic | D.made of paper |
Chinese media and Internet users on Monday condemned lack of morals in society after a toddler was struck twice –by two different vans-and left bleeding on the road as more than a dozen bystanders did nothing to help the seriously injured girl.
The incident, captured by a surveillance camera and broadcast by Southern Television Guangdong (TVS),showed the two-year-old girl was knocked down and run over by a white van on a narrow market street on the afternoon of Oct.13,in Foshan City of Guangdong Province.
The driver fled the scene of the accident,leaving the girl to bleed on the sidewalk.Over the next six minutes,more than a dozen people walked by the girl,yet not one individual did anything to help her.The girl was then hit a second time by another van before an elderly trash collector came to her aid and brought the attention of the girl’s mother,according to the video and eyewitnesses.
Doctors said that the girl,who was put on life support after being hospitalized,remains in a deep coma.The girl’s parents,who are migrants living in the city,are now with her.
Police said the drivers of both vehicles have been arrested.However,the apathy of the bystanders shown in the video has shocked the public,as Internet forums have seethed with anger, and people are questioning the morality of society.
High moral standards were once triumphed as national pride in China where individuals known for selflessly helping others were adored by the public.
But in recent years,the perception(观念)of a decline of morals has become a hot topic as profit and materialism are perceived to be affecting society’s values.
On Sept.2 an 88-year-old man in central China collapsed,his face striking the pavement.Yet,no one came to his aid,and he ended up choking to death on the blood from his nose.
Some have linked the absence of good Samaritans (模范人物)to a previous case in which a man trying to help an elderly woman who fell was accused of harming her.
A strong chorus of opinion on the Internet says laws should exempt(免除)Samaritans from liability(责任),yet laws themselves cannot solve society’s morality dilemma.
Cao Lin,a China Youth Daily commentator,said in a signed article published on Monday that the worry of liability should not be an excuse for not helping,and this case exposes the decline of humanity in Chinese society.
According to the passage,what would happen if someone helped others selflessly in the past?
A.He/ she would be condemned by the public. |
B.He/ she would be awarded by the government. |
C.He/ she would have to worry about liability. |
D.The public would feel proud of him/ her and thus showed love and respect for him/ her |
Which of the following is TRUE about this passage?
A.Nobody helped the girl who was struck twice by two different vans. |
B.The toddler died immediately after she was hit a second time. |
C.High moral standards were once regarded as national pride in China. |
D.Journalists from TVS captured the incident by using a camera. |
In recent years,society’s values is believed to be affected by .
A.profit and materialism | B.people’s perceptions |
C.the apathy of bystanders | D.the morals of society |
According to Cao Lin,what is the fundamental reason for not helping the girl?
A.The worry of liability. |
B.Lack of laws that exempt Samaritans from liability. |
C.The decline of humanity in society. |
D.The fear of being accused of harming her. |
Where is the article most probably taken from?
A.A fashion magazine. | B.A news report. |
C.A science fiction. | D.An education column. |
Wen Jiabao arrived in Singapore yesterday for an official visit to the country. It is the first visit by a Chinese premier to Singapore in eight years. In the arrival statement, When said he is looking forward to the meeting with Singing pore on ways to deepen East Asian cooperation between two nations so as to contribute to the building of a peaceful, harmonious relationship.
Premier Wen Jiabao and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to jointly develop an environmentally friendly city in northeastern China. The city will be a model for sustainable development, a Singapore government statement said.The”Sino-Singapore Tjanjin Eco—city” will be developed by a joint venture formed by Chinese and Singapore companies.”This eco-city, to be built in Tianjin, well become another highlight in our relations,” When said after signing an agreement with Lee, who agreed,“On the Singapore side, on all levels,we’ll give this project our full support.”
The two sides will share expertise and experiences in urban planning, environmental protection, resources conservation,recyeling,use of renewable resources and wastewater re-use. China’s economil planning agency issued a set of guidelines earlier this month welcoming foreign investment in environmentally friendly areas such as recycling,”clean”industries and environmental protection.
Bilateral relations between China and Singapore have seen big progress even though the two countries established diplomatic ties only 17 years ago, When said during his talks with Lee.
China and Singapore have also kept close contact and coordination on regional issues, he added. When said China and Singapore are both important Asian countries that share common interests in many areas.
Title: Wen’s visit to Singapore
Main points |
contexts |
General of Wen’visit |
To with Singapore To |
Agreements in the visit |
Another friendly city to be built in Tianjin. |
Co-operation in city planning, environment protection, recycling and so on for |
|
Co-operation in for a Asia. |
|
Guidelines by China |
China’s for clean industries and environmental protection. |
Now, it’s time for some brief news items.
Teens Go Online
Some 13 million European children under 18 use the Internet for schoolwork, games and music according to research done by Nielsen’s “Net-rating”. The study covered Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Experts advised parents to limit the time their kids spend on line and keep them away from chat rooms.
Chat to the magic Mum
British author J. K. Rowling, mother of magic boy Harry Potter, will do an Internet interview about her new book “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” on June 26. Before the event, children are invited to send their questions about Harry to the website. The book will hit stores in the US and UK on June 21 and will arrive in China in August.
School Soldiers
Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided. The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward the education of their love for their country.
Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll out of bed in their pajamas (睡衣) and go to class in their own bedrooms, Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state’s only online school, has 250 students who are taking classes at home by computer. Students in this first online program take classes in algebra (代数), American government, chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes.
In the first news item, which country is NOT covered in the research?
A.Britain. | B.France. | C.Sweden. | D.Spain. |
What is the second news item mainly about?
A.J. K. Rowling will have an Internet interview. |
B.Children will meet Harry Potter’s mother. |
C.The Harry Potter book will be available on the Internet. |
D.The Harry Potter book will arrive in China in early June. |
Why will Russian school students have basic military training?
A.To get ready for a military parade. |
B.To learn to protect themselves. |
C.To gain some military knowledge. |
D.To develop their love for the country. |
The last news can be given a title “________”.
A.Get up Late | B.Online School |
C.Magical Computers | D.No Teachers |
We can stay young forever. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging.
His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging.
Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called “shen”.
According to Shen, it is the kidney(肾脏)which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the shen system slow the aging process, says a report in The Telegraph newspaper.
We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness in general, and wrinkles, among others. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves.
So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young?
This is where Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell.
How did Dr. Shen find the solution to the problem of aging?
A.By studying Western medicine. |
B.By learning traditional Chinese medicine. |
C.By combining both Western and Chinese medicine. |
D.By doing research on both Western and Chinese people. |
What plays the most important role in keeping people young according to Shen?
A.Medical treatment. | B.People’s good kidney. |
C.Level of people’s activity. | D.Positive life attitude. |
The reason why people become old is that _________.
A.their bodies produce T-cells |
B.their bodies are unable to fight diseases |
C.they have reduced strength, loss of hair |
D.they become weaker and weaker |
We can probably learn from the passage that _________.
A.producing more low calorie food allows people to keep young |
B.the more Chinese herbal medicine people drink, the better for health |
C.people should try to quicken the production of T-cells in the body |
D.it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine is |
The interview had been going on for about 20 minutes and everything seems to be going well.Then, suddenly, the interviewer asks an unexpected question, "Which is more important, law or love?"
Job applicants in the west increasingly find themselves asked strange questions like this.And the signs are that this is beginning to happen in China.
Employers want people skilled, enthusiastic and devoted.So these are the qualities that any reasonably intelligent job applicants will try to show no matter what his or her actual feelings are.In response, employers are increasingly using questions which try and show the applicant’s true personality.
The question in the first paragraph comes from a test called Kiersey Personality Sorter.It is an attempt to discover how people solve problems, rather than what they know.This is often called aptitude (能力) testing.
According to Mark Baldwin of Alliance many job applicants in China are finding this type of questions difficult. When a Chinese person fills out an aptitude test he or she will think there is a right answer and they may fail because they try to guess what the examiner wants to see.
This is sometimes called the prisoner’s dilemma (窘境).Applicants are trying to act cleverly in their own interest.But they fail because they don’t understand what the interviewer is looking for.Remember that in an aptitude test, the correct answer is always the honest answer.
The writer wrote the passage to ____.
A.give you a piece of advice on a job interview. |
B.tell you how to meet a job interviewer |
C.describe the aptitude test. |
D.advice you how to find a job |
Why do the interviewers ask such questions?
A.they want to discover what the interviewees know. |
B.they are curious about the answers. |
C.they try to discover the ability of the interviewees’ solving problems. |
D.they just ask questions without thinking much. |
According to the writer, in an aptitude testing, Chinese job applicants should___.
A.not tell the truth |
B.learn to tell what they really think |
C.be more enthusiastic |
D.try to find out what the examiner really want to know |
From the passage we know that____.
A.job applicants are always asked such questions |
B.more Chinese applicants fail to find a job |
C.applicants should not act as reasonably as a prisoner |
D.aptitude testing is becoming popular worldwide |
Washington: A research conducted at the University of Maryland looks at the numerous complex reasons as to why young children decide to include or exclude (排斥) other kids from their group of friends.
It suggests that the kids’ decision-making process is much more complex than previously believed.
"They take into account group information, ranging from cliques (小圈子) and networks, when deciding what makes a group work well. Sometimes kids are excluded because they lack social skills, but a lot of time it has nothing to do with that. Instead it has to do with what we refer to as ’group membership’ such as gender, race, nation, and culture," says Professor Melanie Killen, the Associate Director of the Centre for Children Relationships and Culture at Maryland, who led the 4-year project.
Reporting their findings in the journal, the researcher said whatever was the reason, individuals who experienced long-term exclusion (排斥) from the group of friends suffered from depression, anxiety and loneliness.
The study looked at two models to define how children make decisions regarding acceptance of other kids in their group -- the individual social deficit model and the inter-group social cognition (认同) model. While the former says that children’s rejection occurs due to social deficits like shyness, wariness or fearfulness, the latter says that it happens because of group dynamics, prejudice and exclusion.
It was also found that the age of children was also a factor that influenced their decisions regarding other kids’ acceptance as friends.
"With age, kids become more aware of group dynamics, conventions, customs, and rituals. With this comes a greater concern about group functioning, which can lead to exclusion which can be negative from a social justice viewpoint," says Killen.
The researcher believes that her study may have many benefits, as it could provide insights into how to help when children are rejected by their peers.
While making friends, kids think more about the following EXCEPT ______.
A.social skills | B.culture | C.race | D.gender |
The underlined word "deficit" in Paragraph 5 may mean “_______”.
A.skill | B.relationship | C.weakness | D.experience |
One of the major purposes of the research is to _______.
A.tell the reader how to tell inclusion from exclusion |
B.remind children to be careful while making friends |
C.seek ways to help kids excluded by their peers |
D.stop the children belonging to the inter-group social cognition model |
While making friends, children exclude those of social deficit model to _______.
A.keep their groups purer |
B.make their groups more socially powerful |
C.refuse other customs and cultures |
D.prove their groups to be strict |
The campaign is over. The celebrations have ended. And the work for US president-elect Barack Obama has begun.
The 47-year-old politician rose to the highest post because of his stand against the war in Iraq and his plans to fix a weak economy. But what will the first 47-year-old African-American president do for race relations?
Obama’s victory appears to have given blacks and other minorities a true national role model. For years, many looked to athletes and musicians for inspiration. As Darius Turner, an African-American high school student in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times, “Kobe doesn’t have to be everybody’s role model anymore.”
Recent polls(民意测验)also suggest that Obama’s victory has given Americans new optimism about race relations. For example, a USA Today poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe relations between blacks and whites “will finally be worked out”. This is the most hopeful response since the question was first asked during the civil rights revolution in 1963.
However, it’s still too early to tell whether Obama’s presidency will begin to solve many of the social problems facing low-income black communities.
Although blacks make up only 13 percent of the US population, 55 percent of all prisoners are African-American. Such numbers can be blamed on any number of factors on America’s racist past, a failure of government policy and the collapse(瓦解)of the family unit in black communities.
It is unlikely that Obama will be able to reverse (扭转) such trends overnight. However, Bill Bank, an expert of African-American Studies, says that eventually young blacks need to find role models in their own communities. “That’s not Martin Luther King, and not Barack Obama,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s actually the people closest to them. Barack only has so much influence.”
In the opinion of black British politician Trevor Phillips, Obama’s rise will contribute more to multiculturalism than to race relations in the US.
“When the G8 meets, the four most important people in the room will be the president of China, the prime minister of India, the prime minister of Japan and Barak Obama,” he told London’s The Times newspaper. “It will be the first time we’ve seen that on our television screens. That will be a huge psychological shift (心理转变) for both the white people and the colored ones in the world.”
For years, before Obama was elected president of the US, __________.
A.Kobe was the only role model for all the blacks |
B.blacks could only find role models on the basketball court |
C.minorities in America couldn’t find role models in their real life |
D.American blacks had no role model who was successful in political area |
According to Bill Bank, ____________.
A.it’s better for young blacks to find role models in those who are close to them |
B.young blacks should not be so much influenced by Obama |
C.blacks should find other role models because Obama is far from their reality |
D.Obama is not the proper role model for African-Americans |
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.The First African-American President | B.America’s New Role Model |
C.Obama-- A Successful Black . | D.Choosing a Right Role Model |
What will be the huge psychological shift Trevor mentioned at the end of the passage?
A.The other three leaders all support Obama. |
B.Obama is an African-American president. |
C.None of the four leaders is white. |
D.The other three leaders except Obama are from Asian countries. |
A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond (保释金) of $1,000. The publisher said, “There’s a story here. This is a man who loves books. He just can’t let go of them. He hasn’t stolen a single book. So what’s the crime? We think that Mr Barush has a story to tell. We plan to publish his story.”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr Barush said, “Well, how could I? They became family to me. I was afraid to return them, because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up, throw them around, tear the pages, spill soda on them, get jam and jelly on them, and drown them in the toilet.”
He continued, “Books are people, too! They talk to you, they take care of you, and they enrich you with wisdom, humor and love. A book is a guest in my home. How could I kick it out? I repaired torn pages. I dusted them with a soft clean cloth. I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air.”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends. My books were HAPPY books. You could tell just by looking at them. Now they’re all back in the library, on the lower shelves, on the floors, at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids. I can hear them calling me! I need to rescue them. Excuse me. I have to go now.”
Why was the man put into prison?
A.Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so. |
B.Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries. |
C.Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed. |
D.Because he wanted to publish his story. |
How did the man treat books?
A.He treated them as real people. |
B.He treated them as his own children. |
C.He treated them as his furniture. |
D.He treated them as his job. |
From the passage we can learn that the man is _____.
A.a thief | B.a writer | C.crazy about books | D.unfortunate |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A.A funny thief who loves stealing books. |
B.A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them. |
C.A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library. |
D.A person who may have some mental problems. |
试题篮
()