题目内容
Working hard for fun
No more pencils! No more books
No more teacher’s serious looks!
After a long period of study and work, the young Americans burst through the school doors singing.
But unfortunately, American students do very poorly and are among the worst students in the world. In the entire field of subjects---from geography and maths to science and general knowledge. American students are the poorest performers. Why? What’s the reason behind the scene? One problem lies in the fact that so little is expected from them. The standards of success are too low. Teachers are not willing to give out low grades and fail students. Besides, the existing negative results are few and mean little to students if their performance in study is poor . Of course some students realize that a high school diploma is a measure of success and will be important to get a job or get admitted into college. But they only have to go through the motions without really trying. They learn to get by with a minimum of effort.
In America, it is simply too easy for high school students to enter college. This forms a sharp contrast with the students in China and other Asian countries who have to suffer heavy pressure from parents, teachers and cruel social facts. Chinese students have to study hard for long years to pass the national college entrance examination which few Americans will take such trouble to enter to university. The majority American students know that they will be able to get into some college, so they do not really worry about it.
It turns out that American high school students are just too busy to find time to study. They spend almost no time on study while students from other countries spend four or five hours per day on homework. American students on the average give less than five hours per week to their studies. Learning and reading for future are not important to them. Many American never read. It is little wonder why Americans knows less than students from other countries.
1. Why are American students the poorest performers in the entire field of subjects?
A. Because they are too busy to find time to study.
B. Because they are too stupid and too lazy.
C. Because they care little about their study.
D. Because so little is required from them
2. Which of the following is Not true ?
A. Most of American students spend less than five hours on their study every week.
B. Few American students have trouble to enter college.
C. American students can be admitted into college even without a high school diploma.
D. It is hard for the students in China to enter college.
3. What seems to be the writer’s attitude towards American students?
A. He probably thinks much should be expected from them.
B. He is in favour of American students’ learning methods.
C. He shows no interest in American students’ study.
D. He thinks American students study hard.
【小题1】D
【小题2】C
【小题3】A
You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit；now meet AGNES—the old person suit．
AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy(换位体验) System” and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old．“The business of old age demands new tools，”said Joseph Coughlin，director of the AgeLab．“While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants，young marketers never get that‘Ah ha!’moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car．That’s what AGNES provides．”
Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise．Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance，while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility．Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists，and earplugs make it difficult to hear high—pitched sounds and soft tones．A helmet with straps(带)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱)，and more straps attached to the shoes decrease hamstring flexibility, and shortens the wearer's step．
AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker．By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person．Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies，car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer．
“AGNES is not the destiny of everybody,” he said．“She is a badly behaved lady who didn't eat and exercise very well．A secondary benefit we’ve found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health．”
【小题1】AGNES has been developed to ．
| A．make the users more comfortable |
| B．1et us understand old people better |
| C．help old people move more quickly |
| D．produce new tools for the old-age business |
| A．someone who travels a lot |
| B．a physically limited old person |
| C．some equipment that helps old people walk |
| D．a company whose service involves old people |
| A．Young people respect old people． |
| B．Old-age business improves their service |
| C．Old people eat and exercise well． |
| D．Young people eat and exercise well． |