Do you enjoy seeing the stars twinkling at night ? Or do you love the ocean and sea, diving and racing with lovely dolphins? With heavy burdens on their shoulders, teenagers find it hard to pull out. Even if they are free, they prefer to occupy themselves with computer games or watching TV. How to get children away from screens is a great concern for parents. Now there is some good news for those concerned parents and teachers.

A campaign is being launched to encourage children to surrender 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.

The newly formed Wild Network – a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations – is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screen and into fields, woods and parks.

Organizers say it is the UK's biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general well–being.

A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will herald the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasingly fragile link between children and nature.

Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS sustainable development unit.

Andy Simpson, chairman of the Wild Network, said: "The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation. Time spent outdoors is down, roaming ranges have fallen drastically, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost."

Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers(板栗), camping or snail racing, and observing autumn colour on trees.

From January, the network will aim to make suggestions to politicians on how government can do more to get children muddy and bright-eyed.

This is not the first time the message of less screen, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were entreated to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don't You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to "switch off your TV set, and go do something less boring instead".

1.What is the main purpose of the campaign in UK?

A. To save 30 minutes for watching TV programme each day.

B. To encourage children to play outdoors.

C. To see the documentary film, Project Wild Thing.

D. To teach students how to learn more efficiently in schools.

2.According to the organizers of Wild Network, there will be many advantages from the campaign except _______.

A. improving health conditions

B. keeping touch with nature

C. learning more about wildlife

D. teaching children how to make full use of their spare time

3.The underlined part “ to get children muddy and bright-eyed ” means “_______ ”.

A. to make children covered with mud

B. to urge politicians to do more things for children

C. to encourage children to take part in outdoors activities

D. to help children identify common species

4.Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A. A new campaign.                                                          B. Less screen, more play outdoors.

C. A newly formed Wild Network.                                 D. Children get to know wild things.

 

The sea horse is a magical animal, which has puzzled (使困惑) people for thousands of years. In ancient Rome sea horses were believed to be the babies of Neptune’s horses. And Neptune was the god of the ocean. Now we know they are not horses at all — they are a kind of fish. They still seem as magical as ever, especially to divers who have watched them horsing around(瞎闯) in the sea. But today, sea horse populations face an uncertain future. Fishermen are catching too many of them, and their undersea habitats (栖息地) are being destroyed.

At least 20 million sea horses are taken from the ocean each year. More than 95% are used for traditional medicines in Asian countries. The sea horses are usually dried and then made into powder which is used to treat such problems as asthma(哮喘), throat infections, skin diseases and cuts. How well the medicines work is unclear.

Sea horses are also bought and sold in large numbers as pets. Sea horse expert Amanda Vincent warns against buying pet sea horses. “A lot of people treat them as if they’re goldfish,” she says. But sea horses require very special care and live food. Most captive (被猎取的) sea horses pick up diseases and die.

Sea horse experts are trying to teach fishermen to become sea horse farmers. Instead of pulling nets of sea horses from the ocean, fishermen could learn to raise them in specially designed saltwater “farms”. That way, fishermen would have sea horses to sell, but ocean populations would not be hurt.

Vincent and her team have only discovered the 35 different species of sea horses, and they still have plenty of sea horse secrets left to unlock. That is why, Vincent told TFK, protecting future sea horse populations is especially important: “I promise your readers that by the time they grow up to be marine biologists, we’ll still have a lot to learn.”

1.In the past, Romans thought the sea horse to be ______.

A.a kind of horse                         B.a kind of fish

C.the god of the ocean                     D.one of Neptune’s pets

2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A.People in Asian countries hunt sea horses for food.

B.Most sea horses caught are used as medicine.

C.The effects of the powder of sea horses are uncertain.

D.35 different kinds of sea horses have been discovered.

3.The underlined phrase “pick up” in Paragraph 3 probably means “______”.

A.follow            B.collect            C.get              D.create

4.It can be inferred that the best way to protect sea horses is to ______.

A.do more research on sea horses

B.teach fishermen how to farm sea horses

C.stop hunting sea horses

D.ban the sea horse trade

 

At Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the lights are controlled by sensors that measure sunlight. They dim immediately when it’s sunny and brighten when a passing cloud blocks the sun.

A wall of windows at a University of Pennsylvania engineering building has built-in blinds (百叶窗) controlled by a computer program that follows the sun’s path. Buildings are getting smarter and the next generation of building materials is expected to do even more.

Windows could catch the sun’s energy to heat water. Sensors that measure the carbon dioxide breathed out by people in a room could determine whether the air conditioning needs to be turned up.

Many new materials and technology have been designed in the last 15 years. They are now being used in a wave of buildings designed to save as much energy as possible. They include old ideas, like “green roofs”, where a belt of plants on a roof helps the building keep heat in winter and stay cool in summer, and new ideas, like special coating for windows that lets light in, but keeps heat out.

As technologies such as sensors become cheaper, their uses spread.

The elevators at Seven World Trade Center, which is under construction in New York, use a system that groups people traveling to nearby floors into the same elevator, thus saving elevator stops. People who work in the building will enter it by swiping (刷) ID cards that will tell the elevators their floor, readouts will then tell them which elevator to use. The building also has windows with a coating that blocks heat while letting in light.

More new building materials and technology are in development. A Philadelphia building firm is now working on “smart wrap” that uses tiny solar collectors to catch the sun’s energy and transmitters (传输器) as wide as a human hair to move it. They are expected to change the face of the construction industry in the next ten years or so.

1.________ will be developed and used in the construction industry.

A.“Green roofs” that cool or heat buildings

B.“Smart wrap” that catches the sun’s energy

C.Sunlight-measuring sensors that control lights

D.Window coating that lets light in, but keeps heat out

2.The elevators at Seven World Trade Center are special because they can ________.

A.send people to floors with fewer stops

B.teach people how to use their ID cards

C.make people stay very cool in summer

D.help people go traveling in the building

3.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.

A.a human hair       B.smart wrap         C.the sun’s energy   D.a transmitter

4.What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A.Buildings Are Becoming Smarter

B.Buildings Are Getting More Sunlight

C.Buildings Are Lacking in Much Energy

D.Buildings Are Using Cheaper Materials

 

The television news feature about Ben Heckmann, an eighth grader from Farmington, Minn, was breathless in its praise. “At 14, he has accomplished something many adults can’t achieve,” the reporter said, “Ben is a twice-published author.” But Ben’s two “Velvet Black” books, describing a fictional rock band, were not picked from a pile of manuscripts(手稿)by an eagle eyed publisher. They were self-published, at the cost of $400 by Ben’s parents.

Over the past five years, print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to avoid the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who could call himself a “published author.”

The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy equipment for a promising baseball player. But others see self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about hardship and perseverance. Mr. Robbins, a critic, thinks it is wonderful to start writing at a young age, but worries self-publishing sends the wrong message. “There are no prodigies(神童) in literature,” he said. “Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not.” Alan Rinzler, a publishing industry veteran, suggested parents hire a professional editor like him to work with their child to tear a manuscript apart and help make a better. Ben’s father, Ken, said Ben’s ambitions “weren’t to knock Harry Potter off the list,” but “to get that good feeling inside that you’ve done something.”

Ajla Dizdarevic, 12, who has self-published two books of poetry, has been on television and in local newspapers. “Being a published author,” she said, “was always a dream of mine.” Her new dream: three books by age 15.

1.Which of the following is true of Ben?

A.He has achieved something unusual for his age.

B.His self-published books were well received.

C.His manuscripts were favored by the publisher.

D.He was thought little of by the public media.

2.What makes it possible for writers of all ages to self-publish their works?

A.The rapid increase of online readership.

B.The increasing number of publishers.

C.The immediate access to marketing agencies.

D.The development of printing and publishing.

3.Why do some parents pay the self-publishing bill?

A.They want to offer opportunities to their children.

B.They want to give encouragement to their children.

C.They want to help their children avoid hardship.

D.They want to show love and care for their children.

4.What dose Alan Rinzler suggest that children should do?

A.Be forbidden to write books

B.Start writing at an early age

C.Be professionally guided

D.Learn from experience

5.Why do some children self-publish works according to the last part?

A.Just to achieve their dreams.

B.Just to earn more money.

C.Just to gain self-confidence.

D.Just to satisfy their parents.

 

“Just take a deep breath.” “Don’t think about it.” “You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”

But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.

“The fear of flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.

The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.

1.By saying the words at the beginning of the passage, people are expected to ______.

A.decrease their fear of flying

B.get rid of their doubt about plane

C.have a good time on their flight journey

D.use some medicine to cure their fear of flying

2.Flight App VALK is aimed to ______.

A.help passengers experience the fear of flying

B.help relax passengers before and during flights

C.treat people who suffer from mild fear of flying

D.teach people the basic knowledge of taking flight

3.According to the passage, the VALK Foundation ______.

A.is a group focusing on psychology on the flight

B.was the first center to do research into fear of flying

C.organize the world conferences on fear of flying annually

D.focuses on researching and offering treatment on fear of flying

4.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A.Many adults are suffering from fear of flying

B.It’s convenient for people to use the Flight App

C.Many planes will be installed with the Flight App.

D.The Flight App can decrease stress levels effectively

5.In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?

A.Culture           B.Entertainment      C.Technology        D.Education

 

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