Most parents of kids under age 8 don't worry about how much time they spend watching TV or using other media, from computers to smart phones to tablets PCs, according to a new survey that found a child's use of media often reflects how much time parents spend in the similar way．
¨We generally found that media use is not a source of conflict in the home" for families with young children, Ellen Wartella, a researcher from Northwestem University, told USA Today． She led a survey of 2,326 parents who have children 8 and younger．It found that in 80 percent of families, children's media use was not a problem, with 55 percent “not too" or“ not at all"  concerned about it． It also showed parents have more positive than negative feelings about how media consumption affects a child's learning and the development of creativity．The exception is video games, which are viewed more negatively than TV, computers or mobile devices．“Parents rated video games as more likely to have a negative effect on children's school performance, attention time, creativity, social skills, behavior and sleep than any other medium," the researchers said in a news conference about the survey．
¨The findings exposes a generational shift （轉(zhuǎn)移） in parental attitudes about technology's role in young children's lives," said Wartella．“Today's parents grew up with technology as a central pact of their lives, so they think about it differently than earlier generations of parents, instead of a battle with kids on one side and parents on the other, the use of media and technology has become a family affair． "
The researchers identified three media environments created by parents: media-centric （39 percent of families） , media-moderate （45%）and media-light （16%）． Children  in media-centric families spend at least three hours more each day watching TV or using computers, video games and tablet PCs don't make parenting easier．And 88 percent of parents say they are most likely to turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied．Slightly fewer turn to books （79%） and TV（78%）．
The survey didn't look at how media affects children． That's a topic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has handled a number of times． The AAP says studies have found too much media use can lead to attention- problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and being fat． In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．¨By limiting screen time and offering educational media and non-electronic formats （格式）such as books, newspapers and board games, and watching television with their children, parents can help guide their children's media experience． Putting questionable content into context and teaching kids a700ut advertising contributes to their media literacy （素養(yǎng)） ," it says．
The pediatricians' group says parents should have “screen-free zones"  and TV should be turned off during dinner． At most, it recommends children and teens engage with entertainment media for no more than two hours a day and that should be high-quality content． It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies  and  using their imaginations  in free  play．“ Kids  under 2 should not use television and other entertainment media because their brains are developing quickly and they learn best from direct human interaction," the group says．
An article on screen time by t．he Mayo Clinic also notes problems linked t．o over screen time, including  being  fat, irregular  sleep , behavioral  problems , weak  school  performance , violence  and  less time for active and creative play．
小題1:Parents have more negative than positive feelings about media consumption like    ．

A．computers	B．smart phones
C．video games	D．tablets PCs

小題2:Most parents don't worry about kid's media use because        ．

A．they can limit the screen time

B．they want their children happy

C．they also grew up with technology

D．they can teach their children themselves

小題3:From the data of the survey, we learn       ．

A．children in media-centric families are smarter than others

B．children in media-light families spend one hour watching TV

C．more than half of the parents think children's media use was a problem

D．media-centric children spend more than three hours each day on media use

小題4:To make parenting easier, most parents probably        ．

A．try to persuade their children to read books

B．a(chǎn)sk their children questions while watching TV

C．a(chǎn)llow their children watching TV or using computers

D．turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied

小題5:Which of the following is a suggestion by the researchers?

A．Media use time for babies under 2 should be limited．

B．Entertainment media use should be high-quality content．

C．Schools should provide more time for active and creative play．

D．Home media use should provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．

During her junior year of high school, Diane Ray's teacher handed her a worksheet and instructed the 17-year-old to map out her future financial life. Ray pretended to buy a car, rent an apartment, and apply for a credit card.  Then, she and her classmates played the "stock market game", investing（投資) the hypothetical（虛擬的） earnings from their hypothetical jobs in the market in the disastrous fall of 2008. "Our pretend investments crashed," Ray says, still frightened. "We got to know how it felt to lose money."
That pain of earning and losing money is a feeling that public schools increasingly want to teach. Forty states now offer some type of financial instruction at the high-school level, teaching students how to balance checkbooks and buy stock in math and social-studies classes. Though it's too early to measure the full influence of the Great Recession（大蕭條）, the interest in personal-finance classes has risen since 2007 when bank failures started to occur regularly. Now, many states including Missouri, Utah, and Tennessee require teenagers to take financial classes to graduate from high school. School districts such as Chicago are encouraging money-management classes for kids as young as primary school, and about 300 colleges or universities now offer online personal-finance classes for incoming students. "These classes really say, 'This is how you live independently,' " says Ted Beck, president of National Endowment for Financial Education.
Rather than teach investment methods or financial skills, these courses offer a back-to-the-basics approach to handling money: Don't spend what you don't have. Put part of your monthly salary into a savings account, and invest in the stock market for the long-term rather than short-term gains. For Ray, this means dividing her earnings from her part-time job at a fast-food restaurant into separate envelopes for paying bills, spending and saving.  "Money is so hard to make but so easy to spend," she says one weekday after school. "That is the big takeaway."
Teaching kids about the value of cash certainly is one of the programs' goals, but teachers also want students to think hard about their finances long term. It's easy for teenagers to get annoyed about gas prices because many of them drive cars. But the hard part is urging them to put off the instant satisfaction of buying a new T-shirt or an iPod. "Investing and retirement aren't things teenagers are thinking about. For them, the future is this weekend," says Gayle Whitefield, a business and marketing teacher at Uth’s Riverton High School.
That’s a big goal for these classes: preventing kids from making the same financial missteps their parents did when it comes to saving, spending, and debt. Though the personal savings rate has increased up to 4. 2 percent, that’s still a far distance from 1982, when Americans saved 11. 2 percent of their incomes. “It’s hard for schools to reach strict money-management skills when teenagers go home and watch their parents increase credit-card debt. It’s like telling your kids not to smoke and then lighting up a cigarette in front of them,” Beck says.
Even with these challenges, students such as Ray say learning about money in school is worthwhile. After Ray finished her financial class, she opened up a savings account at her local bank and started to think more about how she and her family would pay for college. “She just has a better understanding of money and how it affects the world,” says her mother, Darleen－and that’s sown to the details of how money is spent from daily expenses to various taxes. All of this talk of money can make Ray worry, she says, but luckily, she feels prepared to face it.
小題1:The “stock market game” mentioned in Paragraph 1 is meant to       .

A．introduce a new course to students

B．help students learn about investment

C．teach how to apply for a credit card

D．encourage students’ personal savings

小題2:How does the writer show us that schools’ interest in teaching financial classes has increased in paragraph 2_________?

A．By giving examples.	B．By providing data.
C．By raising questions.	D．By making comparisons.

小題3:According to the passage, taking money-management courses will        .

A．better students’ learning methods

B．prevent students going into debt

C．help students get accepted by colleges

D．make students become very wealthy

小題4:After completing the financial class, Diane Ray is likely to       .

A．pay off all her debts.	B．handle her money better
C．find a job in a bank.	D．manage the family income

小題5:The passage is mainly about      .

A．ways to teach students to earn money

B．how Diane Ray learns to value money

C．the push to teach personal finance in school

D．how students choose a proper financial class

Vans, Keds, Dollies—they sound like the names of rock bands，but if you have teenagers, you'll know they’re actually the latest in teenage footwear.
But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future. Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers’ shoe choice.
KEDS/VANS

Slip­on shoes with elastic (彈性的) sides are particularly popular among teenage boys—with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands.
The main problem is that they are just too flat—so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful.
BALLET PUMPS

The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems.
“As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait (步法) , this leads to short—and long-term problems such as calluses (繭子), heel and knee pain.”
WEDGES AND STILETTOS

These shoes can also cause problems with gait. They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer’s body weight forward, making them very unstable.
Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain.
SCHOOL SHOES
So what do podiatrists (足科醫(yī)生)have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear?
Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on，with a small heel and a deep toe­box that does not press the toes，such as Clark's，Marks & Spencer or Rhino.
If your teen insists on wearing “bad” shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics(矯形器) in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage.
小題1:Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems?

A．Ballet Pumps.

B．Wedges & Stilettos.

C．Keds and Vans

D．Marks & Spencer.

小題2:The underlined word “halt” in the last paragraph probably means________.

A．increase

B．stop

C．worsen

D．cure

小題3:From this passage we can infer________.

A．podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes

B．fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them

C．experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes

D．trendy shoes may ruin teenager’ health

Some weight­loss camps, which are rare in China just a few years ago，have multiplied in Beijing, Qingdao, Shenzhen，and other cities. Today about 15 percent of adults, or 200 million Chinese, are reportedly overweight.Of these, 90 million—about 7 percent—are obese(極肥胖的)．
Experts say the obesity epidemic(流行病) is spreading to children, though more slowly than in adults. The obesity, they say, will do harm to the health of China’ s citizens and economy.“We're seeing a very large number of teenagers who are quite heavy and aren't moving much，” said Barry Popkin, a nutrition(營養(yǎng)) professor. Popkin carries out an ongoing health­and­nutrition survey of 16,000 households in China. He says more kids today are overeating and putting on weight “quite quickly.” In just ten years China‘s childhood obesity rate has doubled，with the greatest gains coming in urban areas.“In big cities it's a big problem.”
Some experts blame the extra fat on a range of factors, many of them tied to China’ s rapidly changing economy and culture. The diets of Chinese adults and children are far higher in meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, fats and sugars than ever before. In addition，kids—especially city dwellers—are more sedentary today and spend more time indoors in front of homework, television，computer games, and the Internet.
Shuwen Ng，a health economist, says that kids in China now have pocket money, and they spend a portion of it on junk food. Ng adds that advertising and peer groups influence kids' food choices. Certain foods, such as new candies or fast food, have attractive features.
China’ s childhood obesity rate stillfall behind that of the United States, where some 15 percent of kids are said to be obese. But the long­term effects are equally serious.
小題1:According to the passage we know________.

A．weight­loss camps have been very popular in China six years ago

B．a(chǎn)bout 290 million Chinese are overweight in China in all

C．in China childhood obesity rate in rural areas is lower than that in major cities

D．America’ s childhood obesity rate is lower than China’s

小題2:Which of the following reasons of China’s childhood obesity is NOT mentioned?

A．Advertising on some new candies.

B．ignorance of weight-control.

C．Playing computer games for long time.

D．Having pocket money.

小題3:The underlined word “sedentary” in the third paragraph probably means________.

A．confident

B．patient

C．energetic

D．inactive

小題4:According to the passage we can infer________.

A．obesity explosion in China will affect the United States

B．there are great difference in kids' food choices now

C．junk food leads to childhood obesity

D．city children eat more than rural children

小題5:What's the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese Childhood Obesity problem

B．Weight­loss Camps in China

C．Obesity problem's influence on Chinese Economy

D．Obesity problem in China and America

What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio­technology. With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs. The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on—in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.
小題1:According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by ________.

A．diseases and aging	B．a(chǎn)ccidents and war
C．a(chǎn)ccidents and aging	D．heart disease and war

小題2:In the author's opinion, today's most important advance in technology lies in ________.

A．medicine

B．the Internet

C．brain cells

D．human organ

小題3:Humans may live longer in the future because ________.

A．heart disease will be far away from us

B．human brains can decide the final death

C．the basic materials of cells will last forever

D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine

小題4:How long can humans live in the future according to the passage?

A．Over 100 years.	B．More than 120 years.
C．About 150 years.	D．The passage doesn't tell us.

小題5:We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．Cells aren’t the basic units of all living things any more

B．humans have to take medicine to build new skin cells now

C．much needs to be done before humans can have a longer life

D．we have already solved the technical problems in building new cells

Dreams can be familiar and strange, fantastical or boring, but some dreams might be connected to the mental processes that help us learn. In a recent study, scientists found a connection between nap-time dreams and better memory in people who were learning a new skill.
In the study,99 college students between the ages of 18 and 30 each spent an hour on a compute, trying to get through a virtual maze（迷宮）.The maze was different place each time they tired—making it even more difficult. They were also told to find a particular picture of a tree and remember where it was.
For the first 90 minutes of a five-hour break, half of the participants stayed awake and an half were told to take a short nap .Participants who stayed awake were asked to describe their thoughts. Participants who took a nap were asked about their dreams before sleep and after sleep—and they were awakened within a minute of sleep to describe their dreams.
Stickgold, a neuroscientist（神經(jīng)科學(xué)家）,wanted to know what people were dreaming about when their eyes weren＇t moving during sleep.
Four of the 50 people who slept said their dreams were connected to the maze. Some dreamed about the music that had been playing when they were working ; others said they dreamed about seeing people in the maze. When these four people tried the computer maze again, they were able to find the tree faster than before their naps.
Stickgold suggests the dream itself doesn‘t  help a person learn—it＇s the other way around.He suspects that the dream was caused by the brain processes associated with learning.
All four of the people who dreamed about the task had done poorly the first time, which makes Stickgold wonder if the dreams show up when a person finds a new task particularly difficult. People who had other dreams, or people who didn＇t take a nap, didn＇t show the same improvement.
小題1:Before having a short nap, participants of the experiment were asked to       .

A．stay in a different place in the maze

B．design a virtual maze which is difficult to get through

C．experience the experiment and try to remember something

D．get through a virtual maze on a computer from the same place

小題2:What can we learn from the text?

A．Participants who took a nap were required to express their thoughts.

B．Some dreams may encourage people to invent something new.

C．Participants who dreamed about films could finish the task more easily.

D．Participants whose dreams had something to do with the maze could find the tree faster.

小題3:According to Stickgold,       .

A．every person may dream about what they learned

B．people＇s brain processes may still be connected with their learning in their dreams

C．once people＇s eyes stop moving, they are sure to dream about something

D．no matter how fantastical or boring, dreams are connected with people＇s life

小題4:What is the best title for this text?

A．Dreams Are Strange	B．Not All Dreams Are True
C．Dreaming Makes Perfect	D．Stickgold, a Dream Expert

Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value of keeping trees.
Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares of farmland. That is almost half the farmland in the world. Earlier estimates were much lower but incomplete. The authors of the new study say it may still underestimate the true extent worldwide.
The study found the most tree cover in South America. Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. North Africa and West Asia have the least.
The study found that climate conditions alone could not explain the amount of tree cover in different areas. Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together. There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection.
Dennis Garrity, who heads the World Agroforestry Center, says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. The problem, he says, is that policy makers and planners have been slow to recognize this and to support such efforts.
The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. Even under drought(干旱)conditions, trees can often provide food and a way to earn money until the next growing season.
Some trees act as natural fertilizers. They take nitrogen(氮?dú)?out of the air and put it in the soil. Scientists at the Center say the use of fertilizer trees can re-duce the need for chemical nitrogen by up to three-fourths. Trees also capture carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change.
小題1:Through the study, the researchers found that               .

A．there are more trees on farmlands than expected

B．fewer trees are being cut in developing countries

C．most farmers still don’t realize the value of trees

D．trees play a key role in preventing climate change

小題2:Which of the following has the least tree cover?

A．Southeast Asia	B．West Asia.
C．South America.	D．Africa south of the Sahara.

小題3:In Dennis Garrity’s opinion,              .

A．most farmers care about nothing but their own interests

B．there are usually few people living in areas with few trees

C．government plays a small role in tree planting and protection

D．government should support farmers in planting and protecting trees

小題4:The sixth paragraph mainly tells about          .

A．how farmers plant trees

B．what products trees can bring

C．the importance of trees to farmers

D．the environmental value of tree cover

Want to travel as cheaply as possible while enjoying the great scenery as much as you like?
Backpacking is the way. As the most popular traveling choice among young western people, backpacking allows you to travel at your own free will. Carrying a tent, sleeping bag and clothes, backpackers also need to pack an attitude that will help them deal with many mental and physical challenges.
It is a thrill to put our ability to test and challenge ourselves with sorts of difficulties we might come across. So, backpacking is something young people can hardly deny.
Young people in Europe often travel around by train. Now, with plane tickets dropping in price, more are traveling to distant countries, such as Australia and China. And some just travel within their own countries.
But no matter where a backpacker travels, planning in advance is important if he or she wants to enjoy the trip.
Clothing
In summer, light, waterproof clothes are best. Backpackers must remember to travel lightly and not pack too many clothes.
Medicine
There are many medicines, especially for summer, such as those for sunstroke, snake bites and mosquitoes. Others are useful in every season, such as those for common colds, poisoning and diarrhea.
Cards
Three types of cards are of great value for backpacks: student Identity Card, personal ID and a credit card.
A student ID card can be helpful for saving money. It often gets train tickets and entrance tickets for cheaper prices in many Western countries.
Personal ID card can, not only get you out of trouble with local police, but also prove useful in all sorts of other situations.
Carrying a credit card can be a safe way of carrying money, as cash can easily get lost, stolen or wet.
And of course, don’t forget to enjoy your trip!
小題1:What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．Backpackers also need to be in high spirits when they want to travel.

B．Backpackers may also face dangerous situations.

C．Backpackers also need to talk with doctors about their traveling.

D．Backpackers need to make preparation for many kinds of difficulty in advance.

小題2:What does the underlined word “waterproof” mean?

A．Easy to wash.

B．Not letting water go through.

C．Washed without water.

D．Used in water.

小題3:If you are stopped by a policeman in the street, you should show ______ to the police.

A．your student ID

B．your credit card

C．your personal ID

D．your passport

小題4:What is of most advantage to backpackers?

A．They can travel very easily.

B．They won’t worry about where to live.

C．They can have the chance to take some adventures.

D．They can take some physical exercise.

小題5:What is the author’s purpose to write this passage?

A．To give some ideas about traveling.

B．To encourage the young to travel.

C．To tell people how to avoid something unpleasant.

D．To offer some useful advice for traveling.

Going green is something that affects every single one of us. Whether by recycling those plastic water bottles, or by cutting down on electricity in your home, the importance of going green on a personal level is extremely important. But, when you’re a millionaire NBA basketball star, how do you help out the environment?
Yao Ming is a basketball player that plays for the Houston Rockets and has spoken out against hunting of sharks for fins, a delicious food in his native China. He is also the United Nations’ Environmental champion. His goal is to raise awareness of climate change and energy-saving. “I will work with young people across the world and try to inspire them to plant trees, harvest rainwater and to become environmental champions in their own communities.”
The Philadelphia Eagles, a professional American football team, are really doing their part to give back to the community. The Eagles Go Green page has a “Green Energy Calculator” and according to the web site fans have saved $ 73,674.90 a year and saved 666,320 pounds of CO₂ per year. Also, the Eagles have set up a “Stop global warming virtual march（虛擬游行）on Washington”, a march across America for one year, through the Internet with a goal to bring fans together and to urge leaders to deal with the serious problem of global warming now.
Bob Burnquist, a Brazilian skateboarder, is a member of Action Sports Environmental Coalition and founder of a program that gets organic foods and farming into schools for healthy lunch programs. Bob also has a huge homegrown organic farm where he hosted a gathering in celebration of Earth Day.
Kelly Slater is a surfer and eight-time champion, but he also supports saving the coral reefs world wide. He has founded the Kelly Slater Invitational Competition which raises funds and awareness for Reef Check, which is able to get its message out to a large group of guests including professional surfers, film and music stars, and other famous people.
小題1:According to the passage, Yao Ming wants to ________.

A．help the Houston Rockets win the NBA championship

B．a(chǎn)sk the United Nations to protect sharks in China

C．encourage young people to care about the environment

D．train more young people to become players of NBA

小題2:What have the Philadelphia Eagles done to help out the environment?

A．They have called on fans to do things to reduce global warming.

B．They have marched on Washington to bring fans together.

C．They have saved $ 73,674.90 for solving global warming.

D．They have reduced CO2 emission by 666,320 pounds per year.

小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the last two paragraphs?

A．Bob Burnquist created Earth Day.

B．Bob Burnquist eats only organic foods.

C．Kelly Slater donated a lot of money.

D．Kelly Slater held a competition.

小題4:The best title for the passage would probably be _________.

A．Highly Competitive Athletes

B．Environment-friendly Athletes

C．World-famous Athletes

D．Millionaire Athletes

小題5:What can we learn from the passage?

A．Only famous people need to care about environmental problems.

B．America is the country that takes best care of environment.

C．Environmental problems have a common effect on everyone of us.

D．Yao Ming’s goals to raise people’s awareness of environment are mainly about climate change and air pollution.