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In the United States, engineering is a profession that has been dominated historically by men. Even today, it’s still true that few women become civil or chemical or mechanical engineers, but that’s something www.EngineerGirl.org aims to change. Young women who visit the web site can find out about a great career choice they might not have considered.
“Women are very much underrepresented in engineering and in engineering education programs and then of course, down the road, in the engineering workforce. So only about 20 percent of engineering undergraduate degrees go to women, and then only about nine percent of working engineers are women.”
Mary Mattis in the National Academy of Engineering, says the EngineerGirl website aims to reach young women around ages 11 through 14, when they are just getting old enough to start thinking about their futures.
“We know from the research that middle-school girls are at a critical point in their lives, and that it’s a time when we need to reach them, both with an understanding, increasing their awareness of interesting fields in engineering, what a wonderful productive and exciting career you can have as an engineer. But we also need to reach them at that time because you have to take certain courses, and you can’t start thinking about taking those courses when you’re a junior in high school.”
Engineering is a demanding course of study ---there is a lot of science and mathematics, for many girls and even boys, that can be challenging. But Ms. Mattis says that the EngineerGirl website stresses that engineering can also be fun and exciting.
“It’s about designing things. It’s about changing the world for people. It’s about making a difference. And, in addition, you can make a good living, you can be independent economically by becoming an engineer. All of those things are messages that girls need to get.”
While most engineers go into traditional fields such as mechanical and electrical engineering, the EngineerGirl site also highlights unusual engineering careers in fields such as sports engineering and --- believe it or not --- chocolate engineering.
“There’s a section called ‘why be an engineer,’ and that talks about the many opportunities and increasingly different opportunities like with bio-engineering and environmental engineering, some fields that might appeal to girls who want to make a difference or have a meaning for their careers beyond earning an income.”
Even if you are not a girl in the target age group, there’s a lot of interesting information on the site, including biographies of some notable women engineers.
Title |
Website(71)______ Girls to learn Engineering |
Present (72)_____ for the engineering profession in the USA |
The majority of men take up the profession throughout(73) ______, while only a small number of women work as engineers. |
(74)_____ of the website |
To make young women (75)_____ of interesting fields in engineering and what productivity and(76)_____ the career of being engineers can bring them. |
(77)_____ of being engineers |
* It can be fun and exciting. * It can(78)_____ the world for people. * You can make a good living. * You can gain economic(79)_____ by becoming an engineer. |
Other fields concerning engineering |
Various opportunities are talked about like bio-engineering and engineering (80) _____ to sports, and even chocolate. |
How is it that siblings (兄弟姐妹) can turn out so differently? One answer is that in fact each sibling grows up in a different family. The firstborn is, for a while, an only child, and therefore has a completely different experience of the parents than those born later. The next child is, for a while, the youngest, until the situation is changed by a new arrival. The mother and father themselves are changing and growing up too. One sibling might live in a stable and close family in the first few years; another might be raised in a family crisis, with a disappointed mother or an angry father.
Sibling competition was identified as an important shaping force as early as in 1918. But more recently, researchers have found many ways in which brothers and sisters are a lasting force in each others’ lives. Dr. Annette Henderson says firstborn children pick up vocabulary more quickly than their siblings. The reason for this might be that the later children aren’t getting the same one-on-one time with parents. But that doesn’t mean that the younger children have problems with language development. Later-borns don’t enjoy that much talking time with parents, but instead they harvest lessons from bigger brothers and sisters, learning entire phrases and getting an understanding of social concepts such as the difference between “I” and “me”.
A Cambridge University study of 140 children found that siblings created a rich world of play that helped them grow socially. Love-hate relationships were common among the children. Even those siblings who fought the most had just as much positive communication as the other sibling pairs.
One way children seek more attention from parents is by making themselves different from their siblings, particularly if they are close in age. Researchers have found that the first two children in a family are typically more different from each other than the second and third. Girls with brothers show their differences to a maximum degree by being more feminine than girls with sisters. A 2003 research paper studied adolescents from 185 families over two years, finding that those who changed to make themselves different from their siblings were successful in increasing the amount of warmth they gained from their parents.
1.In terms of language development, later-borns ________.
A.get their parents’ individual guidance |
B.learn a lot from their elder siblings |
C.experience a lot of difficulties |
D.pick up words more quickly |
2.What was found about fights among siblings?
A.Siblings hated fighting and loved playing. |
B.Siblings in some families fought frequently. |
C.Sibling fights led to bad sibling relationships. |
D.Siblings learned to get on together from fights. |
3.The word “feminine” (in Para. 4) means “_______”.
A.having qualities of parents |
B.having qualities of women |
C.having defensive qualities |
D.having extraordinary qualities |
If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to _______.
A.provide some key facts about Confucius |
B.attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
C.show great respect for the ancient thinker |
D.prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
2.We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students_______.
A.have a great interest in studying Chinese |
B.take an active part in Chinese competitions |
C.try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
D.fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
3.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Forgotten Wisdom in America |
B.Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
C.Chinese Culture for Westerners |
D.Old Thinker with a Big Future |
4.The passage is likely to appear in _______.
A.a biography |
B.a history paper |
C.a newspaper |
D.a philosophy textbook |
Finally, a cell phone
That’s… a phone
With rates as low as $3.75 per week !
“Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to enter the digital age and get a cell phone. My kids have been annoying me and the last straw was when my car broke down, and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones all have cameras, computers and a “global-positioning” something or other that’s supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren’t much help. They couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were confusing, and expensive… and the contract (合同)lasted for two years! I’d almost given up until a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now, I have the convenience and safety of being about to stay in touch with a phone I can actually use. ”
Affordable plans that I can understand---and no contract to sign (签订)! Unlike other cell phones,Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I’m never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan,I won’t find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign, so I’m not locked in for years at a time. The US-based customer service is second to none. And the phone gets service anywhere in the country.
Monthly Minutes |
50 |
100 |
Monthly Rate |
$14.99 |
$19.99 |
911 Access |
FREE |
FREE |
Long Distance Calls |
No additional charge |
No additional charge |
Friendly Return Policy |
30 days |
30 days |
Call now and receive a FREE gift when you order. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don’t love it, just return it! Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. If you aren’t as happy with it as I am, you can return it and get your money back. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts are ready to answer your questions.
Call 1-888-809-8794 or visit www.jitlerbugdirect. com.
1.What made “I” finally think of getting a cell phone?
A.Being stuck by the highway. |
B.Being urged by his grandkids. |
C.Being persuaded by cell phone salespersons. |
D.Being attracted by the friendly return policy. |
2.On the monthly basis of 100 minutes, the Jitterbug weekly rate is about_______.
A.$3.75 |
B.$4.99 |
C.$14.99 |
D.$19.99 |
3.An advantage of Jitterbug mentioned in the passage is _______.
A.its discount price with a free gift |
B.its reasonable rate plans without a contract |
C.its "global-positioning" system with 911 access |
D.its good customer service all over the world |
4.The main purpose of the passage is to _______.
A.tell a customer’s story of Jitterbug |
B.provide two ways to order Jitterbug |
C.give a brief introduction of Jitterbug |
D.attract potential customers to Jitterbug. |
Peanuts to This
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real talk I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!
1.What did the author’s classmates think about his report?
A.Controversial. |
B.Ridiculous. |
C.Boring. |
D.Puzzling. |
2.Why was the author confused about the task?
A.He was unfamiliar with American history. |
B.He followed the advice and flipped a coin. |
C.He forgot his teacher’s instruction. |
D.He was new at the school. |
3.The underlined word “burning” in Para. 3 probably means _______.
A.annoyed |
B.ashamed |
C.ready |
D.eager |
4.In the end, the author turned things around _______.
A.by redoing his task |
B.through his own efforts |
C.with the help of his grandfather |
D.under the guidance of his headmaster |
The trip to that city was eye-opening for everyone, and near its end, all the young people in our group began to reflect on what it had meant. We 41 the first night we had arrived. We had all gone into the markets of the city 42 the young people could experience its energy. But what we actually saw simply 43 us all --- the rundown houses, the children in rags, the people begging for money… Walking home, 44 under a low bridge, we came across 45 families of homeless people seeking a bit of dry ground to sleep on 46 the night. We had to step over bodies as we found our way through the darkness.
The poverty was 47 than anything my young companions had ever imagined. Back in the hotel, an air of sadness settled over the group. Many 48 and cried. Spending time in this 49 moves a person to care about humanity.
That evening, our group spent hours talking about what we had 50 . Gently, I encouraged everyone to talk about the difficult 51 that day’s discoveries had inspired. Sitting together 52 a circle as everyone had a chance to speak, we all began to realize that 53 of us was alone in our struggle to cope with our reactions.
Based on my 54 in poverty-stricken areas, I suggested that 55 the emotions we had were painful, they could also be important in helping us to move forward. We all 56 that we had seen things that should never be allowed to happen. 57 , what could we do about it? Together, we began to brainstorm ways we could help to ease the 58 we had seen. As I encouraged group members to focus on 59 they could do, a sense of determination 60 the previous sadness. Instead of despair, these young people began to feel a call to action.
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