Because computer knowledge is important in our society today, many parents believe that the earlier their children begin to use the computer, the better. Accordingly, most children are spending a large amount of time on computers during their preschool years. But is it healthy for preschoolers to use computers? And if so, how can parents decide how much computer time is proper?
Some studies have shown that using computers from an early age has several advantages. Computer classes are given in most kindergartens and grade schools, so preschoolers who have already become familiar with the operation of the keyboard and mouse come out top in their studies. They may also have an advantage if they have the chance to play educational games, from which they can learn language and math.
The greatest benefits, though, are gained when preschoolers use computers side by side or when they work with adults. In these situations, preschoolers develop cooperative (合作的) problem-solving skills. They also have the chance to communicate with others, which will reinforce their overall learning.
In spite of many benefits, experts also point out disadvantages of preschool computer use.
Preschoolers’ muscles (肌肉) and bones are still developing, but computers and furniture, especially at home, are seldom set up properly for them. “Most parents,” says Peter Buckle of the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics, “seem unaware of the possible dangers of preschoolers sitting for long periods unsupported, with necks and wrists (手腕) damaged.”
Another problem arises when parents put educational games into computers and believe it’s better for their preschoolers to play these games than sit in front of a TV. Educational expert and teacher Jane Healy disagrees. She doesn’t believe there is much difference between the two. “Simply watching a screen is not the same as real mental activity.” Healy says. She suggests that reading together, having family discussions, or playing are much more valuable. Besides, Healy also questions whether some popular computer games have educational value. “Some,” she says, “may even damage creativity, attention and motivation (动力) .”
To make the computer valuable for you and your preschoolers, you need to decide on rules and time limits. When purchasing software for your preschoolers, look for programs that offer many different functions, which can help improve preschoolers’ creativity and ability to solve problems. Above all, try your best to stay with your preschoolers rather than leaving them alone before the computer.
Here are some additional tips:
★Adjust （调整）the computer and furniture for your preschoolers’ use;
★Manage your preschoolers’ computer activities;
★Limit the amount of time your preschoolers spend on the computer.
1.We can learn from Paragraph 2 that _____.
A. computers are good for preschoolers’ learning
B. most preschoolers are familiar with computers
C. preschoolers shouldn’t use computers too early
D. preschoolers can learn to use computers easily
2.What does the underlined word “reinforce” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Protect. B. Strengthen.
C. Continue. D. Praise.
3.Peter Buckle most probably agrees that _____.
A. parents have realized the dangers of preschoolers’ using computers
B. using computers has many advantages for preschoolers
C. improper computer use can lead to health problems
D. preschoolers are developing too fast nowadays
4.According to Jane Healy, parents should _____.
A. forbid their preschoolers to watch TV
B. join in their preschoolers’ practical activities
C. encourage their preschoolers’ creativity
D. realize that educational computer games are valuable
5.The author advises parents to _____.
A. give their preschoolers enough time to play computer games
B. place the computer and furniture properly
C. purchase all kinds of computer programs
D. stay with their preschoolers when they are using computers
6.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Preschoolers shouldn’t use computers.
B. Computers have their advantages and disadvantages.
C. Preschoolers have benefited a lot from using computers.
D. Parents should help their preschoolers use computers properly.
Spanish is No. 3 among the more than 5,000 languages spoken in the world today. Even English takes a back seat to Spanish with 330 million native speakers in the world, compared with 346 million of Spanish. In the United States, college students are flocking (聚集) to learn Spanish and major American book companies are publishing Spanish-language editions. In addition, many other American companies are increasingly selling their products through Spanish-language ads.
In spite of the popularity of Spanish, no one questions the continuing dominance (优势) of English in the United States.
Then what is the future of Spanish in this country? In general, the fate of immigrant (来自外国的) languages has been to flower and then disappear. Many experts say immigration only prolongs (延长) the process. Since large-scale Latin American immigration will not continue forever, they think Spanish in the United States will finally disappear.
The mixture of Spanish and English called “Spanglish” was considered by some as a brief stop on the road to the disappearance of Spanish. But Spanglish was blamed by Roberto González Echevarría, a leading literary critic at Yale University. He said, “Those who support Spanglish don’t realize that it is a Spanish invasion (侵略) of English.”
Other experts have argued that the mixing of languages and bilingualism (双语能力) are not two-way streets. In the case of the United States, Spanish speakers tend to become bilingual, but English speakers do not. When all the native Spanish speakers become bilingual, the need to speak Spanish tends to disappear.
It has happened before. German was once a popular language in the United States. However, German immigration then reduced and World War I caused anti-German feelings and English-only measures. Today, more than 45 million Americans claim their ancestry (祖先) as German, but only 1.5 million claim to speak the language.
However, there are reasons to believe Spanish will follow a different course from German. Strictly speaking, Spanish is not an immigrant language. It was here before English, its presence in North America preceding (在……之前) the founding of the United States. Spanish is the native language of Puerto Rico who are native U.S. citizens.
Additionally, Spanish has advantages German didn’t enjoy at the turn of the century. The size of the Spanish-speaking population worldwide, the communications revolution and the global economy mean there are more opportunities to use the language.
1.We can learn from Paragraph 1 that _____.
A. American book companies are required to publish Spanish editions
B. college students have to learn Spanish in America
C. Spanish has enjoyed popularity in America
D. Spanish has taken the place of English in America
2.According to the passage, Roberto González Echevarría probably agrees that _____.
A. Spanish will disappear soon
B. Spanglish shouldn’t be supported
C. Spanish speakers should become bilingual
D. Spanglish will prevent Spanish from disappearing
3.What is the future of Spanish in America according to the passage?
A. It will be remembered as an immigrant language.
B. It will be used to do business by most Americans.
C. It will continue to find a place in America.
D. It will be used by Puerto Ricans forever.
4.The author writes this passage to _____.
A. introduce the development of Spanish in America
B. show the popularity of Spanish in America
C. encourage people to speak Spanish
D. introduce the history of Spanish
It all started with a simple request. In 2006, Cathryn Couch was working as a chef (厨师), making home-delivery meals for customers. One day, a friend called and asked: Did Couch have any cooking work for her teenage daughter? She didn't, but the friend continued to beg. So Couch finally came up with a project: making meals and sending them to a local homeless center.
After seeing how excited and proud her friend's daughter was after making the meals, Couch decided to replicate (复制) their lesson on a larger scale. That's how, in 2007, the Ceres Community Project was born. The Bay Area-based program asks teen volunteers to cook healthful, all-organic meals and send them to sick people with cancer and other serious conditions.
That first year, 21 volunteers made 4,500 meals. In 2015, 400 volunteers prepared more than 90,000 meals. Couch has opened five branches across the Bay Area. And she has helped start similar programs in cities like Eugene, Ore., and Madison, Wis. And now, the group has expanded east of San Francisco. In February, the Ceres Project opened up in Alameda, Calif., working with a supportive housing organization called Alameda Point Collaborative (APC). Much of the financial support came from the $100,000 left by a local woman who passed away from breast cancer. Generally, their money comes from a mixture of individual and foundation donations.
“I'm seeing a lot of the kids' natural leadership and social skills come out in the kitchen,” says Aileen Suzara, the Alameda program coordinator and chef. “I see a bright light from the kids' eyes. They have a sense of how the project is really touching someone's life.”
When she first started the program, Couch thought that the cooking skills the teens got would be the most valuable part of the program. But that's not the case. “It's really about learning that they matter in the world and that their choices make a difference,” she says.
1.What is the purpose of the Ceres Community Project?
A. To teach students cooking skills.
B. To explore research on agriculture.
C. To bring public attention to cancer.
D. To provide healthy food for patients.
2.What can we say about the Ceres Project?
A. It is facing a lot of challenges.
B. It badly needs public support.
C. It has kept growing over the years.
D. It has long been influenced by APC.
3.How does Suzara feel about the teen members?
A. Worried. B. Doubtful.
C. Curious. D. Satisfied.
8 SUNDAY 1 P.M. Molly Sinclair McCartney, a former Washington Post reporter, will discuss “America's War Machine: Vested Interests, Endless Conflicts” at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919.
7 P.M. Richard Russo, a Pultizer Prize-winning novelist, will read from his book “Everybody's Fool,” about friends in New York, at Politics and Prose. $36-$50.
10 TUESDAY 7 P.M. Angela Duckworth, a University of Pennsylvania professor, will discuss her book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100. $16-$40.
11 WEDNESDAY 6:30 P.M. Ben Lindbergh, a writer for FiveThirtyEight.com, will discuss his book “The Only Rule Is It Has to Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team” at Busboys and Poets — 5th and K, 1025 5th St. NW. 202-364-1919.
6:30 P.M. Patricia Engel, whose novel “Vida” was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, will read from her novel “The Veins of the Ocean,” about a woman feeling guilty about her brother's criminal act, at Kramerbooks & Afterwords, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-387-1400.
7 P.M. Nathaniel Philbrick, a winner of the National Book Award, will discuss his book “Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution” at Politics and Prose. $5-$10.
12 THURSDAY 7 P.M. Irene Pollin, a doctor, will discuss her book “Irene and Abe: An Unexpected Life,” about her marriage to former Capitals and Wizards owner Abe Pollin, with George Solomon, a former sports editor at The Post, at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. $12-$20.
For more literary (文学的) events, go to wapo.st/litcal
1.Where should you go if you want to talk about Ben Lindbergh's book?
A. Politics and Prose.
B. Busboys and Poets.
C. Kramerbooks & Afterwords.
D. Sixth and I Historic Synagogue.
2.Both Angela Duckworth and Irene Pollin will _____.
A. discuss their books in the same place
B. make speeches on the same day
C. share their own experiences
D. talk about the same topic
Wayne Gretzky was about five when he first saw Gordie Howe, a Canadian professional ice hockey (曲棍球) player, on television. He immedi- ately became a ___ of the Detroit Red Wings star. “I was really ____.” he said. “Not everybody gets to meet his hero and ____ when you meet them it isn’t as good as you think it’s going to be. I got so lucky that the guy I ____ happened to be so special.”
Howe joined the Red Wings in 1946 and spent most of his long career in Detroit. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s top ____ on six occasions and also ____ the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player six times.
“He was a(n) ____ guy.” Gretzky said. “He never asked for anything from anybody, ____ he would do anything for anyone.” Gretzky added that it wouldn’t ___ whether you were a server in a restaurant or the Prime Minister; Howe ____everyone the same. “He had a way to be able to ____ to anybody and put everybody at ease.” he said. “He was just a really ____ person.”
“When I was 10 he told me, ‘Make sure you ____ your backhand.’” Gretzky said. “So I always had a great ____ in and scored many goals with my backhand. A ___ we had as players was that our backhand was ____ and solid (坚固的) and I think that’s the one thing I really ____ from him.”
“Howe said to me when I turned pro and signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association at 17,‘You worked hard to get to the professional ___, but nowadays you’ve got to work much harder. So many guys who have turned pro sort of ____ about that.’ That was the one thing he told me that ____ stuck in my brain.”
1.A. helper B. fan C. visitor D. servant
2.A. busy B. wealthy C. lucky D. lonely
3.A. somehow B. therefore C. anyway D. sometimes
4.A. chose B. served C. trained D. challenged
5.A. scorer B. model C. expert D. student
6.A. lost B. presented C. fought D. won
7.A. happy B. special C. energetic D. optimistic
8.A. unless B. since C. but D. while
9.A. change B. differ C. appear D. matter
10.A. tolerated B. affected C. treated D. attracted
11.A. talk B. agree C. stick D. reply
12.A. curious B. good C. healthy D. common
13.A. depend on B. insist on C. act on D. work on
14.A. pride B. patience C. kindness D. honour
15.A. similarity B. quality C. possibility D. difficulty
16.A. large B. free C. strong D. rough
17.A. used up B. divided up C. picked up D. set up
18.A. limit B. gate C. market D. level
19.A. argue B. forget C. complain D. worry
20.A. first B. even C. together D. always
You are saying that women should stay at home rather than going out to work, and this is _____ I disagree.
A. where B. what
C. why D. that
