Like Super Mario Brothers, children in...

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are______

A. to entertain and teach children C. to ease the parents’ burden
B. to play with the child
D. to ease the teachers’ burden

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
What opinion does Alex Wilson disapprove

A．Helping the environment means killing comfort.
B．Most green-home products are extremely comfortable.
C．Green products increase the cost of a home.
D．Average families can afford many green products.

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
According to the passage, most couples attribute their bad or unhappy marriage to______

A．their using more "I" statements
B．their spouse’s dishonesty
C．their attitudes toward each other
D．their mutually bad communication

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
It is more difficult for faculty to maintain the interest and attention of students because______

A．the faculty don’t understand what the students are thinking
B．the students have been attracted by various digital products
C．the faculty don’t know how to engage the students better
D．the faculty aren’t capable of using the informational products

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
The outward signs of sleep do NOT include ______

A．eyes to be closed
B．hearing nothing unless there is a loud noise
C．breathing faster as sleep deepens
D．muscles fully relaxed with occasional rearrangement of one’s body

单项选择题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
Story Reader’s key characteristic is that_______

A．it "reads" the book which the child likes
B．it "reads" the book while the child plays
C．it "reads" the book while the child follows along
D．it "reads" the book while the parent works

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
Compared with hardwoods, what does the author say about bamboo

A．Bamboo can grow constantly in rain forests.
B．Bamboo is a kind of grass but it grows like a tree.
C．Bamboo flooring usually costs more.
D．Bamboo causes the destruction of forests.

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
Why does the author believe that if the couples improve their marriage by training communication, the improvements won’t be lasting

A．They are told wrong techniques to communicate.
B．They misunderstand the essence of communication.
C．They don’t get down to communicating.
D．They don’t know how to listen to their spous

单项选择题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
Children ______ are suitable users of the basic Story Reader.

A. up to six months old
C. up to age two
B. up to age one
D. up to age three

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
Faculty can engage students and keep their interest by______

A．telling them what is happening in the world
B．encouraging them to do what they really prefer to
C．instructing more useful knowledge to them
D．explaining lessons by giving examples in their field

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
According to the passage, what is the disadvantage of the freestanding solar panel

A．It is difficult to handle.
B．It is not efficient.
C．It must be installed on a special house.
D．It seems unsuitable for a regular hous

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Which of the following may NOT make a person awake

A．Shaking the person.
B．Giving the person a stimulus.
C．Shouting to the person loudly.
D．Flashing the person with a bright light.

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Which statement is correct according to the passage when concerned about animals’ sleep

A．Some fish never reduce their awareness.
B．Amphibians will become unconscious.
C．Insects usually sleep in daylight since they are inactive.
D．Reptiles and mammals all become unconscious.

单项选择题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
The basic Story Reader for sale is about______

A. 12 dollars
C. 35 dollars
B. 20 dollars
D. 60 dollars

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
According to the passage, communication problems happen mainly because______

A．people can’t communicate smoothly and cheerfully
B．one is not fond of what the other one is talking about
C．one doesn’t like to talk with the other one
D．one is telling a lie to the other one

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
What kind of students may be interested in Josh Bernstein

A．Those who major in history.
B．Those who are fond of adventure.
C．Those who specialize in politics.
D．Those who are interested in financ

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
Once the solar cells in the shingles bring in more electricity than you need in hot summer,

A．your electric bill will be cut down
B．you will pay more for a square foot installed
C．you have to run out of unwanted electricity
D．your state will give you some supplement

单项选择题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
My First Story Reader is characteristic with______

A. two play modes
C. four play modes
B. three play modes
D. five play modes

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
which kind of animals do NOT dream during sleep

A. Reptiles.
C. Mammals.
B. Birds.
D. Fish.

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
If two people want to reach new levels of passion, most basically, they should______

A．increase mutual honesty
B．have better communication skills
C．express yourself better
D．be able to handle the message

单项选择题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
Story Reader Video Plus is a video version of Story Reader designed for______

A．newborns to kids up to age three
B．newborns to kids up to age seven
C．children up to the age of five
D．children up to the age of seven

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Based on the recorded brainwave activity by electroencephalograph, ______

A．an awake person generates beta waves
B．a relaxed person generates consistent oscillations at about 20 cycles per second
C．the beta waves generated by an alert person have oscillations of 20 cycles per second
D．an alert person generates alpha waves

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
The more important a person is to you, the less honest you are, mostly because______

A．you don’t want to tell your secrets to the important person
B．it is difficult to be always honest with the important person
C．the important person’s reaction means more to you
D．you always make mistakes in front of the important person

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
What does the author say about the historical principles

A．There is no need to understand them.
B．They will become interesting by adding new stories.
C．They are still important although they are boring.
D．They are difficult to understand and master.

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
On-demand water heaters increase efficiency because ______

A．they are constantly fired up
B．they heat water in a small tank
C．they heat water only when needed
D．they use gas to heat water

单项选择题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
How many games can children choose from the Animated Story Mode

A. Four.
C. Six.
B. Five.
D. Seven.

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Which statement is correct about the brainwave based on the passage

A．Two more waves will present during one’s sleep.
B．Theta waves have oscillations from 3.5 to 7 cycles per second.
C．Delta waves have oscillations of more than 3.5 cycles per second.
D．The faster the brainwave pattern is, the deeper the sleep is.

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
According to the passage, what do we learn about the reference that the faculty should resort to

A．It should be articles written by someone 30 years old.
B．It should contain success stories of Campus CEO.
C．It should include contents related to students’ world.
D．It should be reality television and video games.

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
What does the author think you should do if your thoughts are completely inappropriate on the beach

A．Notice your spouse’s reaction.
B．Insist on denying that inappropriate thoughts.
C．Tell your spouse he/she is your favorite.
D．Share your thoughts with your spous

问答题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
Like Super Mario Brothers, children in a platform game use the included controllers to______

答案： guide them through the environment and conquer obstacles。

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
The author suggests using composite decking mainly because ______

A．traditional decking threatens people’s health
B．composite decking is made from recycled plastic and wood fiber
C．composite decking is not easy to be damaged and cheap as well
D．traditional decking needs staining

单项选择题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
According to the passage, what is the real reason for us to sleep

A．Sleep makes us look and feel better in the morning.
B．Sleep refreshes our brain and body.
C．Sleep lets us get ready for a new day.
D．No one really knows the exact reason.

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
Which of the following does the author think may get a more positive response

A．Providing them interesting magazines.
B．Citing articles from a magazine’s website.
C．Handing out articles from a magazine.
D．Introducing articles about a magazines’ websit

单项选择题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
The author suggests that people sometimes should speak out what they feel because he thinks______

A．it can improve their marriage
B．it can relieve their pain because of lying
C．it can make their spouse more honest
D．it can remove fear of their partner’s reaction

问答题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
Studies have revealed Americans, especially the young ones, are encountering the problem of ______ in reading rates.

答案： an aim"ming decline。

单项选择题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
What do we learn about occupancy switches from the passage

A．They rely on environmental sound levels.
B．They work better in a small space.
C．They apply infrared technology.
D．They are not always reliabl

问答题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Dreams are created by the brain through

答案： random electrical activity。

问答题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
If you actively tell your spouse what your feelings are, both you and your spouse will______

答案： grow up。

单项选择题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
According to the passage, today’s generation of students is more inclined to

A．read articles on a book
B．listen to lectures with a mobile products
C．consult professionals face to face
D．see things on the computer by themselves

问答题

Passage Three
Story Reader
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of control over the story.
Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older. Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20. Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.-Story Reader’s publisher~ introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode" that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young. Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms ofentertaimnent that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here’s how you do it:
· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
·Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine.
·Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.
The TV, computer, video games and the telephone are all potential ______ in establishing a Read-At-Home Night.

答案： interruptions。

问答题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Being random doesn’t mean the dreams are insiguificant or______

答案： shouldbe ignored。

问答题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
The salvaged logs from ancient forests have ______ because a thick roof formed by branches and leaves at the top of a group of trees slowed growth.

答案： tight lines。

问答题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
When the discussion starts to get heated, it’s just about______

答案： your power and pride。

问答题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
Zig Ziglar could draw the audience’s attention because he took full use of______

答案： humor。

问答题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
Wilson thinks compact fluorescents have become better, smaller and cheaper mainly thanks to______

答案： Competition。

问答题

Passage Five
Sleep
Sleep is one of those funny things about being a human being-you just have to do it. Have you ever wondered why And what about the crazy dreams, like the one where a bad person is chasing you and you can’t run or yell. Does that make any sense
lf you have ever wondered about why people have to sleep or what causes dreams, then read on. In this article, you’ll find out all about sleep and what it does for you.
Characteristics of Sleep
We all know how sleep looks-when we see someone sleeping, we recognize the following characteristics:
· If possible, the person will lie down to go to sleep.
· The person’s eyes are closed.
· The person doesn’t hear anything unless it is a loud noise.
· The person breathes in a slow, rhythmic pattern.
· The person’s muscles are completely relaxed. If sitting up, the person may fall out of his or her chair as sleep deepens.
· During sleep, the person occasionally rolls over or rearranges his or her body. This happens approximately once or twice an hour. This may be the body’s way of making sure that no part of the body or skin has its circulation cut offfor too long a period of time.
In addition to these outward signs, the heart slows down and the brain does some pretty funky things (we’ll get to this later).
In other words, a sleeping person is unconscious of most things happening in the environment. The biggest difference between someone who is asleep and someone who has fainted or gone into a coma is the fact that a sleeping person can be aroused if the stimulus is strong enough. If you shake the person, yell loudly or flash a bright light, a sleeping person will wake up.
For any animal living in the wild, it just doesn’t seem very smart to design in a mandatory(强制的) eight-hour period of near-total unconsciousness every day. Yet that is exactly what evolution has done. So there must be a pretty good reason for it!
Who Sleeps
Reptiles, birds and mammals all sleep. That is, they become unconscious of their surroundings for periods of time. Some fish and amphibians(两栖动物) reduce their awareness but do not ever become unconscious like the higher vertebrates do. Insects do not appear to sleep, although they may become inactive in daylight or darkness.
By studying brainwaves, it is known that reptiles do not dream. Birds dream a little. Mammals all dream during sleep.
Different animals sleep in different ways. Some animals, like humans, prefer to sleep in one long session. Other animals (dogs, for example) like to sleep in many short bursts. Some sleep at night, while others sleep during the day.
Sleep and the Brain
If you attach an electroencephalograph (脑电图仪) to a person’s head, you can record the person’s brainwave activity. An awake and relaxed person generates alpha waves, which are consistent oscillations at about 10 cycles per second. An alert person generates beta waves, which are about twice as fast.
During sleep, two slower patterns called theta waves and delta waves take over. Theta waves have oscillations in the range of 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, and delta waves have oscillations of less than 3.5 cycles per second. As a person falls asleep and sleep deepens, the brainwave patterns slow down. The slower the brainwave patterns, the deeper the sleep-a person deep in delta wave sleep is hardest to wake up.
Why Sleep
No one really knows why we sleep. But, there are all kinds of theories, including these:
· Sleep gives the body a chance to repair muscles and other tissues, replace aging or dead cells, etc.
· Sleep gives the brain a chance to organize and archive memories. Dreams are thought by some to be part of this process.
· Sleep lowers our energy consumption, so we need three meals a day rather than four or five. Since we can’t do anything in the dark anyway, we might as well
"turn off" and save the energy.
According to Science News Online: Napless cats awaken interest in adenosine, sleep may be a way of recharging the brain, using adenosine(腺苷) as a signal that the brain needs to rest: "Since adenosine secretion reflects brain cell activity, rising concentrations of this chemical may be how the organ gauges that it has been burning up its energy reserves and needs to shut down for a while." Adenosine levels in the brain rise during wakefulness and decline during sleep.
What we all know is that, with a good night’s sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.
Dreams
Why do we have such crazy, kooky dreams Why do we dream at all for that matter According to Joel Achenbach in his book Why Things Are:
The brain creates dreams through random electrical activity. Random is the key word here. About every 90 minutes the brain stem sends electrical impulses throughout the brain, in no particular order or fashion. The analytic portion of the brain-the forebrain-then desperately tries to make sense of these signals. It is like looking at a Rorschach test, a random splash of ink on paper. The only way of comprehending it is by viewing the dream (or the inkblot) metaphorically, symbolically, since there’s no literal message.
This doesn’t mean that dreams are meaningless or should be ignored. How our forebrains choose to "analyze" the random and discontinuous images may tell us something about ourselves, just as what we see in an inkblot can be revelatory. And perhaps there is a purpose to the craziness: Our minds may be working on deep-seated problems through these circuitous and less threatening metaphorical dreams.
Here are some other things you may have noticed about your dreams:
· Dreams tell a story. They are like a TV show, with scenes, characters and props.
· Dreams are egocentric. They almost always involve you.
· Dreams incorporate things that have happened to you recently. They can also incorporate deep wishes and fears.
A noise in the environment is often worked in to a dream in some way, giving some credibility to the idea that dreams are simply the brain’s response to random impulses.
You usually cannot control a dream-in fact, many dreams emphasize your lack of control by making it impossible to mn or yell. ( However, proponents of lucid dreaming try to help you gain control. )
Dreaming is important. In sleep experiments where a person is woken up every time he/she enters REM sleep, the person becomes increasingly impatient and uncomfortable over time.
Dreams are self-centered. They almost ______ all the time.

答案： involve you。

问答题

Passage Four
How Honest Communication Can Save Your Marriage
Throughout my career as a marriage coach and a marriage and family therapist, the number one issue voiced by most couples is "we have trouble communicating." It’s a common complaint. And many couples think they would benefit from communication training.
Many seem to think if they could better express themselves or if their spouse would only listen and understand what they mean then things in the marriage would dramatically improve. "Maybe if I learned to be more assertive and use more ’I’ statements we’d have less problems." While the thought may be genuine and the results of actually implementing some of these techniques may improve the marriage a bit, in my experience the improvements won’t be lasting.
When you get right down to it, communication in marriage is not about being understood by each other; communication is about handling what another person thinks and feels. You see, married couples don’t have trouble communicating. They communicate all too well.
In a committed relationship, it is not impossible for you to communicate. Communication breaks down because you don’t like or disagree with what the other person is saying, not because you can’t communicate. Communicating in marriage is all about being able to handle the message.
When two people are able to handle the message, honesty increases. And when honesty in a relationship increases, you grow more as an individual and closer together. Through this growth you are capable of reaching new levels of passion.
So in an effort to grow closer to you loyal Zen Habits readers, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this guest post in the hopes that Simple Marriage’s message will spread and more people will discover ways to get more out of marriage and life. I also hope you’ll benefit from this post and the passion level in your relationships and life will increase... I feel closer to you already.
But being honest with you is not the same as being honest with a spouse. It’s more and more difficult to be honest in each relationship up the hierarchy of importance. As the importance of the person increases, often the level of deep honesty decreases. Largely because their reactions mean more to you and involve more risk.
So my wife calls me up and asks how my morning was. I respond with "good, just writing away." When in reality, I wasted the entire morning reading other blogs and searching for the latest gadget that will change my life forever. I don’t want to admit to her that I’m lazy. That means I’m admitting it to myself as well.
Or you’re sitting on the beach with your spouse as an attractive member of the opposite sex walks by. At that moment your spouse asks you what you’re thinking, do you tell them
Being honest brings about growth in yourself and your spouse. If your thoughts are totally inappropriate in the beach scenario, you probably don’t share them with your spouse. But what does your honesty, or lack of honesty, say about you
So how do you increase the honesty in marriage
1. Speak Up
By speaking up I’m not saying that you remove the filter between your brain and mouth, but speak up more. How often do you avoid replying or bringing something up out of fear of your partner’s reaction There are times when you need to speak up in order to help your marriage improve.
Many couples fall victim to thinking "if my spouse really cared about me, they’d be able to figure out what I’m feeling or thinking." What part of your vows stated you’d read each other’s minds for as long as you both shall live I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the ceremony.
Stop sitting back waiting for your spouse to pick up the fact that you’re frustrated, upset, hurt, or lonely and just speak up. Two things will happen. One, you will grow up a bit more because you’ve taken charge of your thoughts and emotions, and two, your partner will grow up because you’re treating them like an adult who’s capable of handling your thoughts and emotions.
2. Make the Obvious, Obvious
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, when you come home you know it’s likely to be stressful there as well, right So rather than letting the elephant in the room (the stress level in your life ) walk around freely, point it out before you and your spouse get in to it.
A simple "hey honey, good to see you, (kiss), I’d like about 5 minutes to decompress from my day before I hear about your day, alright"
Another way to make the obvious is when the discussion starts to get heated, point it out. When you raise your voice in a conversation, it’s no longer about what’s best for all the people involved, it’s about your power and your pride.
3. Grow Up
Many people go kicking and screaming into adulthood. I was one of them. I wanted things my way! Still do at times. I used to think that life was all about me. And problems occurred when other people didn’t know this.
Marriage grows you up. Living with another person forces you to grow up. And just when it seems your spouse is done growing you up, your kids take over. That’s a simple fact of marriage.
Recognize this and harness the energy it creates. Rather than seeing your spouse as someone who doesn’t get at you, see them as someone who may want more from you. They may be looking for a lover, a passionate friend, a warrior, a true supporter, or simply a partner in life’s adventure.
The author recommends you considering your partner as someone who______

答案： wants more from you。

问答题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
According to the author, ______ is a true principle to any generation of students.

答案： making learning fun。

问答题

Passage One
Create a Green Zone
Get this: Your home is already an ecological wonder. Over the last 25 years the amount of energy used by the typical refrigerator dropped by two-thirds; washingmachine energy needs have been reduced by nearly half; the use of redwood decking has fallen by two-thirds; and toilets use less than half the water that they did in the 1970s.
You had no idea how good you were being, did you Making choices that help the environment doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and, in fact, many green-home products are extremely luxurious. Unfortunately, this contributes to the perception that the products are budget busters-a myth, says Alex Wilson, executive editor of Environmental Building News. "Certainly there are high-end green homes that demonstrate what’s feasible, but the average homeowner can use many green strategies-and some actually reduce the cost of a home."
Architect Angela Dean, author of the book Green by Design, says even small changes can have a big impact. "Every time you change a light bulb, replace it with a fluorescent (荧光的) lamp," she says. According to govemment experts, if every home in America replaced just one light bulb with a fluorescent lamp, the reduction in pollution would be equal to removing one million cars from the road.
Here you’ll find our picks for the best and the brightest ideas in green building. Many of the products you can add to your house fight away; others you can save for, and incorporate the next time you need a new roof or deck. Either way, being good has never been easier.
Bamboo Flooring
Wood floors are gorgeous, but hardwoods traditionally used in flooring take decades to grow, and can be harvested irresponsibly in rain forests. The solution is bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is technically a kind of grass, it grows like a treeonly faster. Since it matures in three years and regenerates itself, bamboo doesn’t contribute to global destruction of forests. When pressed into boards, bamboo is as tough as other hardwoods, and has a richly patterned lines enlivened by tiny "nodes"-the bamboo equivalent of knotholes. It installs much like hardwood flooring and costs about the same. Solar Roofing
One drawback to solar-generated electricity is the bulky panels, which look out of place on a traditional home. Now you can harness the sun’s power right through roof shingles (木瓦), thanks to an advanced technology. These space-age solar cells are shaped like conventional shingles and can be installed just like regular shingles, then wired into your home’s electric system. Wilson says they’re not as efficient as freestanding solar panels, but depending on weather conditions, they can generate virtually all the power for your home. In August, when the shingles are producing more electricity than you need, the current gets fed into the power grid, running your meter backward and thereby reducing your electric bill-which makes up for rainy days, when output is reduced. Solar shingles cost $40 to $50 a square foot installed, versus about $8 fur regular shingles, but you may only need them on the dark side of the house. And many states are now offering generous supplement.
On-Demand Water Heaters
Most houses have a hot-water tank that is constantly fired up, keeping 40 to 80 gallons ready for the next shower or laundry load. By contrast, on-demand water heaters don’t use a tank. Instead they employ a powerful burner to heat water only when needed. As a result, there is up to 34 percent greater efficiency, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. On-demand heaters also save space because they are small and wall-mounted. It’s important to get the right size heater for your home and lifestyle. This is a job for a heating professional, or your gas company.
Decking
Traditional decking may use pressure-treated pine, which was usually tied with toxic substances. And the stain or paint applied to the wood often contains dangerous elements. It is necessary to change for your health; consider one of the many composite deck products made from recycled plastic and wood fiber. Besides looking great, they won’t rot, or crack. They never need staining, and contain no toxic additives. Composite decking can cost two or three times as much as pressure-treated decking. But when you factor in the cost of maintaining a wood deck, the difference narrows over time.
Occupancy Switches
Scientists haven’t figured out how to get kids to turn off lights in their rooms. But they’ve made great strides in occupancy switches, which sense when no one is in a room and then shut off automatically. Older models that monitored environmental sound levels were not reliable; the latest switches rely on infrared technology. Infrared switches are most common in homes; they need a direct line of sight and work best in simple four-walled spaces. Some are designed to replace a standard wall switch. Others are ceiling-mounted.
Salvaged Wood
Salvaged wood comes from two places-buildings that are being torn down or, increasingly, underwater. Logging operations in the 19th century used waterways to float trees; many logs sank. Today, divers are recovering these logs, which remain preserved in the cold fresh water. This salvaged wood often sells at a premium-S6 to $8 per board foot, and considerably more for exotic varieties. The logs are from ancient forests, where the branches and leaves that spread out at the top of a group of trees formed a thick roof which slowed growth and resulted in exceptionally tight lines favored by fine woodworkers. "You can’t buy that kind of wood anymore," says Wilson. Often the wood is from trees that are now largely wiped out, like longleaf yellow pine. The wood can be used in any part of construction, from ceiling beams to flooring, or in furniture.
Compact Fluorescents
These light bulbs, which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent (白炽的) bulbs, have been around since the early 1980s. But in the past few years they’ve gotten better, smaller-and cheaper. How cheap Try five bucks, with a five-year guarantee. The reason, says Wilson, is simple: competition. "When California had its power crisis there was a huge upsurge in compact fluorescent, and Chinese companies began making them inexpensively. Now they’re being made by dozens of companies, plus some utilities offer discounts." Today’s compact fluorescents switch on quickly and don’t buzz. And the colors are much warmer than the ghostly white models of the past.
The author of the passage provides readers some best ideas in ______

答案： green building。

问答题

Passage Two
4 Ways to Engage Today’s Generation of Students
Each year, every faculty member becomes one year older. However, the average age of each incoming student remains the same. This presents a challenge: How can we keep the communication and learning gap from expanding more and more as time goes on
Now we’ve stepped into digital and information age when this generation has been granted endless satellite channels, websites, text messages, and Ipod music choices to constantly go through daily. This makes it more difficult than ever before for faculty to keep the interest and attention of the students. Here are a few great tips for faculty on how to better engage today’s generation of students:
1. Bring Cool Careers and Majors to Life
This generation of students doesn’t see the connection between today’s lesson and what they really want to do someday. The more we can close that gap-to illustrate classroom relevance to their world-the better we can engage students and keep their interest.
The prospect of getting a job and working 40+ hours per week for the next 40 years doesn’t exactly breed excitement in this generation. However, they can get excited through examples of "cool" young people in their field who are very successful doing something they LOVE for a living.
While we mostly think of celebrities as TV stars or athletes, there are celebrities within almost every field. For example, Josh Bernstein of the History Channel’s "Digging for the Truth" and Discovery Channel’s "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" makes history fun and interesting, especially to those who never believed such topics were fun and interesting before. Even MSNBC television personalities such as the politically branded Tucker Carlson, and Jim Kramer of "Mad Money", do give an alternative flair to the otherwise "boring" world of politics and finance.
2. Find Clever Opportunities to Integrate TV/Movies/Pop Culture
Is it important for students to understand the long history of business, psychology, leadership, ete Absolutely! However, seeking out opportunities to supplement historical principles with books, movies, or music of today can definitely help bring the learning process to life. Cite a chapter, or even a paragraph or quote, from a source written since 2000 by someone 30 years old or under on the topic, and you’ll be amazed with the attention, interest, and results.
One great example is the book Campus CEO: A Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multi-Million Dollar Business, written by Randal Pinkett, a sharp young professional who was a winner on the Donald Trump television show "The Apprentice". This book includes many old-age, proven business principles from books written 50 years prior. However, which do you think is more appealing to read for today’s student
Any reference to reality television, video games, or downloaded music for their Ipod can immediately raise their attention. So, what do we mean by reference A reference can be sharing a marketing article on the X-Box product, or a fresh class case study on a company such as Apple, or a statistical exercise on average the number of text messaging characters transmitted by the average college student each day. Have fun with examples from their world that can be used at every turn.
3. Use the lnternet and Technology; In Ways that Speak Their Language
In general, less instances of distributing articles from a magazine and more instances of citing article links on that magazine’s website is a good thing. The words "check out this website" will probably elicit a more positive response than the infamous "take one and pass it down". The Intemet is the virtual home of this generation. They’ve never lived without it.
Whenever possible, have students research an individual or company website that is discussed in class. Beyond just articles and websites, what blogs within their field or subject can they participate in now as students There can be great benefits to communication with field professionals across the world, and can even help students stay on the cutting edge of industry issues. Most importantly, they might just have fun doing it.
YouTube has a world of possibilities in the learning community. Within moments, a drafting or engineering student can view the design and construction of an NFL stadium using time lapse photography (时间推移摄影术), while a biology student can view computer animation of photosynthesis. Instead of reading about things or hearing about things, students want to see things with their own eyes, on their own computers.
4. Use Humor and Have Fun in the Classroom
Certainly, the job of an educator isn’t to entertain. It is to educate. However: Do you remember a teacher who didn’t just teach a class, but impacted your life Did you feel as if they could relate to you, and could even make you laugh Did you have fun in their class, and look forward to attending each day
Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful motivational speakers in history, knew the power of incorporating humor in his presentations. Throughout his career, Zig would strategically place some type of wit, joke, or funny example every seven minutes during his presentation, no matter the audience or topic. As he studied, attention span begins to dip as time between jokes lingered. People pay attention because they don’t want to miss the next joke!
So, what if you’re not that funny Here are a few tips: Go to Google or Google Images, and search under "Business humor", or "Funny Biology", or "Funny Advertising". Keep an eye out for funny articles, or even comical things on television, that might have some direct or even indirect relevance to the subject. When applicable and appropriate, allow an environment where students are encouraged to have tim in group projects or class exercises together. No one can articulate cool and funny lingo (行话) to students better than other students. Making learning fun is one principle that holds true no matter the generation. Teaching can be much easier when students look forward to coming to class.
The passage mainly discusses four ways for faculty to keep ______ of today’s generation of students.

答案： the interest and attention。

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