As any parent with an iPhone or an iPod Touch knows, mobile apps (手机软件) can be an engaging and entertaining experience for kids. Now, a new study of PBS Kids suggests that the experience can be an educational one as well.
The study, which was administered by PBS under a grant from the Department of Education, first tested the vocabulary level of a group of 90 Title 1 school children, aged 3 to 7. Then, the children were each given two weeks with an iPod Touch loaded with the Martha Speaks Dog Party app created by PBS Kids.
The study monitored how the children used the iPod, during what hours, and in what context. On average, the study found that kids played with the iPod Touch for a total of 5 hours across the two weeks, with half that time spent playing the Martha Speaks app. At the end of the two week trial, the children were given another vocabulary test, which revealed an increase in vocabulary acquisition by as much as 31 per cent.
The study findings are particularly useful as smart phones and mobile devices have become increasingly popular among families and parents are faced with a proliferation of mobile apps designed for kids. According to a recent Nielsen study, smart phone usage is 12% higher in households with children than other households.
“Mobile apps can be a great learning tool in the hands of children,” said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP, Children’s Media, PBS. “This research is important in helping to better understand and guide the development of new apps that improve the value of children’s screen time with significant educational outcomes.”
So what does it all mean? Well, at the very least it will help parents get over that guilty feeling when they hand over their iPhone or iPod Touch for a little peace and quiet. At best, it provides more evidence that mobile devices and apps do indeed have educational value and could be an important part of the child-learning process for many years to come.
小题1:What Lesli Rotenberg said in the fifth paragraph suggests that .| A．he has a positive attitude towards mobile apps | | B．he thinks children should never use smart phones | | C．he is doubtful about mobile apps designed for children | | D．he thinks parents should be careful with mobile apps for children |
小题2:The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that .| A．parents will feel more comfortable giving kids iPhone or iPod Touch | | B．parents will know what kind of mobile phones are suitable for kids | | C．parents will know what children do with mobile phones | | D．parents can watch over their children now and then |
小题3:What would be the best title of the text?| A．The popularity of smart phones among kids | | B．The entertaining function of smart phones | | C．Smart phones make kids learn more. | | D．It’s too early for kids to use smart phones |
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小题1:A
小题2:A
小题3:C |
试题分析：可知本文讲述的是手机软件对孩子学习的积极的影响，让孩子的词汇量增加，让孩子学会了更多的知识。
小题1:A 推理题。根据本段This research is important in helping to better understand and guide the development of new apps that improve the value of children’s screen time with significant educational outcomes.”可知他对于手机软件的学习功能是持肯定的态度的。故A正确。
小题2:.A 推理题。根据本句Well, at the very least it will help parents get over that guilty feeling when they hand over their iPhone or iPod Touch for a little peace and quiet.可知原来父母亲为了求的安静而把手机给孩子玩耍。现在这个研究发现玩手机对孩子的学习是有好处的。这就给这样做的父母亲一个安慰。故A正确。
小题3:C 主旨大意题。根据文章第一段As any parent with an iPhone or an iPod Touch knows, mobile apps (手机软件) can be an engaging and entertaining experience for kids. Now, a new study of PBS Kids suggests that the experience can be an educational one as well.可知本文讲述的是手机软件对孩子学习的积极的影响，让孩子的词汇量增加，让孩子学会了更多的知识。故Ｃ正确。 |
核心考点
试题【As any parent with an iPhone or an iPod Touch knows, mobile apps (手机软件) can be a】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
One evening after dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Tisich called a family meeting. “We’ve had to make a difficult decision,” Mr. Tisich announced. “You see, your mother has been offered a post as co-director of a television station in Chicago. Unfortunately, the station is not here. After thinking long and hard about it, we’ve concluded that the right decision is to move to Chicago.” Marc looked shocked, while his sister Rachel breathlessly started asking when they’d be moving. “It’s surprising, but exciting!” she said. Marc simply said, “We can’t go—I can’t leave all my friends. I’d rather stay here and live with Tommy Lyons!”
The Tisichs hoped that by the time they moved in August, Marc would grow more used to the idea of leaving. However, he showed no signs of accepting the news, refusing to pack his belongings. When the morning of the move arrived, Marc was nowhere to be found. His parents called Tommy Lyon’s house, but Mrs. Lyons said she hadn’t seen Marc. Mrs. Tisich became increasingly concerned, while her husband felt angry with their son for behaving so irresponsibly.
What they didn’t know was that Marc had started walking over to Tommy’s house, with a faint idea of hiding in Lyons’s attic(阁楼) for a few days. But something happened on the way as Marc walked past all the familiar landscape of the neighborhood: the fence that he and his mother painted, the tree that he and his sister used to climb, the park where he and his father often took evening walks together. How much would these mean without his family, who make them special in the first place? Marc didn’t take the time to answer that question but instead hurried back to his house, wondering if there were any moving cartons(纸板箱)the right size to hold his record collection.
小题1:The conflict(冲突) in this story was caused by_________.| A．Marc and Rachel’s different attitudes | | B．a quarrel between Tommy Lyons and Marc | | C．Marc’s disagreement with his parents about their move | | D．Mr. And Mrs. Tisich’s comment of Marc’s irresponsibility |
小题2:Marc and Rachel’s reactions to the move were similar in the way that both were________.| A．surprised | B．angry and upset | | C．anxious for more details | D．worried about pacing |
小题3:The reason for Marc’s going home was that_________.| A．he did not want to be left behind | | B．he realized his family was important to him | | C．he hoped to reach an agreement with his parents | | D．he wished to be a more responsible person |
小题4:What would most likely happen next?| A．Marc would bring his records over to the Lyons’s house. | | B．Mr. and Mrs. Tisich would call the police. | | C．Marc would join his family for house moving. | | D．Mr. and Mrs. Tisich would start searching for Marc. |
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Are supermarkets designed to persuade us to buy more? When you enter a supermarket, the manager knows than you do how you will behave — which you will walk, where you will , what will make you one product rather than another. When customers go into a shop, they look to their left move towards the right. So supermarket entrances are usually on the left of the building, and the arrangement is to take shoppers the store ,aisle after aisle, from left to right. Then shoppers will pay attention to all the .
Fresh fruit and are displayed near supermarket entrances. This gives the that only healthy food is sold in the shop. foods that everyone buys, like sugar and tea are put near each other. They are kept in different aisles so customers are taken past other attractive foods they find what they want. In this way, shoppers are to buy products that they do not really .
People walk quickly through aisles, but they move more slowly in wide aisles and give more attention to the products. One best-selling for products is at the end of aisles, because shoppers to turn into the next aisles.
Sweets are often placed at children’s level at the checkout. While parents are waiting to pay, children the sweets and put them in the trolley.
Customers buy more when shelves are than when they are half empty because they feel there is something wrong with those products that are there.
| 小题1: | | A．sooner | B．better | C．more | D．less |
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| 小题2: | | A．side | B．approach | C．place | D．way |
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| 小题4: | | A．buy | B．enjoy | C．see | D．prefer |
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| 小题5: | | A．naturally | B．simply | C．easily | D．hurriedly |
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| 小题7: | | A．into | B．along | C．around | D．through |
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| 小题8: | | A．prices | B．signs | C． shelves | D．products |
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| 小题9: | | A．wines | B．vegetables | C．sweets | D．meat |
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| 小题10: | | A．impression | B．effect | C．thought | D．expression |
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| 小题11: | | A．Fresh | B．Important | C．Fast | D．Basic |
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| 小题12: | | A．when | B．unless | C．before | D．until |
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| 小题13: | | A．invited | B．encouraged | C．willing | D．ready |
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| 小题15: | | A．narrow | B．short | C．high | D．long |
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| 小题16: | | A．case | B．point | C．example | D．position |
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| 小题17: | | A．slow down | B．hurry up | C．walk down | D．come up |
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| 小题18: | | A．hand | B．eye | C．head | D．height |
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| 小题19: | | A．pay for | B．care for | C．look for | D．reach for |
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In the United States and several other countries, 2.5 million children play baseball in an organization called Little League. They play on teams in their hometowns. Their parents and other adults in the community coach or instruct them and serve as umpires to make sure that everyone follows the rules. Local businesses give money for the ball fields and the uniforms. Local teams compete against each other and the winners get to play teams that are more distant. Eventually, the top teams go to the Little League World Series.
One hundred years after Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839, Little League got started in Pennsylvania. Three men started the game for neighborhood boys with a smaller playing field and fewer innings than adult baseball. Little League became popular after World War II when the game spread across the United States. By 1955 it was played throughout North America and within five years it had spread to Europe. Children’s baseball really caught on in Japan and Taiwan of China and teams from those areas won the World Series seven out of eight years. After this, the organization tried banning foreign teams from the World Series, but the ban came to an end after one year.
At first, Little League was only for boys aged nine to twelve. However, in 1974, the parents of girl baseball players brought a law suit. The courts ruled that Little League had to include both boys and girls. Later Little League added on softball and other games for teenagers up to age eighteen. Occasionally a Little Leaguer becomes a professional player. For example, Gary Carter went from Little League to play nineteen seasons in the Major Leagues, ten of them as an All-Star player. But, by and large, youngsters play baseball for fun and because their parents are proud of them.
小题1:The mothers and fathers of Little League players ______.| A．help run the games | B．travel in coaches | | C．give the teams money | D．play in the World Series |
小题2:In what year was Little League established?小题3:Why do most players take part in Little League?| A．To play in the Major League. | | B．To have fun and please their parents. | | C．They expect a profit from All-Star games | | D．They want to learn how to serve as umpires. |
小题4:What is true about players today?| A．Little League is only for neighbourhood boys. | | B．Girl players have to buy their suits. | | C．Girls and boys can participate to age eighteen. | | D．Children can only play until age twelve. |
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ASK LASKAS
YOU"VE GOT QUESTIONS. SHE"S GOT ANSWERS
Q: My problem is computer gaming. I do it day and night, averaging four hours of sleep. I can"t control of this, and I don"t know where to go for help. Do you? —Player
A: Dear Player,
You have an addiction. For some people playing video games releases dopamine, a powerful brain chemical that makes you feel good. You"d toss your cigarettes if you were ready to quit, right? To kick the habit, get help from a health professional. And don"t look for help on line; that would be like an alcoholic going to the bar for advice.
Q: My brother"s wife just had triplets(三胞胎). This is such a joy! Yet every time I share the news with co-workers, they ask me if she was on fertility pills. I think this is rude—or has society just become so talk-show numbed (麻木的)that you can ask anyone anything? —No Show Host
A: Dear Host,
Yes. Our society has become increasingly disrespectful of privacy. But don"t blame it all on the talk-shows. Continue to celebrate and greet impolite questions with stony silence. Their fertility history is nobody"s business but their own.
Q: I work at an amusement park, and my manager steals supplies. She has a catering business on the side, and we"ve seen her load up her van at the back gates. The big bosses think she is the best thing since buttered bread, and we"re all afraid that if we say anything, we"ll lose our jobs. What can we do? —Righteous
A: Dear Righteous,
Be sure you"re right. You must have evidence about what and why things are going out the back gates. Once you know for certain, it"s time to go to the bosses and report what you have seen.
Q: My stepson"s wife sometimes leaves their eight-year-old home alone for "a short run to the store." That may be an hour or so. I believe by law we should report it. What do you think?
—The In-laws
A: Dear Laws,
I don"t know what the child-protection laws in your state are, but I do know that children need care and attention. This child may be able and unafraid, but kids aren"t always careful. It also sounds like there is stress in your family relationship. One thing you can do to help this situation is offer to baby-sit when Mom needs to step out.
小题1:Which of the following statements is true?| A．Dopamine is a powerful brain chemical good to our health. | | B．Looking for help on line is like getting help from a health professional. | | C．Player is a video game addict who smokes and sleeps few hours. | | D．Player is advised to stay clear of the screen. |
小题2:According to the Q&A, .| A．Host"s colleagues are insensitive | | B．The talk-show is to blame | | C．Somebody"s business is everybody"s | | D．Host"s sister-in-law was on fertility pills |
小题3:What we can infer from the Q&A is .| A．The Mom is not to blame because she needs a short run to the store | | B．Children need care and attention, though not for all of them | | C．Laws, the old lady, wants to report what she sees to the child"s father | | D．Laskas doesn"t seem to approve of Laws" trying to report what she sees |
小题4:Which Q&A mentioned transport?| A．The first | B．The second. | C．The third. | D．None. |
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If a business wants to sell its products internationally, it had better do some market research first. This is a lesson that some large American corporations have learned the hard way.
What’s in the name?
Sometimes the problem is the name. When General Motors introduced its Chevy Nova into Latin America, it overlooked the fact that Nova in Spanish means “It doesn’t go”. Sure enough, the Chevy Nova never went anywhere in Latin America.
Translation problems
Sometimes it is the slogan that doesn’t work. No company knows this better than Pepsi-Cola, with its “Come alive with Pepsi!” campaign. The campaign was so successful in the United States , Pepsi translated its slogan literally for its international campaign. As it turned out , the translations weren’t quite right. Pepsi was begging Germans to “Come out of the grave(坟墓)” and telling the Chinese that “Pepsi brings your ancestors(老祖宗) back from the grave.”
A picture’s worth a thousand words
Other times, the problem involves packaging . A picture of a smiling baby has helped sell countless jars of Gerber baby food. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in African countries, the picture on the jar shows what the jar has in it, for many people there can’t read.
Twist of fate
Even the culture and religious factors and pure coincidence can be involved. Thorn McAn shoes have a Thorn McAn “signature” inside. To people in Bangladesh, which is a Muslim country, this signature looked like Arabic script for the word Allah. In that country, feet are considered unclean, and Muslims felt the company was offending God’s name by having people walk on it.
小题1:From the text we learned that _________.| A．Chevy Nova was brought in Latin America | | B．General Motors did the best market research of all companies | | C．Pepsi still sold well in China owing to the translation problems | | D．the “Come alive with Pepsi” campaign worked well in the US |
小题2:What was “Gerber’s problem”?| A．A translation problem | B．Cultural factor | | C．Religious factor | D．The picture on the jar |
小题3:For what reason were Thorn McAn shoes turned down in Bangladesh?| A．They are not designed attractively | | B．Their advertisements are not persuasive | | C．A signature looking like the word Allah was in the shoes | | D．Problem for Thorn McAn was the company’s name |
小题4:What does the text mainly tell us?| A．Lessons from some large corporations. | | B．How to make use of advertisements | | C．The importance of market research | | D．The importance of packaging |
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