In Kentucky,as the Wall Street Journal reported,students in grades K-3 are mixed together regardless of age in a relaxed environment.It works great,the Journal says.Yes,scores on computation tests have dropped 10 per cent at one school,but not to worry:'Drilling addition and subtraction in an age of calculators is a waste of time,'the principal reassures us.Meanwhile,a Japanese educator informs University of Wisconsin mathematician Richard Akey that in his country,“calculators are not used in elementary or junior high school because the primary emphasis is on helping students develop their mental abilities.'No wonder Japanese kids blow the pants off American kids in math.Do we really think“drilling addition and subtraction in an age of calculators is a waste of time''? If we do,then“drilling reading in an age of multimedia is a waste of time''can't be far behind.
There's no denying that computers have the potential to perform inspiring feats in the classroom.If we are ever to see that potential realized,however,we ought to agree on three conditions.First,there should be a completely new crop of children's software.Most of today's offerings show no imagination.There are hundreds of similar readings and geography and arithmetic programs,but almost nothing on electricity or physics or architecture.Also,they abuse the technical capacities of new media to glitz up old forms instead of creating new ones.Why not build a time-travel program that gives kids a feel for how history is structured by zooming you backward?A spectrum program that lets users twirl a frequency knob to see what happens?
Second,computers should be used only during recess or relaxation periods. Treat them as fillips,not as surrogate teachers.When I was in school in the 60s, we all loved educational films.When we saw a movie in class,everybody won: teachers didn't have to teach,and pupils didn't have to lean.I suspect that classroom computers are popular today for the same reasons.
Most important,educators should learn what parents and most teachers already know:you cannot teach a child anything unless you look him in the face. We should not forget what computers are.Like books-better in some ways, worse in others-they are devices that help children mobilize their own resources and learn for themselves.The computer's potential to do good is modestly greater than a book's in some areas.Its potential to do harm is vastly greater,across the board.

A.calculators are forbiddcn among American kids

B.Japanese kids usually give better performance in math

C.children in Japan are studying in a more relaxed environment

D.drilling addition and subtraction is the key task in American schools

A.the development of appropriate software for them

B.the study of geography and architecture

C.glitzy programs in art and history

D.time-trave programs

A.a new type of recreation

B.a new form of education

C.a replacement of teachers

D.a means of encouragement

A.Computer programs deprive children of their pleasure of reading

B.Computers can help mobilize natural resources to children

C.We should be aware of the harmful potential of computers

D.Educators should try to learn what parents really need

A.ambivalent

B.negative

C.positive

D.critical

Hours before her wedding ceremony,Aisha Sarwari,then a recent graduate of an American university,was called into a room full of men:her brother,her uncle,a marriage registrar and her fiance.The registrar asked three times if she consented to marry the groom.She said yes.Then he told her to sign a contract she had never seen,with her name and a thumb-print.She said yes to that,too.“It didn't even occur to me that I should look at the document,she says now.That document,known as a nikah nama,is a marriage registration and a prenuptial agreement (an agreement before marriage)all in one.It determines all sorts of things that may end up being of critical importance to the bride,in particular,from the way in which she may seek a divorce to the division of property if the marriage comes to an end.
Yet many wives-to-be in Pakistan sign their nikah namas without reading them.Plenty do not know what they are signing.In Peshawar,a city in the north-west,nearly three-quarters of women,many of them illiterate,say they were not consulted on their marriage contracts.But asking for a say in the drafting would be fraught,anyway.At best,women who do will be accused of bad manners (for not trusting their new husband)or of courting disaster (because it is unlucky to talk of divorce before the marriage has even started).At worst,it would be seen as inexcusable arrogance that might put the wedding in jeopardy.In some cases,marriage registrars,who are often imams,take matters into their own hands,simply crossing out bride-friendly clauses on the contracts.Even though such changes are illegal,an analysis of about 14,000 nikah namas in Punjab province found that 35%had been amended in this way,according to Kate Vyborny,one of the researchers involved.“It's ridiculous,"says Ms Sarwari.
Yet when the nikah nama,an Islamic tradition,was incorporated into Pakistani law in 196l,the government's intention was to“secure to our female citizens the enjoyment of their rights under Koranic(可兰经)laws".In fact,the ordinance in question did not just treasure up Islamic practice in law;it modernized it,modestly restricting a man's rights and defining those of women. Men are still free to marry up to four women,but have to tell new wives about existing ones.Men can still divorce at will,but have to register the divorce in writing,and so on.Husbands are also required to state at the time of marriage,in the nikah nama,whether they admit their wives the same right they have,to end the marriage whenever they want,without having to go to court.

A.She read the details of a pre-marriage contract

B.She tried to learn the importance of nikah nama

C.She was asked to sign a pre-marriage agreement

D.She was informed of the prenuptial agreement

A.disagreeable to men

B.unfavorable to women

C.intended to be against men

D.expected to protect women

A.too proud

B.too ridiculous

C.too dangerous

D.too challenging

A.They are always friendly to the bride

B.They usually transfer wedding matters to others

C.They control the matters conceming marriage agreement

D.They sometimes delete groom-friendly clauses on the contracts

A.moderately limited

B.greatly extended

C.vaguely defined

D.strictly reserved

China's homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System,which is currently used for wcather and earthquake forecasts,land surveys and mapping as well as for navigation of taxis,buses and trucks,has found a new home in the bike-sharing sector as companies are using the technology for better operations and user experiences.
Bike-sharing companies have started using the system in a big way after the final satellite in the BeiDou navigation system was launched last week. Shanghai-based bike-sharing company Hello Global has brought all its sharing bikes under the BeiDou umbrella,while Qingju Bike,owned by ride-hailing major Didi Chuxing,has put into operation shared bikes using the BeiDou services in Shenzhen of Guangdong province,Wuhan of the Hubei province and Beijing.Meituan Bike (formerly Mobike)has established an internet of things platform with millions of shared bikes backed by the BeiDou technology.
Li Kaizhu,co-founder and executive-president of Hello Global,said,“The application of the BeiDou system is the first large-scale attempt in the shared travel sector.It will help shared bicycles better integrate into the urban public transportation ecology."
The BeiDou network will help users park vehicles in an orderly manner as the technology will prioritize the parking order of vehicles on municipal roads,he said.Hello Global has launched“designated return spot'"mode in Shenzhen, requiring all shared bikes to be parked in designated zones for locking the bikes. Currently,the ratio of“designated retum"of bikes surpassed 95 per cent.“The mode has effectively improved vehicle parking,and lowered management costs for government and enterprises.By using BeiDou,we are able to manage bike distribution more precisely,"Li said.In addition,it also helps the company to gauge bike requirements and relocate its resources accordingly,he said.
Technicians can use the BeiDou system for real-time management of road vehicle information in the background and effectively control traffic tides,ride hotspots and vehicle accumulation,said an official from Qingju Bike.
Wang Peng,assistant professor at the Renmin University of China,who specializes in transportation,said,“The 5G technology-empowered BeiDou system solves the signal problem of shared bikes.Previously,the bikes were equipped with 3G,or even 2G networks,and the signal was poor,making it difficult for users to find a bike or make a payment online.The combination of 5G and BeiDou solves the problem,offering a better user experience."
Yu Zejun,a research fellow at the research institution of China Fortune Land Development Co.Ltd,said that shared bikes are among the four major application fields-A (automobile),B(bike),C(cellphone)and D (drone)-of the BeiDou system.The location service offered by BeiDou is a key element in shared travel.

A.improve their operations

B.enlarge their business scope

C.make reforms in their business model

D.strengthen their ties with their customers

A.Hello Global is owned by ride-hailing major Didi Chuxing

B.BeiDou services are widely used by bike-sharing companies

C.Qingju Bike has brought all its sharing bikes under the control of BeiDou

D.Bike-sharing companies have all established an internet of things platform

A.take over

B.intrude into

C.separate from

D.become part of

A.lower the fees of using shared bikes sharply

B.locate the disorganized shared bikes easily

C.distribute shared bikes more accurately

D.allow users to park shared bikes freely

A.The location service offered by BeiDou is important in shared services

B.BeiDou system has yet to solve the signal problem of shared bikes

C.The prospect of the application of BeiDou system is promising

D.BeiDou system is mostly used in designating parking lots

Building trains every day,Guo Wuchun in his 50s from Zhuzhou,Hunan province,was not satisfied.He wanted more.He wanted to reach for the sky.His dream was to build and fly a helicopter that he made.It finally came true after five years of research and development.Video footage showing Guo's test flight in his coaxial helicopter(同轴直升机)has gone viral on Sina Weibo.It had been viewed more than 38 million times as of Monday.Many netizens call it an inspiring story that shows everything is possible as long as you dare to follow your dream and never give up.
“When I was a boy,I dreamed of building a plane,but most people thought that it was an unobtainable dream for me,a middle school graduate,"Guo says. But his education background didn't stop him from realizing his dream.Without formal education and training,Guo figured out helicopter design on his own. Working at the Zhuzhou CRRC Timly Forge Co.has brought Guo a step closer and gave him the required craftsmanship.In the factory,he mastered skills such as gas-cutting and welding among others.
From the basics of helicopter aerodynamics to coaxial rotor systems,he has devoured the vast resources available in professional books and online.For the English materials that he cannot understand,he has asked friends to translate for him.He has been a frequent visitor to various auto shows to look for motors which may suit his helicopter.In his makeshift studio at his home's rooftop,he has collected scrap copper vehicle parts and other discarded metal for necessary components for his helicopter,which has been his“treasure'".Piles of used tircs and steel pipes have been stored in his studio.
His first model was created in 2015,but it could not take off.Eventually, after numerous failed attempts and four models,Guo got himself in the air this month,with some netizens calling him a“Chinese Wright brother'".With its tank full,the flight can last two hours,according to Guo.He didn't reveal how much he has spent on the project.The CRRC saluted Guo on its Sina Weibo account, commenting that Guo challenged the impossible.
Many amateur aircraft enthusiasts,including Guo,face difficulties in getting a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category.This certificate is issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China allowing enthusiasts to legally operate aircraft for non-commercial purposes of recreation and education. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China News,amateur-built aircraft have been popular in recent years with tens of thousands of people creating their own.

A.become a pilot

B.work as a researcher

C.build trains for the country

D.fly a self-built helicopter

A.frequent visits to various auto shows

B.resources available in professional books

C.from some craftsmen he got to know online

D.his experience while working as a train-builder

A.with the financial support from CRRC

B.after years of research and development

C.with the well-designed models from CAAC

D.after repeated attempts and countless failed models

A.More and more aviation enthusiasts buy amateur-built aircraft

B.Government has begun to regulate the amateur-built aircraft market

C.A special certificate will allow amateurs to operate aircraft for commercial purposes

D.Civil Aviation Administration of China will allow enthusiasts to operate aircraft freely

A.ambition and determination will pave the way for success

B.higher education is quite necessary for building a plane

C.intensive professional training will lead us to success

D.a makeshift studio is essential for testing a helicopter

By the year 2005,the number of teens,ages 14 to 17,will swell by 17 per cent,with an even larger increase among people of color——20 per cent among African-Americans and 30 per cent among Latinos.Given the difficult conditions in which many of these youngsters grow up-with inferior schools and violence-torn neighborhoods-many more teenagers will be at risk in the years ahead.
Tragically,the number of violent teens has grown in recent years,even as the population of teenagers has contracted.But the teen population has bottomed out and is now on the upswing.If current rates of offending remain unchanged,the number of teens who commit murder and other scrious violent crimes shall increase,if only because of the demographic tumaround in the population at risk. However,given the worsening conditions in which children are being raised, given the breakdown of all our institutions as well as of our cultural norms,given our wholesale disinvestment in youth,our Nation faces the grim prospect of a future wave of juvenile violence that may make the coming years look like“the good old days.'
The hopeful news is that there is still time to stem the tide-to prevent the next wave of youth crime.But we must act now-by reinvesting in schools, recreation,job training,support for families,and mentoring.We must act now while this baby-boomerang generation is still young and impressionable,and will be impressed with what a teacher,a preacher,or some other authority figure has to say.If we wait until these children reach their teenage years and the next crime wave is upon us,it may be too late to do much about it.
The challenge for the future,therefore,is how best to deal with youth violence.Unfortunately,we are obsessed with quick and easy solutions that will not work,such as the wholesale transfer of juveniles to the jurisdiction of the adult court,parental responsibility laws,midnight curfews,the V-chip,boot camps,three strikes,even caning and capital punishment,at the expense of long-term and difficult solutions that will work,such as providing young children with strong,positive role models,quality schools,and recreation programs.
One of the most compelling easy solutions is the 'three strikes you're out' movement for repeat offenders that has swept across America,from Washington State,where it began,to Washington,D.C.,where our congressmen and congresswomen are eager to show their constituents that they can strike out the side on crime.