An Australian researcher is urging parents to load up their teenager’s backpack and make them walk to school.
Professor Leon Straker says students who walk or cycle to school are less likely to have back and neck pain. But the study of 1,202 Western Australian 14­year­old found that 72% of students travelled to school by car or bus. Straker says the study suggests walking or cycling while carrying a schoolbag helps improve trunk (軀干) and spinal (脊柱的) muscle strength.
This helps reduce back pain because greater muscle strength improves support for the back during load carrying .Despite advocating that parents get their children moving，Straker warns bag load should not exceed (超過) 15% of body weight.
Straker says the study also stresses that neck pain is as common as back pain among young teenagers. This is an area that has been largely ignored，he says，but can be an important indicator of neck pain into adulthood.
For the study，students were asked a series of questions such as how long they carried their bags for，how they carried their schoolbags，the method of travel，and their perceptions(感覺) about the bag’s weight.
Straker says about half of all participants experienced back and neck pain，with slightly more females reporting neck pain. However，the gender (性別) difference may also be due to the fact that females have lower pain tolerance.
Studies from the 1980s found carrying a bag over one shoulder was most common among teenagers. However in this study 85% of participants carried their bag over both shoulders.
Straker believes the change has been driven partly through education campaigns，but also by increasing fashion status of backpacks and improved design.
【小題1】In the opinion of Leon Straker，parents should________.

An Australian researcher is urging parents to load up their teenager’s backpack and make them walk to school.

Professor Leon Straker says students who walk or cycle to school are less likely to have back and neck pain. But the study of 1,202 Western Australian 14­year­old found that 72% of students travelled to school by car or bus. Straker says the study suggests walking or cycling while carrying a schoolbag helps improve trunk (軀干) and spinal (脊柱的) muscle strength.

This helps reduce back pain because greater muscle strength improves support for the back during load carrying .Despite advocating that parents get their children moving，Straker warns bag load should not exceed (超過) 15% of body weight.

Straker says the study also stresses that neck pain is as common as back pain among young teenagers. This is an area that has been largely ignored，he says，but can be an important indicator of neck pain into adulthood.

For the study，students were asked a series of questions such as how long they carried their bags for，how they carried their schoolbags，the method of travel，and their perceptions(感覺) about the bag’s weight.

Straker says about half of all participants experienced back and neck pain，with slightly more females reporting neck pain. However，the gender (性別) difference may also be due to the fact that females have lower pain tolerance.

Studies from the 1980s found carrying a bag over one shoulder was most common among teenagers. However in this study 85% of participants carried their bag over both shoulders.

Straker believes the change has been driven partly through education campaigns，but also by increasing fashion status of backpacks and improved design.

1.In the opinion of Leon Straker，parents should________.

A．reduce the load of their children’s schoolbags

B．put more books in their children’s schoolbags

C．get their children’s schoolbags ready for school

D．a(chǎn)sk their children to walk to school carrying schoolbags

2.If a child weighs 40 kilograms，the weight of his schoolbag should be________.

A．no more than 15 kg

B．less than 6 kg

C．a(chǎn)s heavy as 9 kg

D．more than 6 kg

3.We can learn from the passage that________.

A．most of the students in Australia walk to school

B．neck pain is uncommon among young teenagers

C．walking while carrying a backpack helps reduce back pain

D．males are more likely to experience back pain than females

4.According to the passage，what change has taken place since the 1980s?

A．How students carry their schoolbags.

B．How heavy students’ schoolbags are.

C．How students go to school every day.

D．How long students carry their schoolbags for.

An Australian researcher is urging parents to load up their teenager’s backpack and make them walk to school.

Professor Leon Straker says students who walk or cycle to school are less likely to have back and neck pain. But the study of 1,202 Western Australian 14?year?old found that 72% of students travelled to school by car or bus. Straker says the study suggests walking or cycling while carrying a schoolbag helps improve trunk (軀干) and spinal (脊柱的) muscle strength.
This helps reduce back pain because greater muscle strength improves support for the back during load carrying .Despite advocating that parents get their children moving，Straker warns bag load should not exceed (超過) 15% of body weight.
Straker says the study also stresses that neck pain is as common as back pain among young teenagers. This is an area that has been largely ignored，he says，but can be an important indicator of neck pain into adulthood.
For the study，students were asked a series of questions such as how long they carried their bags for，how they carried their schoolbags，the method of travel，and their perceptions(感覺) about the bag’s weight.
Straker says about half of all participants experienced back and neck pain，with slightly more females reporting neck pain. However，the gender (性別) difference may also be due to the fact that females have lower pain tolerance.
Studies from the 1980s found carrying a bag over one shoulder was most common among teenagers. However in this study 85% of participants carried their bag over both shoulders.
Straker believes the change has been driven partly through education campaigns，but also by increasing fashion status of backpacks and improved design

1. 1.

   In the opinion of Leon Straker，parents should________

   1. A.
      reduce the load of their children’s schoolbags
   2. B.
      put more books in their children’s schoolbags
   3. C.
      get their children’s schoolbags ready for school
   4. D.
      ask their children to walk to school carrying schoolbags
2. 2.

   If a child weighs 40 kilograms，the weight of his schoolbag should be________

   1. A.
      no more than 15 kg
   2. B.
      less than 6 kg
   3. C.
      as heavy as 9 kg
   4. D.
      more than 6 kg
3. 3.

   We can learn from the passage that________

   1. A.
      most of the students in Australia walk to school
   2. B.
      neck pain is uncommon among young teenagers
   3. C.
      walking while carrying a backpack helps reduce back pain
   4. D.
      males are more likely to experience back pain than females
4. 4.

   According to the passage，what change has taken place since the 1980s?

   1. A.
      How students carry their schoolbags
   2. B.
      How heavy students’ schoolbags are
   3. C.
      How students go to school every day
   4. D.
      How long students carry their schoolbags for

Natural ways of keeping time

In ancient times, people had to use the sun and the moon to tell time. They got up when the sun came up and worked in the fields until the sun went down.

Man-made things

The sand clock is made of two glass balls joined by a narrow neck. The top ball was filled with sand. The sand slowly moved through the neck into the bottom ball. People knew how much time had passed when all the sand had fallen to the bottom ball.

People also made the water clock. They made a small hole near the bottom of a pot. Then they filled the pot with water. Markings inside the pot showed how much time passed as the water dripped (滴) out of the hole.

Nature’s Clocks in Living Things

◆Animals’ Body Clock

Animals do not need clocks to know time. They have a way of telling time by their bodies. Birds know when to fly to warmer places before winter. Some animals know when to keep more food for the cold winter months. Some fish know when it is time to move up the river and lay eggs.

◆Plants have their own clocks

Plants also have their own clocks to keep time. Plants know when to open flow­ers or when to drop their leaves.

◆The Body Clock in Human Beings

People also have their own body clocks. When we get used to our lives, our body clocks can be very accurate (準(zhǔn)確的). It can tell us when it is time to wake up. It can also tell us when to eat or to go to sleep.

1.How could an ancient farmer know when to go back home in the daytime?

A. By looking at the moon.              B. By looking at the stars.

C. By looking at the sun.                D. By feeling whether tired or not.

2. How many kinds of living things with nature’s clocks are mentioned here?

A. 2.           B. 3.             C. 5          D. 6.

3.From the passage, we know what man-made things have in common is that_______.

A. both of them have a hole.                               B. both of them are designed with glass balls.

C. both of them can be used only once.           D. both of them tell time in the same way

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack(裂縫) in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
This went on daily. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. Of course, the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”
“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back. And you do no get full value for your efforts” the pot explained.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
As they went up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it a little.
The bearer said, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” That is because I have known about you, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walked back from the stream, you have watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
【小題1】Why did the cracked pot feel ashamed?