阅读理解

    For those who are tired doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app(application).

    Strange though it may seem — “my wife already does that” was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week — Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install (安装) a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them “smart”.

    Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it's Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad.

    The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owners are at work or on the bus.

    Samsung says it's not just something new — the app connection actually has some practical uses.

     “If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go,” said spokesperson Amy Schmidt.

    The company also says that with electricity rate(电价)varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money.

    Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do —enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV.

    This could be Micah Fitz, first spring without football practices. The 14-year-old has been playing since he was 3, but because he's home-schooled, he can't try out for the local team at Patriot High School in Prince William County, Virginia.

    “I can't play this half of the year and my friends are going to be playing five or six times a week,” he said. “They're going to be getting better and stronger playing with kids that are good.”

Micah and his family—along with many other home-schooling families across Virginia—are hoping the Virginia General Assemble will approve a bill this year that would allow kids like him to try out for sports on public school athletic teams. The bill, called the “Tebow bill”, is named after football player Tim Tebow, who was home-schooled but was allowed to play on a high school team before going to the University of Florida, where he led his team to two national championships.

    Many major statewide education organizations said the bill wouldn't be fair to public school students. Ken Tilley, the executive director of the Virginia High School League, said the bill would violate two of the league's most long-standing standards for qualification: enrollment (注册入学) and academic standing.

    Home-school advocates argue that they are required by the law to document academic progress. But many opponents say students always have the option of attending public high school. That might be what Sydney Bowman, a 12-year-old from Luchetts, will do to keep wrestling, although she would prefer to continue to be taught at home. In her case, girls' wrestling teams are rare enough that there aren't many options other than public school.

    But Micah' mom, Terri Fits, a former public school teacher, said that although they support the local schools and love to cheer on the teams, they like the flexibility of home-schooling.

    Today's post is almost about signs in English. You will see signs on the road while driving or when walking down a street. Now let's take a closer look at the signs in the picture below, so you can fully understand what they mean in case you come across one of them.

    Starting with the top row, we have a:

    Yield sign—This sign indicates (标示) that you need to slow down ,but you may not have to come to a full stop.

    Crosswalk—This is a sign that indicates people have the right of way to cross the street, so cars have to stop when they see a person waiting next to one of these signs.

    Second row:

    Do not enter—This sign indicates you are not allowed to enter a road at that point.

    Buckle up(系好安全带)!— There are often signs on roads in the United States reminding people that wearing seat belts(安全带) is mandatory (强制的) (seat belt laws differ depending on what state you are in ,but all US states have seat belt laws).

    Third row:

    Be alert (警惕的) for bears—This is another sign that is used to indicate to drivers and pedestrians (行人) that they should be alert for wildlife in the area.

Playground—This is the sign used to alert drivers that there is a playground nearby, so it is a good idea to slow down and watch for children.

    A fourth-grade teacher allowed one of her students to shave her head in the schoolyard, after bullies（仗势欺人者）teased him about his own short buzz cut（短寸头发型）. Tori Nelson got the idea after noticing that Matthew Finney, a shy boy from her homeroom at Winlock Miller Elementary School in Washington state, was standing outside his classroom crying and wearing a winter hat.

    Ms. Nelson could see the back of his neck had been shaved, and since Matthew usually had very thick brown curly hair, she realized that he'd had a haircut over the weekend. She asked him what was wrong, and he said he'd gotten a buzz cut for the summer. But this morning, a fifth grader on the bus made fun of him, and he didn't want to come to class and get teased by other kids. Ms Nelson tried to convince Matthew to come inside, but since school rules prohibit kids from wearing hats indoors he refused – explaining that he was afraid of showing his haircut to the other children in case they also made fun of him.

    Finally I said: "If you take off your hat and come to class, I'll let you give me a buzz cut, too," 'Ms Nelson told Yahoo Parenting. I figured it's just hair, and mine is already short anyway. I might as well get it shorter in time for the warm weather.'

    Matthew excitedly took her up on the offer, and Ms Nelson and another teacher gathered all the fourth graders together during break time. A school employee brought in scissors, which Matthew used to the cheers of his classmates, excitedly watching as his teacher's hair fell away onto the ground in the schoolyard.

    'It was a lot of fun for the kids, and it helped Matthew feel better about himself,' said Ms Nelson.' You have to do what it takes to reach children. Teaching isn't just about reading and writing, it's about self-esteem and accepting differences.'

    Looking back on the first twenty years of my life, I feel grateful to have been so healthy and happy. For my happiness, I am grateful to so many people and lucky events, but what have guided me and supported me in my life are my physical health, healthy finances, and my family's happiness.

    Health comes first for me, because without health everything else is meaningless. Imagine starting a career without good health. Imagine starting a family without good health. Imagine achieving anything without good health. Clearly, good health is the first necessary for other part of one's life.

    Good health is not enough to be happy. We still need to have money in today's society. Money obviously pays for basic needs of life — food, housing, clothing — but it is also necessary for other reason like the quality of our education and medical care.

    Next comes the most important thing in having a happy life — our family. It provides the love, joy and support that everybody needs. I love my family with all my heart. I get pleasure from their pleasure. I suffer when they suffer. My family helped me get through the hard times of entrance exams. They comforted and advised me when I had misunderstanding with my friends. More importantly, they have been there to share in my successes in the past twenty years. In summary, all these are what I need and want in this world. As long as I stay healthy, earn enough money, and share both good times and bad times with my family, I will always be the happiest girl in the world.