Third-Culture Kids

    Did you grow up in one culture, your parents came from another, and you are now living in a totally different country? If so, then you are a third-culture kid!

    The term “third-culture kid” (or TCK) was coined in the 1960s by Dr. Ruth. She first came across this phenomenon when she researched North American children living in India. Caught between two cultures, they form their very own.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} About 90 percent of them have a university degree, while 40 percent pursue a postgraduate or doctor degree. They usually benefit from their intercultural experience, which helps them to grow into successful academics and professionals.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In fact many hardships may arise from this phenomenon. A third-culture kid may not be able to adapt themselves completely to their new surroundings as expected. Instead, they may always remain an outsider in different host cultures. Max, for example, experienced this fundamental feeling of strangeness throughout his life as a third-culture kid.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} While this can be a way to create a network of friends all around the world, it can be difficult for a third-culture kid like Max to maintain close friendships and relationships.

    For a third-culture kid, it is often easier to move to a new foreign country than to return to their “home” country. After living in Australia and South Korea for many years, Louis finally returned to Turkey as a teenager. But she felt out of place when she returned to the country where she was born. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She did not share the same values as her friends' even years after going back home.

    While a third-culture kid must let go of their identity as foreigner when he/she returns, the home country can prove to be more foreign than anything he/she came across before. The peer group they face does not match the idealized image children have of “home”.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    As a part of the growing “culture”, TCKs may find it a great challenge for them to feel at home in many places.

A. Yet being a third-culture kid is not always easy.

B. In general, they often reach excellent academic results.

C. This often makes it hard for them to form their own identity.

D. However, their parents can help them see the opportunities of a mobile lifestyle.

E. Their experience abroad helps them to gain a better understanding of cultural differences.

F. Unlike other teens of her age, she didn't know anything about current TV shows or fashion trends.

G. Additionally, making new friends and saying goodbye to old ones will at some point become routine for a third-culture kid.

    When it comes to the Internet, passwords which people often use are under fire.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Research has shown that passwords are not a very good way to protect sensitive information.

    People would use some random characters, numbers and symbols. Furthermore, a unique password would be used for every site or application the user uses. Unfortunately, the more complex they become, the more people are likely to forget their passwords. The longer the passwords are, the more easily forgotten they are.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Google is trying to kill off the password on Android devices by introducing the Trust API, which does what simple passwords cannot. It gives developers a framework for securing their applications using a number of security systems and metrics (指标) on the device. A Trust Score will be generated based on the metrics the device gathers.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The Trust Score will be generated based on both metrics like your device location, face scanning, fingerprint and so on. Taken one at a time, these metrics are not secure. But taken together, these metrics will help define the real “you”.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This summer, Google will be running tests with some banks to see if Trust API meets their needs before rolling out to all developers later this year. It may take another year for apps and popular sites to start using the Trust API.

This is a pretty exciting change. Passwords have been around for long and although the security of systems has been improved, the convenience of systems hasn't been improved much.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Maybe that never-ending conflict between security and convenience will be able to take a break once the Trust system comes out.

A. Google appears to have the best of them.

B. Actually it's been under fire for a long time.

C. People tend to care more about its advantages.

D. Google has already been testing this on the real world.

E. Google has proved that the system is more convenient.

F. Therefore, they use the same password for each application.

G. It'll allow or refuse your application based on your trust score.

    In 2017, AlphaGo defeated Chinese player Ke Jie to become the world's No 1, ending thousands of years of human dominance（控制）in the game. AlphaGo is an artificial intelligence（AI）Go-playing program{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Artificial intelligence（AI）is usually defined as the science of marking computers do things that require intelligence when done by humans.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}These include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language-understanding.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}In fact we are increasingly depending. upon computer-based artificial intelligence. As Charlie Qrtiz said, head of AL at the Massachusetts-based software company Nuance Communication, “It has opened a window for us.”Smartphones, self-driving cars, intelligent robots，etc. are constantly coming into our life. According to a recent survey, half of the world's AI experts believe human level machine intelligence will be achieved by 2040. This will open up huge possibilities for the enrichment of mankind, from tackling climate change and treating disease to labour- saving devices.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Physicist Stephen Hawking last year warned that unless we take care, board games might be the least of it. “The development of full artificial intelligence could mean the end of the human race.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#}They believe AlphaGo's victory is a reminder of how fast the world is overcoming the obstacles in the way of AI, and its distribution in the world about us. Although there may yet be no evidence that computers will ever shake off their human masters, we should still treat these development with the humility and caution they deserve.

A. Other scientists have also expressed the concern.

B. Artificial intelligence has both advantages and disadvantages.

C. Defeating a human Go master is not the only thing AI can do.

D. Artificial intelligence will bring us disasters instead of benefits.

E. It was designed by an American Artificial intelligence company.

F. Not all experts hold the optimistic attitudes to the development of AI.

G. Research in AI has so far focused on some special fields of intelligence.

Study abroad

    Every year, thousands of students choose to study abroad for the summer, six months, a year or longer. Here are some things you need to know before you make such a decision.

Why do it?

    Living in another country will help you learn about the culture of another land. You will see the world in a new way. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many companies today want employees who speak a second language or who have experienced living or working in another country.  

Making the right choice.

    To choose the right country or school,  ask yourself these questions:  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do I want to live with a host family (寄宿家庭),  with roommates,  or alone?  How much do I want to pay?  

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Get your passport and visa (签证) early!  Before you go, learn as much of the language as you can, and read about the customs of your host country. Also, talk with people who have experienced studying abroad. Call the school to make sure someone can meet you when you get there.

    Once you are there.

    After the first few weeks it's usual to feel a little homesick. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Just be open to meeting new people and having new experiences. Remember that it takes time to get used to a new place with new customs. Talk to your new friends and write about your feelings. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

To Live Truly in Today

    Here are some suggestions on how we should truly live in today. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. If we're out in the town, then the shops and other people will surround us. If we're in our kitchen, then our kitchen appliances and the sunlight coming in through our window will surround us.

    Listen to those you meet. When we're with other people and they're talking, how often do we listen? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. We may be nodding, but our minds may be thinking of financial worries, or we may be waiting for the other person to finish their sentence so that we can jump straight in with what we have to say. None of this is true "listening". In order to truly listen to someone, we must be in the present. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Hang on every word, and give them the freedom to say what they wish without judgment. By truly listening, you remain in the present with each passing word.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Each day, we have a number of things that we need to do, or that we'd like to do, or simply that we could do. Focus on one day's work at a time, rather than a number of days at once. Find all that needs to be done on that day, and nothing else. If something can be put off, then do so and replace it with something else that is more urgent. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Focus on that, and nothing else.

A. Focus on what has to be done today.

B. To be aware of the past and the future.

C. We may even find ways to avoid it altogether.

D. Unfortunately, we don't seem to listen that much at all.

E. Once you know what work is the most urgent, then do it.

F. We must really hear what they have to say and not be distracted by our worries.

G. No matter where we find ourselves, we are always surrounded by our immediate environment.

How to Make Sure You Enjoy Your Trip

    A trip is a planned destination where one arranges in advance in which the main purpose is to search for adventure and to create a memorable moment. Here are the steps on how to make sure your trip is enjoyable.

    Plan it well. Trips are ideally planned for it to go well. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}A check list is helpful, making sure you've got all your needs.

    Pack necessities. Bring what you need. Trips are short journeys and belong to the sub-level of traveling. Pack only the things you need.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be safe. To be cautious is smart. No matter what you are up to, surfing, cliff diving, snowboarding, scuba diving...,it is always recommended to be safe.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Don't be stubborn and put yourself in harm when there are precautions.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You may see delays, a different culture, lifestyle, food, and even a shortage of cash sometimes-this is all what travel is about-experiencing things with a new perspective. Once you expect to experience new things, you'll be a happy traveler and free from stress.

    Save the memory. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}This is not one of those regular days so you ought to save the moment. It will make your trip more enjoyable after all that craziness; you get something to review the good times.

A. Travel with an open mind.

B. Get prepared for everything new.

C. This is all we expect from a trip.

D. Seize the moment by taking pictures.

E. It is important to wear protective equipment when advisable.

F. It is easy to get tired if you have too many things in your package.

G. Take your time, a day or a week ahead to make a plan for your trip.