A (2020•芜湖模拟)
When 12 girls from San Fernando high school in California received a grant (助学金) to develop an invention to solve a real-world problem, they decided to create a solar-powered shelter. Now for over a year, the girls have been working after school and over the winter and spring breaks to complete their project. “They have this amazing drive that I’ve never seen before, ” said Violet Mardirosian, a math teacher at San Fernando High. “I thought at the beginning that maybe some of them would give up, saying ‘I didn’t expect this much work, ’ but they don’t. They’re just working hard and they’re not giving up. ”
Living in a low-income community (社区), the girls have seen the problem of homelessness first-hand, which is why they chose that population to create a product for. Many of them are also from immigrant families and hope the solar-powered shelter might help refugees(难民).
Seventeen-year-old Maggie Mejia said that while she had no engineering experience, the girls figured out as a team how to create the prototype (雏形), using how-to videos and books that taught them how to code. But the most important lesson she’s learned over the course of the project isn’t technical. “I’ve learned a lot about helping others, helping the community and showing a better world to other people, ” she said.
The girls have been invited to MIT to show their invention. Mardirosian says all the participating students have expressed interest in going into STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields and that students from lower grades are already expressing interest in being involved next year. She says, “Many of them didn’t think about engineering before. They thought maybe they’re not made out to be an engineer. But working together, now they realize they’re all needed in this field. Everyone has found their importance in this picture. ”
【文章大意】12个来自San Fernando的女孩利用助学金为那些社会底层的人们发明太阳能房子。共同合作之中她们不仅学到了很多关于工程建设的知识, 也体验到帮助他人的快乐, 影响了更多的人投入到这样的善举之中。
1. Why did Mardirosian think some girls would quit the project?
A. It was not practical in real life.
B. It demanded a lot of time and energy.
C. It was not supported by their math teacher.
D. It required a lot of money and expert knowledge.
【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据第一段中Mardirosian 的话“I didn’t expect this much work”可知这个数学老师认为一些女孩子没想到这项发明会有这么大的工作量, 故选B项。
2. Why did the girls decide to create a solar-powered shelter?
A. To save energy.
B. To win a scholarship.
C. To help the homeless.
D. To be admitted to MIT.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第二段中the girls have seen the problem of homelessness first-hand, which is why they chose that population to create a product for可知是因为亲眼见到无家可归的这个问题后才选择这样做。故选C项。
3. According to Maggie, what is the most valuable lesson she has learned from the project?
A. How to code.
B. The power of teamwork.
C. The way to teach herself.
D. How to make the world a better place.
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第三段最后她的话可知她学到了如何帮助他人, 帮助社区, 让人们看到一个更好的世界。故选D项。
4. What does Mardirosian think of the project?
A. It taught girls to be independent.
B. It should be continued next year.
C. It inspired girls’ interest in STEM.
D. It showed the importance of engineering.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据第四段中的all the participating students have expressed interest in going into STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields and that students from lower grades are already expressing interest in being involved next year可知这个项目使参与者对STEM很感兴趣。故选C项。
【知识拓展】佳词积累
1. solar-powered adj. 太阳能驱动的
2. immigrant n. 移民
3. code v. 编码; 编程序
4. picture n. 状况, 事态
