Education of Students with Vision Impairments

    This is specially designed education for children who are either partially sighted or blind¹. Vision impairments are diagnosed by medical doctors who examine the physical structures in the eye and evaluate the child"s ability to see shapes of different sizes at various distances. In the United States, approximately 12 out of 1,000 children receive some form of special education because of visual impairments.

    Partially sighted children may use a variety of adaptive aids² to see more clearly and to read printed text. These aids include magnifiers, which may be attached to eyeglasses； electronic systems for enlarging print³ and making it easier to see； and large-print books. Blind children usually are taught to read Braille，a system of raised dots embossed on paper and read by touch.⁴ In the past, turning conventional books into pages of Braille was very time-consuming, and the large books required enormous storage areas.⁵ However, most Braille texts are now done electronically.⁶ Many students read paperless Braille with the aid of machines that mechanically raise the dots in a small panel as the reader progresses through the text. Because Braille cannot be read very rapidly， many blind students prefer to listen to books being read on tapes. Some students also use reading machines equipped with cameras that scan lines of print, which computers then convert to synthesized speech.⁷

    Many blind and partially sighted children receive orientation and mobility training⁸ as a part of their education. Specialists teach them how to travel independently in their schools and communities, often with an aid，such as a cane.

    Most children with vision impairments are educated in schools within their communities. Vision specialists may provide special materials and equipment, help teachers and classmates understand the children"s condition, and possibly provide additional instruction. The specialists may also teach partially sighted children how to use their remaining vision more effectively⁹ and instruct them in the use of adaptive aids.

    Some children with vision impairments attend special schools designed to meet their particular needs. Like boarding schools, these schools often provide residential services as well as educational programs.¹⁰ They also have specially designed facilities, which m^y not be found in neighborhood schools, for blind children to participate in athletics and other activities.

    The education of many children with vision impairments is further complicated by their having other disabilities, such as physical disabilities, developmental impairments, or hearing loss.¹¹ Education for those children might emphasize the development of language and communication，and personal, social, and vocational skills rather than academic skills.¹²

词汇：

impairment / ɪmˈpeəmənt/ n. 损伤 

facility / fəˈsɪləti/ n. （常用复数）设备，设施
community / kəˈmju:nəti / n. 社区，社会 

emboss  /ɪm"bɒs / vt.  使浮凸，使突出
magnifier / ˈmægnɪfaɪə(r) / n. 放大镜 

athletics / æθˈletɪks / n. 体育运动
cane / keɪn / n. 手杖，藤  

synthesize /"sɪnθəsaɪz / vt.  合成

Braille / breɪl/ n. 盲文

注释：

1.partially sighted or blind：半盲或全盲的
2.a variety of adaptive aids：各种各样可调节的辅助装置
3.electronic systems for enlarging print：能够放大印刷字体的电子设备。print —词在这里指的 是印刷出来的字；在下文large-print中意思也一样。
4.Blind children usually are taught to read Braille, a system of raised dots embossed on paper and read by touch.盲童通常学习阅读盲文，盲文是由在纸上浮突出来的小圆点构成的（文字）系 统，用手触摸着读。
5.In the past, turning conventional books into pages of Braille was very time-consuming, and the large books required enormous storage areas.把普通书籍转化成"^文在过去是很花时间的 事，保存大开本的书也要占很多地方。
6.However, most Braille texts are now done electronically.然而，现在大多数盲文文本是用电子手段转化而成的。
7.Some students also use reading machines equipped with cameras that scan lines of print, which computers then convert to synthesized speech. 些学生还使用阅读机，这种阅读机装有摄像 机来扫描印刷字体，然后电脑再把它们转化成电子合成的声音。equip sth. with...:用某 物来装备……
8.orientation and mobility training ：方向和移动训练
9.to use their remaining vision more effectively ：更有效地运用他/[门微I号的视力。remaining 的 意思是“剩下的，余下的”。
10. Like boarding schools, these schools often provide residential services as well as educational programs.同寄宿学校一样，这些学校除了教学课程以外还癍供各种住宿设施Q as well as作 为介词短语意思是“除了……以外（也），和”。
11.The education of many children with vision impairments is further complicated by their having other disabilities，such as physical disabilities，developmental impairments，or hearing loss.)(才 许多视力损伤的儿童的教育由于他们还患有其他伤残而变得愈加复杂化，如身体残疾、发 育不良、听力下降等。
12.Education for those children might emphasize the development of language and communication, and personal, social, and vocational skills rather than academic skills.)(才这样的JL童的教育也许要强调语言和交流能力以及个人、社会和职业技能的培养，而不是强调学术能力。

"Orientation and mobility training" is meant to teach blind and partially sighted children____

A:how to complete their education B:how to use a cane C:how to move around without other people"s help D:how to help other people to travel independently

The Family

    The structure of a family takes different forms around the world and even in the same society. The family"s form changes as it adapts to changing social and economic influences. Until recently, the most common form in North America was the nuclear family，consisting of a married couple with their minor children. The nuclear family is an independent unit. It must be prepared to fend for itself. ¹ Individual family members strongly depend on one another. There is little help from outside the family in emergencies. Elderly relatives of a nuclear family are cared for only if it is possible for the family to do so. In North America，the elderly often do not live with the family ; they live in retirement communities and nursing homes. ²  

    There are many parallels between the nuclear family in industrial societies，such as North America，and of families in societies such as that of the Inuits，who live in harsh environments. The nuclear family structure is well adapted to a life of mobility. In harsh conditions，mobility allows the family to hunt for food. ³ For North Americans，the hunt for jobs and improved social status also requires mobility.

    The nuclear family was not always the North American standard. In a more agrarian time，the small nuclear family was usually part of a larger extended family. This might have included grandparents，mother and father，brothers and sisters，uncles，aunts，and cousins. In North America today，there is a dramatic rise in the number of single-parent households. Twice as many households in the United States are headed by divorced，separated，or never-married individuals as are comprised of nuclear families. The structure of the family，not just in North America, but throughout the world，continues to change as it adapts to changing conditions.

 

词汇:

nuclear [ˈnju:kliə(r)] adj. 原子核的，中心的

harsh [hɑ:ʃ] n. 严酷的

emergency [ɪ"mɜ:dʒənsɪ] n. 紧急状况

agrarian [əˈgreəriən] adj. 土地的，耕地的

 

注释:

1. lt must be prepared to fend for itself. 它必须能够照料自己。

2. In North America，the elderly often do not live with the family; they live in retirement communities and nursing homes. 在北美洲，老人很少和家人一起生活;他们一般住在退休社

区和养老机构。

3. In harsh conditions，mobility allows the family to hunt for food. :在恶劣的条件下，流动性能让一个家庭吃饱饭。

 

The word mobility means_____.

A:money B:readiness to move C:organization D:skill

Text 2
People in the United States in the nineteenth century were haunted by the prospect that unprecedented change in the nation’s economy would bring social chaos. In the years following 1820, after several decades of relative stability, the economy entered a periodof sustained and extremely rapid growth that continued to the end of the nineteenth century. Accompanying that growth was a structural change that featured increasing economic diversification and a gradual shift in the nation’s labor force from agriculture to manufacturing and other nonagricultura pursuits
Although the birth rate continued to, decline from its high level of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the population roughly doubled every generation during the rest of the nineteenth century. As the population grew, its makeup also changed. Massive waves of immigration brought new ethnic groups into the country. Geographic and social mobility -- downward as well as upward -- touched almost everyone. Local studies indicate that nearly three- quarters of the population in the North and South, in the emerging cities of the Northeast, and in the restless rural counties of the West changed their residence each decade. As a consequence, historian David Donald has written, "Social atomization affected every segment of society", and it seemed to many people that "all the recognized values of orderly civilization were gradually being eroded."
Rapid industrialization and increased geographic mobility in the nineteenth century had special implications for women because these changes tended to magnify social distinctions. As the roles men and women played in society became more rigidly defined, so did the roles they played in the home. In the context of extreme competitiveness and dizzying social change, the household lost many of its earlier functions and the home came to serve as a haven of tranquillity and order. As the size of families decreased, the roles of husband and wife became more clearly differentiated than ever before. In the middle class especially, men participated in the productive economy while women ruled the home and served as the custodians of civility and culture. The intimacy of marriage that was common in earlier periods was rent, and a gulf that at times seemed unbridgeable was created between husbands and wives.

Which of the following is not mentioned as an example of the social changes occurring in the United States after 1821)（）

A:Increased social mobility B:Increased immigration C:Significant movement of population D:Strong emphasis on traditional social values

Americans usually consider themselves a friendly people. Their friendships, however, tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures. It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their life-time, and consider other "friends" to be just social acquaintances. This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans do not like to be dependent on other people. They tend to "compartmentalize" friendships, having "friends at work" ,"friends on the softball team", "family friends", etc.
Because the United States is a highly active society, full of movement and change, people always seem to be on the go. In this highly charged atmosphere, Americans can sometimes seem brusque or impatient. They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else. Sometimes, early on, they will ask you questions that you may feel are very personal. No insult is intended; the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity, and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter. And the same goes for you. If you do not understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them, do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves. Americans are usually eager to explain all about their country or anything "American" in which you may be interested. So much so in fact that you may become tired of listening. It doesn’t matter, because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation. They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores, for example, than deal with silence.
On the other hand, don’t expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs, unless those subjects directly involve the United States. Because the United States is not surrounded by many other nations, some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.
The phrase "highly charged" (Paragraph 2) most probably means______.

A:extremely free B:highly responsible C:very cheerful D:full of mobility and change

Scattered around the globe are more than 100 small regions of isolated volcanic activity known to geologists as hot spots. Unlike most of the world’’s volcanoes, they are not always found at the boundaries of the great drifting plates that make up the earth’’s surface; on the contrary, many of them lie deep in the interior of a plate. Most of the hot spots move only slowly, and in some cases the movement of the plates past them has left trails of dead volcanoes. The hot spots and their volcanic trails are milestones that mark the passage of the plates. 　　That the plates are moving is now beyond dispute. Africa and South America, for example, are moving away from each other as new material is injected into the seafloor between them. The complementary coastlines and certain geological features that seem to span the ocean are reminders of where the two continents were once joined. The relative motion of the plates carrying these continents has been constructed in detail, but the motion of one plate with respect to another cannot readily be translated into motion with respect to the earth’’s interior. It is not possible to determine whether both continents are moving in opposite directions or whether one continent is stationary and the other is drifting away from it. Hot spots, anchored in the deeper layers of the earth, provide the measuring instruments needed to resolve the question. From an analysis of the hot-spot population it appears that the African plate is stationary and that it has not moved during the past 30 million years. 　　The significance of hot spots is not confined to their role as a frame of reference. It now appears that they also have an important influence on the geophysical processes that propel the plates across the globe. When a continental plate comes to rest over a hot spot, the material rising from deeper layers creates a broad dome. As the dome grows, it develops deep fissures (cracks) : in at least a few cases the continent may break entirely along some of these fissures, so that the hot spot initiates the formation of new ocean. Thus just as earlier theories have explained the mobility of the continents, so hot spots may explain their mutability( inconstancy ). The hot-spot theory may prove useful in explaining ____________.

A:the structure of the African plates B:the revival of dead volcanoes C:the mobility of the continents D:the formation of new oceans

Text 2

The phrase "highly charged" (Paragraph 2) most probably means______.

A:extremely free B:highly responsible C:very cheerful D:full of mobility and change

Visual impairment (损害) carries with it a reduced or restricted ability to travel through one’s physical and social environment until adequate orientation and mobility skills have been established. Because observational skills are more limited, self-control within the immediate surroundings is limited. The visual impaired person is less able to anticipate hazardous situations or obstacles to avoid.
Orientation refers to the mental map .one has of one’s surroundings and to the relationship between self and that environment. The mental map is the best generated by moving through the environment and piecing together relationships, object by object, in an organized approach. With little of no visual feedback to reinforce this mental map, a visually impaired person must rely on memory for key landmarks and other clues. Landmarks and clues enable visually impaired person to affirm their position in space.
Mobility, on the other hand, is the ability to travel safely and efficiently from one point to another within one’s physical and social environment. Good orientation skills are necessary to good mobility skills. Once visually impaired students learn to travel safely as pedestrians (行人) they also need to learn to use public transportation to become as independent as possible.
To meet the expanding needs and demands of the visually impaired person, there is a sequence of instruction that begins during the preschool years and may continue after high school. Many visually impaired children lack adequate concepts regarding time and space or objects and events in their environment. During the early years much attention is focused on the development of some fundamental concepts, such as inside or outside, in front of or behind, fast or slow, movement of traffic, the variety of intersections, elevators or escalators, and so forth. These concepts are essential to safe, efficient travel through familiar and unfamiliar settings, first within buildings, then in residential neighborhoods, and finally in business communities.
What is the author mainly talking about in the passage______

A:Visual impairment and memory. B:The visually impaired person’s physical and social environment. C:Mental development of the visually impaired person. D:Orientation and mobility of the visually impaired person.

Visual impairment (损害) carries with it a reduced or restricted ability to travel through one’s physical and social environment until adequate orientation and mobility skills have been established. Because observational skills are more limited, self-control within the immediate surroundings is limited. The visual impaired person is less able to anticipate hazardous situations or obstacles to avoid.
Orientation refers to the mental map .one has of one’s surroundings and to the relationship between self and that environment. The mental map is the best generated by moving through the environment and piecing together relationships, object by object, in an organized approach. With little of no visual feedback to reinforce this mental map, a visually impaired person must rely on memory for key landmarks and other clues. Landmarks and clues enable visually impaired person to affirm their position in space.
Mobility, on the other hand, is the ability to travel safely and efficiently from one point to another within one’s physical and social environment. Good orientation skills are necessary to good mobility skills. Once visually impaired students learn to travel safely as pedestrians (行人) they also need to learn to use public transportation to become as independent as possible.
To meet the expanding needs and demands of the visually impaired person, there is a sequence of instruction that begins during the preschool years and may continue after high school. Many visually impaired children lack adequate concepts regarding time and space or objects and events in their environment. During the early years much attention is focused on the development of some fundamental concepts, such as inside or outside, in front of or behind, fast or slow, movement of traffic, the variety of intersections, elevators or escalators, and so forth. These concepts are essential to safe, efficient travel through familiar and unfamiliar settings, first within buildings, then in residential neighborhoods, and finally in business communities.
In the passage, the author insists that ______

A:visually impaired children go to school for survival B:the needs and demands of visually impaired children expand C:visually impaired children acquire the fundamental concepts for safe mobility D:preschool children receive the instruction in the concepts of time and space or objects and events