Do you enjoy seeing the stars twinkling at night? Or do you love the ocean and sea, diving and racing with lovely dolphins? With heavy burdens on their shoulders, teenagers find it hard to pull out. Even if they are free, they prefer to occupy themselves with computer games or watching TV. How to get children away from screens is a great concern for parents. Now there is some good news for those concerned parents and teachers.
A campaign is being launched to encourage children to surrender 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.
The newly formed Wild Network, a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations, is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screens and into fields, woods and parks.
Organizers say it is the UK's biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general well-being.
A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will herald the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasingly fragile link between children and nature.
Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS Sustainable Development Unit.
Andy Simpson, chairman of Wild Network, said, “The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation.”Time spent outdoors is down, roaming ranges have fallen drastically, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost.
Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers(七叶树果实), camping, snail racing, and observing autumn colours on trees.
From January, the network will aim to make suggestions to politicians on how government can do more to_get_children_muddy_and_bright-eyed.
This is not the first time the message of fewer screens, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were entreated to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don't You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to “switch off your TV set, and go to do something less boring instead”.
5.What is the main purpose of the campaign in the UK?
A.To save 30 minutes for watching TV programmes each day.
B.To encourage children to play outdoors.
C.To see the documentary film Project Wild Thing.
D.To teach students how to learn more efficiently in schools.
6.According to the organizers of Wild Network, there will be many advantages from the campaign EXCEPT ________.
A.improving health conditions
B.keeping touch with nature
C.learning more about wildlife
D.teaching children how to make full use of their spare time
7.The underlined part “to get children muddy and bright-eyed” in Paragraph 9 means “________ ”.
A.to make children covered with mud
B.to urge politicians to do more things for children
C.to encourage children to take part in outdoor activities
D.to help children identify common species
8.Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
A.A new campaign
B.Fewer screens, more play outdoors
C.A newly formed Wild Network
D.Children get to know wild things
【文章大意】 本文是一篇新闻报道。英国正在发起一项活动，鼓励孩子们每天减少上网时间而去参加户外活动。
5.B 细节理解题。根据第二段“A campaign is being launched to encourage children to surrender 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.”可知，此次活动的目的是鼓励孩子们参加户外活动，故B项正确。
6.D 细节理解题。根据第四段的“…it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general well-being.”可知A项正确;根据第七段的“‘The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation.’Time spent outdoors is down, roaming ranges have fallen drastically, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost.”可知B、C正确，故选择D项。
7.C 句意猜测题。muddy意为“沾上泥巴的”。根据上下文可知画线部分意为“让孩子们去参加户外活动”。
8.B 主旨大意题。A项过于宽泛，C、D都是细节，不能概括主题，故B项“远离屏幕，多参加户外活动”最为贴切。
