One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology”rather than experiencing the natural world.Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors,which will change the wild places of the world,its creatures and human health for the worse,unless adults get working on child’s play.

Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes,even if it was torn down.We cannot be the last generation to have that place.At this rate,kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes.“If the decline in parks use continues across North America,who will defend parks against encroachment(蚕食)？”asks Richard Louv,author of Last Child in the Woods.

Without having a nature experience,kids can turn out just fine,but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives.That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health,to stress levels,creativity and cognitive(认知的)skills.Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents—and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it:research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters(培养)leadership by the smartest,not by the toughest.Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child.The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world.A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes.We really need to value that more.

Kids are not to blame.They are over-protected and frightened.It is dangerous out there from time to time,but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite(仪式)of passage.

Everyone from developers,to schools and outdoors’ citizens,should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring,taking friendship in fields and woods that cement(增强)love,respect and need for the landscape.As parents,we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature.This could yet be our greatest cause.

1.The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that_______.

A.kids are missing the sense of wonder outdoors

B.parks are in danger of being gradually encroached

C.Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods

D.children are expected to develop into protectors of nature

2.According to the passage,children without experiencing nature will ______.

A.keep a high sense of wonder

B.be over-protected by their parents

C.be less healthy both physically and mentally

D.change wild places and creatures for the better

3.According to the author,children’s breaking an arm is_______.

A.the fault on the part of their parents

B.the natural experience in their growing up

C.the result of their own carelessness in play

D.the effect of their repetitive stress from computers

4.In writing this passage,the author mainly intends to_______.

A.blame children for getting lost in computer games

B.encourage children to protect parks from encroachment

C.show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature

D.inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around

 

When it comes to President Obama, most of his personal business is already known by the public. Personal information about his children, Malia and Sasha, however, has been kept a little more under wraps.

The New York Times recently released a list of rules that Michelle Obama has mentioned over the years that Malia and Sasha must follow during their time in the White House, as well as in general. See how the first family educates their children:

The girls must write reports about what they’ve seen on their trips, even if it’s not required by their school.

Malia may use her cell phone only on the weekends, and she and her sister cannot watch television or use a computer for anything but homework during the week.

Malia and Sasha have to play two sports: one they choose and one selected by their mother.

Malia must learn to do laundry(洗衣服) before she leaves for college.

The girls have to eat their vegetables, and if they say they are not hungry, they cannot ask for cookies or chips later.

While these might be shocking to some, Michelle said, “They’re not little princess. It’s just basic rules, boundaries, and expectations that we would have normally.”

Michelle also mentions another set of rules:

The girls must do their chores(家务), though the White House has a large staff. Malia and Sasha have chores of their own.

They must play a team sport, because it’s about learning how to play on a team, how to lose and how to win gracefully.

…

It sounds like Michelle and Barack want the best for their kids and to make them as well-rounded as possible. What are your thoughts on the Obama family rules?  

1.What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The first family daily life.                  B．The first family rules.

C．How to be good parents.                  D．How to be good students.

2.What do the underlined words “under wraps” probably mean?

A．Attractive.         B．Calm.             C．Secret.           D．Public

3.What has to be followed after the girls’ every trip?

A．Emails.            B．Photos.           C．Homework.        D．Reports.

4.Which of the following is the exception for the girls?

A．To use cell phone freely.                  B．To play two sports.

C．To learn to do laundry.                    D．To eat their vegetables.

5.Which of the following is NOT True according to the passage?

A．The girls have to obey the rules only when they live in the White House.

B．The girls must do their chores though there might be lots of help around.

C．The girls must play a team sport to gain team spirit by working together.

D．The parents want to make the girls grow healthily as common children.

 

How to Be Polite at a Dinner Party?

    It’s not polite to arrive at a dinner more than 15 to 20 minutes late. The host or hostess usually waits for all the   21   to arrive before serving the meal. If someone is late，the food may be spoiled(变味)，and   22   may the host or hostess’ spirits．If you have to be   23  ， call and tell them to start   24   you．

    It’s even worse to be early! The host or hostess will probably not be   25   ．If you are early，drive or walk around the block a few times，or just sit in your car until the right time．

    Though it’s often   26   to arrive at a party on time，on the other hand，the host or hostess   27   guests to arrive and leave between certain times，so you can   28   at any time between the times he or she gives you．

    It’s nice to bring an empty stomach，but it’s even nicer to bring   29   present．The present should not cost a lot，or you might make the host or hostess   30   ．Flowers，wine，or a box of candy will be fine．  31   bring money as a present．In an introduction，the  32   of a name is：(1)the given name；(2)the family name．In other   33  ，the given name comes   34  . It’s important not only to learn and remember   35   ，but to repeat them often in conversation．After the introduction，we usually call friends by their   36   names．Older people may want you to call them by their titles and family names，such as “Mrs. Smith”，“Mr. Johnosn”，“Dr .Brown”.

A maiden(闺女)name is a   37  family name at birth. In the United States and Canada，after a woman    38   ，she takes the family name of her   39  in place of her maiden name．It is now becoming common，however，for women to  40   their maiden names after they get married,

1..A．guests           B. visitors      C. customs      D. passengers

2..A．or               B. so            C. but         D. yet

3..A．tired        B. hungry       C. 1ate         D. early

4..A．without       B. for          C. with        D. after

5..A．awake        B. ready        C. up           D. friendly

6..A．useless       B. impossible   C. unable       D. important

7.．A．forces       B. invites      C. begs         D. orders

8..A．play          B. fly          C. arrive       D. start

9..A．a big        B. a small      C. a good       D. an expensive

10..A．pleased      B. satisfied    C. interested       D. uneasy

11..A．Never            B. Always      C. Do           D. Be sure to

12..A．spelling    B. calling      C. order    D. pronunciation

13..A．words            B. 1etters      C. idioms       D. sentences

14..A．1ast        B. first        C. finally     D. in the middle

15..A．expressions      B. appearances  C. names        D. addresses

16..A．given            B. family       C. middle       D. pen

17..A．gentleman’s     B. boy’s       C. woman’s     D. man’s

18..A．works        B. marries      C. bears       D. dies

19..A．husband      B. mother       C. father       D. sister

20..A.  stop           B. give up      C. keep         D. find

 

 

As a professor at a large American university,there is a phrase that I hear often from students:“I’m only a 1050.”The unlucky students are speaking of the score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT),which is used to determine whether they will be admitted to the college or university of their choice,or even if they have a chance to get a higher education at all.The SAT score,whether it is 800,1100 or 1550,has become the focus at this time of their life.

It is obvious that if students value highly their test scores,then a great amount of their self-respect is put in the number.Students who perform poorly on the exam are left feeling that it is all over.The low test score,they think,will make it impossible for them to get into a good college.And without a degree from a prestigious university,they fear that many of life’s doors will remain forever closed.

According to a study done in the 1990s,the SAT is only a reliable indicator of a student’s future performance in most cases.Interestingly,it becomes much more accurate when it is set together with other indicators-like a student’s high school grades.Even if standardized tests like the SAT could show a student’s academic proficiency(学业水平)，they will never be able to test things like confidence,efforts and willpower,and are unable to give us the full picture of a student’s potentialities(潜力).This is not to suggest that we should stop using SAT scores in our college admission process.The SAT is an excellent test in many ways,and the score is still a useful means of testing students.However,it should be only one of many methods used.

1.The purpose of the SAT is to test students’ ______.

A.strong will

B.academic ability

C.full potentialities

D.confidence in school work

2.Students’ self-respect is influenced by their ______.

A.scores in the SAT

B.achievements in mathematics

C.job opportunities

D.money spent on education

3.“A prestigious university” is most probably ______.

A.a famous university

B.a technical university

C.a traditional university

D.an expensive university

4.This passage is mainly about ______.

A.how to prepare for the SAT

B.stress caused by the SAT

C.American higher education

D.the SAT and its effects

 

I’ve changed my mind. “ I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to father for Christmas written after his schoolteacher’s father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched everyone’s heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.

But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father there too, either in your mind and heart. I find that my parents, who died years ago, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all my mother said was “ I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.

It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors, and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, one to give me pause.

I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog.” Yet I know the death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.

1.. According to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ________.

A．puts forward the subject of the text.

B．shows the author’s pity on the kid.

C．acts as an introduction to the discussion.

D．makes a clear statement of the author’ views

2.. In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us _______.

A．how much he misses his parents now

B．why his parents often appear in his dream

C．when Lucien will get over all his sadness

D．how proud he was when he succeeded in life

3.. What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?

A．Proud

B．Happy

C．Disappointed

D．Worried

4. In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is ________.

A．to leave a precious memory to the people related

B．to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

C．to care what others will remember and treasure

D．to share happiness and sadness with his family

5.. What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?

A．Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

B．Advise parents stay with their children safely at home.

C．Spend every day meaningfully in memory of the death.

D．Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.