Reading is the key to school success and, like any skill, it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practising until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. A great athlete practises until he can play quickly, accurately, without thinking. Tennis players call that ”being in the zone.” Educators call it “automaticity”.

   A child learns to read by sounding out the letters and decoding the words. With practice, he stumbles less and less, reading by the phrase. With automaticity, he doesn’t have to think about decoding the words, so he can concentrate on the meaning of the text.

   It can begin as early as first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois Schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found automatic readers in the first grade who were reading almost three times as fast as the other children and scoring twice as high on comprehension tests. At fifth grade, the automatic readers were reading twice as fast as the others, and still outscoring them on accuracy, comprehension and vocabulary.

   “It’s not I.Q. but the amount of time a child spends reading that is the key to automaticity,” according to Rossman. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will in all likelihood reach automaticity. At home, where the average child spends 25 hours a week watching television, it can happen by turning off the set just one night in favor of reading.

   You can test your child by giving him a paragraph or two to read aloud—something unfamiliar but appropriate to his age. If he reads aloud with expressions, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, he probably is an automatic reader. If he reads haltingly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, he needs more practice.

13．The first paragraph tells us            .

A．what automaticity is                    B．how accuracy is acquired

C．how a child learns to walk               D．how an athlete is trained

14．The Illinois study shows that the automatic reader’s high speed         .

A．costs him a lot of work            B．affects his comprehension

C．leads to his future success         D．doesn’t affect his comprehension

15．A bright child          .

A．also needs practice to be an automatic reader

B．always achieves great success in comprehension tests

C．becomes an automatic reader after learning how to read

D．is a born automatic reader

16．The main idea of the passage is           .

A．how to score high on comprehension tests

B．reading is the key to school success

C．how to test your child’s reading ability

D．automaticity is important for efficient reading

Jim Lehrer hosts The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS ( Public Broadcasting Service) and has written 18 novels, two memoirs (回忆录), and three plays. And in his spare time…

What He's Working On

Oh, Johnny (Random House, $ 25), his hovel about a young Marine in 1944. "On his way to war, Johnny met the most beautiful and wonderful girl he'd ever seen. It changed his life. "

Where He's Surfing

"I'm on the computer all day long for nay job, checking the telegraphs, reading the news, send the news eBay because I collect bus memorabilia (值得纪念的东西): toy buses, bus stop signs, and bus driver caps. I've bought quite a bit."

What He's Watching

"I love all the Mystery Series on PBS, including Poirot. My wife and I just love those people. I’m a huge fan of The Sopranos. These are serious stories about high school football in small-town Texas and the challenges these kids have. It's very exciting. "

What He t s Listening To

"I'm always amazed when people say they have 3,000 songs on their iPod, 1 like music, but it’s not a part of my life. 1 am always listening to books on tape, I'm about to begin American Lion, Jon Meacham’s biography (传记) of Andrew Jackson. "

What He's Reading

"At present, I am reading Home, which is set in small-town Iowa. Marilynn Robinson writes about the simple things that are the most complicated of all within the human spirit. Her characters are so alive and real. Not long ago, 1 just finished The Spies of Warsaw, Alan Furst's terrific novel set in pre-World WarⅡ."

60. What job does Jim Lehrer do?

A. A TV host.                 B. A novelist.          C. A reporter.          D. A play - writer.

61. Why does Jim Lehrer spend much time on Google?

A. To collect information for his novel.             B. To collect bus memorabilia.

C. To better carry out his job.                D. To read his favorite novels.

62. In his spare time, Jim Lehrer does all the following things EXCEPT ________.

A. surf eBay for his hobby                                B. watch exciting TV series

C. listen to music on his iPod                     D. work on his own novel

63. Which of the following books is based on a real person?

A. Oh, Johnny.      B. American Lion.         C. Home.         D. The Spies of Warsaw.

 

Researchers are placing robotic dogs（机器狗）in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated（应急的） ,”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”

In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.

“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”

The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled(行动不便的) and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes（免除） exercise and feeding concerns.

“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says，“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”

“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”

1. The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to        .

A．understand human-animal relationship

B．find the causes of old people’s loneliness

C．make lonely old people’s life better

D．promote the animal-assisted research

2.In the research, the old people are asked to        .

A．note the activities of AIBOs	B．record their feelings and activity
C．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks	D．analyze the collected information

3.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?

A．It is easier to keep at home.	B．It responds to all the human orders.
C．It can help the disabled people.	D．It can watch TV with its owner.

 

Harry, Jack, Mr. Smith, Alan和Steven分别喜欢不同的电影,阅读下面6部电影的简介(A、B、C、D、E、F)，从中找出符合5位兴趣爱好的最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。选项中有一项是多余选项。

1.Harry, a 14-year-old boy, likes to see the kung fu movies played by actors like Jackie Chan.    He enjoys his acting skills and thinks Chinese kung fu is amazing.

2.Young as little Jack is, he is fond of science fiction movies. He especially likes to watch movies that are set in space adventures.

3.Mr. Smith, a college teacher in Guangdong University, enjoys watching those movies which reflect the theme that justice(正义) finally conquer evil(邪恶)；Adult as he is, he is interested in cartoons.

4.Alan is studying in Beijing University and has shown a great interest in collecting some information about great and famous historical persons. If there are movies related to these persons, he is sure to find time to watch them with his friends. He thinks he can learn from them.

5.Steven is an American boy, who came to China two years ago with his parents. He likes to see Chinese cartoon movie, especially those about adventures through a time tunnel(隧道). He thinks he can learn Chinese from the movies.

A．The Dream of Jinsha

The Dream of Jinsha is the first China-made cartoon production to be released nationwide. The central character is a middle school student, Xiao Long, who by accident travels back through a time tunnel into the Jinsha Town 3,000 years ago. That’s where his unusual adventure begins.

B．The Karate Kid

This is a kung fu movie. When Dre Parker and his mother move from Detroit to China, Dre is often beaten up by some fellow students in his school. Luckily, Dre meets Mr. Han, a man who is suffering a terrible loss. Mr. Han agrees to teach him Kung fu to defend himself. Mr. Han is played by Jackie Chan and Dre Parker is played by American kid star Jaden Smith.

C．Confucius

This film shows us the whole life of the famous ancient Chinese educator Confucius. In the movie, we see a man who is all at once humble, wise, humorous, intelligent, disciplined, firm and clever. He talks of changing oneself from within.

D．Back to the Future

It’s a sci-fi movie. The year is 1985 and Marty is an ordinary teenager, except for one problem. He is stuck in 1955. After his good friend Doc is shot, Marty ends up sending him back thirty years into the past. Now, he must find Doc and convince him that he is from the future.

E. Space Chimps

Ham III, the grandson of the first chimp astronaut, is sent off into space by an opportunity-seeking senator(参议员). Soon, the fun-loving chimp has to get serious about the mission at hand: rid a far-away planet of their evil leader. Fortunately for Ham III King, two of his peers are along for the ride.

F. The Lion King

A young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots(密谋) to kill King Mufasa and makes himself king. The king is killed and the young lion is led to believe that it was his fault, so he left the kingdom in shame. After several years he is persuaded to return home to overthrow (推翻) Scar.

 

WASHINGTON---Think you’re savvy about food safety? That you wash your hands well, scrub away germs, cook your meat properly?

Guess again.

Scientists put cameras in the kitchens of 100 families in Logan, Utah. What was caught on tape in this middle-class, well-educated college town suggests why food poisoning hits so many Americans.

People skipped soap when hand-washing. Used the same towel to wipe up raw meat juice as to dry their hands. Made a salad without washing the lettuce. Undercooked the meat loaf. One even tasted the marinade in which bacteria-ridden raw fish had soaked.

Not to mention the mom who handled raw chicken and then fixed her infant a bottle without washing her hands.

Or another mom who merely rinsed(冲洗) her baby’s juice bottle after it fell into raw eggs---no soap against the salmonella(沙门氏菌) that can lurk(潜伏) in eggs.

“Shocking,” was Utah State University nutritionist Janet Anderson’s reaction.

Specialists call this typical of the average U.S. household: Everybody commits at least some safety sins(罪恶) when they are hurried, distracted by fussy children or ringing phones, simply not thinking about germs. Even Anderson made changes in her kitchen after watching the tapes.

The Food and Drug Administration funded Anderson’s $50,000 study to detect how cooks slip up. The goal is to improve consumers’ knowledge of how to protect themselves from the food poisoning that strikes 76 million Americans each year.

“One of the great barriers in getting people to change is they think they’re doing such a good job already,” said FDA consumer research chief Alan Levy.

Surveys show most Americans blame restaurants for food-borne illnesses. Asked if they follow basic bacteria-fighting tips---listed on the Internet at www.fightbac.org---most insist they’re careful in their kitchens.

Levy says most food poisonings probably occur at home. The videotapes suggest why. People have no idea that they’re messing up, Anderson said. “You just go in the kitchen, and it’s something you don’t think about.”

She described preliminary(初步的) study results at a food meeting last week. Having promised the families anonymity, she didn’t show the tapes.

For $50 and free groceries, families agreed to be filmed. Their kitchens looked clean and presumably(perhaps) they were on their best behavior, but they didn’t know it was a safety study. Hoping to see real-life hygiene, scientists called the experiment “market research” on how people cooked a special recipe.

Scientists bought ingredients for a salad plus either Mexican meat loaf, marinaded halibut or herb-breaded chicken breasts with mustard sauce---recipes designed to catch safety slip-ups.

Cameras started rolling as the cooks put away the groceries.

There was mistake No. 1: Only a quarter stored raw meat and seafood on the refrigerator’s bottom shelf so other foods don’t get contaminated(污染) by dripping juices.

Mistake No. 2: Before starting to cook, only 45 percent washed their hands. Of those, 16 percent didn’t use soap. You’re supposed to wash hands often while cooking, especially after handling raw meat. But on average, each cook skipped seven times that Anderson said they should have washed. Only a third consistently used soap---many just rinsed and wiped their hands on a dish towel. That dish towel became Anderson’s nightmare. Using paper towels to clean up raw meat juice is safest. But dozens wiped the countertop(台面板) with that cloth dish towel---further spreading germs the next time they dried their hands.

Thirty percent didn’t wash the lettuce; others placed salad ingredients on meat-contaminated counters.

Scientists checked the finished meal with thermometers, and Anderson found “alarming” results: 35 percent who made the meat loaf undercooked it, 42 percent undercooked the chicken and 17 percent undercooked the fish.

Must you use a thermometer? Anderson says just because the meat isn’t pink doesn’t always mean it got hot enough to kill bacteria.

Anderson’s study found gaps in food-safety campaigns. FDA’s “Fight Bac” antibacterial program doesn’t stress washing vegetables. Levy calls those dirty dish towels troubling; expect more advice stressing paper towels.

Anderson’s main message: “If people would simply wash their hands and clean food surfaces after handling raw meat, so many of the errors would be taken care of.”

1.Where did this article most likely come from?

A．The Internet.       B．A newspaper.       C．A Textbook.        D．A brochure.

2. What is the purpose of Paragraphs 4 through 6?

A．To present the author’s opinion about the study.

B．To explain how the study was conducted.

C．To state the reason for the food safety study.

D．To describe things observed in the study.

3. What prevents many Americans practicing better food safety in their kitchen?

A．They don’t trust the Food and Drug Administration.

B．They’ve followed basic bacteria-fighting tips on the Internet.

C．They think they are being careful enough already.

D．They believe they are well-informed and well-educated enough.

4. Which of the following would prevent most cases of food poisoning in the home?

A．Washing hands and cleaning surfaces after handling raw meat.

B．Strictly following recipes and cooking meat long enough.

C．Storing raw meat on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.

D．Using paper towels t clean up raw meat juice.

5. What is the main purpose of this article?

A．To discourage people from cooking so much meat at home.

B．To criticize the families who participated in the study.

C．To introduce the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety campaigns.

D．To report the results of a study about the causes of food poisoning.