You maybe surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water．
Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature , and now scientists are starting to catch up．According to research in recent years, just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients'  recovery and reduce illness rates among office workers．Also, exposure （曝露）to wildlife, horseback riding, hiking, camping and farms can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children．
Much of this type of research is focusing on children, and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature．
Obesity （肥胖）．Rates of childhood obesity have grown sharply in recent years, and this is partly because of reduced outdoor activity time．Increasing the time students spend learning about nature, both in and outside the classroom, would help solve this problem．Such lessons are often more attractive for students and often lead them to become more active outside．
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） （注意力缺失症）．Exposure to ordinary natural settings （环境） in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be effective in reducing attention deficit symptoms in children．Participation in green activities —such as nature walks—helped ADHD patients from a wide range of backgrounds to stay focused and complete tasks．
Stress．Access to nature, even houseplants, can help children cope with stress．
Depression  and  seasonal  emotional  disorder．Major  depression requires medical treatment, but physical activity, especially outdoors, can help ease symptoms．For your average case of winter blues, experts suggest spending time outside every day and, if possible, taking the family to a sunny vacation spot in mid-winter．
Experts emphasize that you needn' t go to wilderness preserves to enjoy nature' s benefits—simply walking in a city park or growing in a rooftop garden can make a difference．
【小题1】It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that____．

A．ancient people were not familiar with the healing power of nature．

B．modern people are not familiar with the healing power of nature．

C．the healing power of nature works better on children．

D．the healing power of nature works better on office workers．

【小题2】According to Para．4, lessons about nature_____．

A．should engage parents in them

B．should take place outdoors

C．are used widely at schools

D．are liked by students

【小题3】Exposure to green areas in neighborhoods can_____．

A．improve children' s skills at learning

B．help reduce ADHD symptoms

C．treat major depression

D．cure winter blues

【小题4】What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．You can only enjoy nature's benefits in the wilderness．

B．A common natural setting is beneficial to your health．

C．A city park and a rooftop garden have different benefits．

D．Too many people in the wilderness will reduce the benefits of nature．

 One night, as Diaz stepped off the train and onto a nearly empty platform, a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

    “He wanted my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, ‘Here you go ’” Diaz says.

    As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”

    The robber looked at him puzzled, saying, “Why are you doing this?”

    Diaz replied, “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me…..”

    Diaz says he and the teen went into a diner and sat in a booth.

    “The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi,” Diaz says.

    The kid said, “You know everybody here. Do you own this place?”

    “No, I just eat here a lot,” Dias said. “But you’re even nice to the dishwasher,” he said.

    Diaz replied, “Well, haven’t you been taught you should be nice to everybody?”

    “Yeah, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teen said.

    When the bill arrived, Diaz said, “You’re going to have to pay for this bill because you have my money and I can’t pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”

    The teen returned it immediately. “I gave him $20…. I figure maybe it’ll help him.” Diaz says he asked for something in return--- the teen’s knife--- “and he gave it to me.”

    Afterwards, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, “You’re the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch.”

    “I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”

1.What did Diaz do to the teen?

    A. He gave the teen a new wallet        B. He treated the teen to dinner

    C. He gave his coat to the teen         D. He bought the teen’s knife

2.From the passage we can infer that the boy _______.

    A. expressed his gratitude for Diaz’s kindness

    B. gave up the idea of robbing in the end

    C. wasn’t taught how to be nice to everybody

    D. gave the knife to Diaz in return for his forgiveness

3.As for what Diaz did, his mother showed an attitude of _______.

    A. anger          B. concern           C. criticism            D. praise

4.By telling the story of Diaz, the author intends to tell us ______.

    A. to keep calm in danger               B. not to go out alone at night

    C. to treat others kindly                   D. not to harm others on purpose

 

Dear Michelle,

       My mother is not a good example for me and my sister. She smokes, stays out late, and she curses(骂人).I love her but I am ashamed of her. I do not want to bring my friends home because she does not act like any of the other mothers. She says I am a loser because I sit at home and study. I wish I could live in another family that was normal, but it will be 5 years before I am 18 and legal. What am I supposed to do until then?

                                                                                                         Prisoner of a Crazy House

Dear 7^th Grader,

       I am glad that you love your mother because the rest of your feelings about her may change as you get older and mature(成熟).

       While it is true that your mother’s smoking, partying and cursing bring you shame, the fact that you want to stay separate from her doings is notable and very smart. It shows that you are a winner, not a loser.

       I am guessing, therefore, that you do not bring shame to yourself, and that is a good thing, So, keep it that way and keep away from your mother’s habits.

       At the same time, try to get the best grades and join clubs and school activities. Offer social service on weekends and visit your friends at their homes.

       Fortunately, you are not alone. Many teens live in homes with immature, misguided, selfish parents. Those kids often feel lonely and separate from the rest of their friends because of their parents’ terrible deeds.

       But they develop good friendships with nice kids, do well in school, and often find a teacher or guidance advisor who makes all the difference!

       Do it, Miss Winning 13 years old, and keep looking forward to your own fine future. Maybe by then your mother may even see the light and realize how surprising you really are.

       Best luck!

                                                                                                                Michelle

The kid asks for advice on how to                .

A. make her mother change                               B. deal with her situation

C. get along well with her mother                      D. start a new family

Michelle doesn’t call her letter receiver“ Prisoner of a Crazy House” possibly because she

               .

A. tries to be polite                                           B. doesn’t write to the kid alone

C. knows that’s a girl in Grade 7                        D. wants to cheer the kid up

According to the passage, Michelle advises the girl to           .

A. try talking to her mother for her future

B .stick to her attitude towards her mother’s some habits

C. understand her mother’s habits and get used to them

D. try to keep away from her mother

What does Michelle mainly express by writing the last four paragraphs?

A. Don’t worry too much about the problem.

B. Many parents act terribly.

C. Parents manners make little difference.

D. The girl is not speaking for herself.

My House

My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?

I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.

This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.

This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.

Why did the author’s mother decide to move?

A. Because she hated the countryside.

B. Because Grandpa was on constant move.

C. Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind.

D. Because she thought a city flat more fit for them.

What impressed the author when she first moved into the house?

A. The tree house.  B. The big trees.    C. The cold floors.        D. The green grass.

How did the author let us feel that the house was special to her?

A. By arguing whether the house was standard.

B. By explaining why the house suited their needs. _k.&s~5*u

C. By describing the small things related to her house.

D. By comparing the differences between country and city life.

My mother moved a lot when she was growing up because of   ________.

A. Grandpa being in the army.  B.their family’s liking moving

C. the life’s need             D. Mother’s work

One night, as Diaz stepped off the train and onto a nearly empty platform, a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.
“He wanted my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, ‘Here you go ’” Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”
The robber looked at him puzzled, saying, “Why are you doing this?”
Diaz replied, “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me…..”
Diaz says he and the teen went into a diner and sat in a booth.
“The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi,” Diaz says.
The kid said, “You know everybody here. Do you own this place?”
“No, I just eat here a lot,” Dias said. “But you’re even nice to the dishwasher,” he said.
Diaz replied, “Well, haven’t you been taught you should be nice to everybody?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teen said.
When the bill arrived, Diaz said, “You’re going to have to pay for this bill because you have my money and I can’t pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”
The teen returned it immediately. “I gave him $20…. I figure maybe it’ll help him.” Diaz says he asked for something in return--- the teen’s knife--- “and he gave it to me.”
Afterwards, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, “You’re the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch.”
“I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”
【小题1】What did Diaz do to the teen?

A．He gave the teen a new wallet	B．He treated the teen to dinner
C．He gave his coat to the teen	D．He bought the teen’s knife

【小题2】From the passage we can infer that the boy _______.

A．expressed his gratitude for Diaz’s kindness

B．gave up the idea of robbing in the end

C．wasn’t taught how to be nice to everybody

D．gave the knife to Diaz in return for his forgiveness

【小题3】As for what Diaz did, his mother showed an attitude of _______.

A．anger

B．concern

C．criticism

D．praise

【小题4】By telling the story of Diaz, the author intends to tell us ______.

A．to keep calm in danger	B．not to go out alone at night
C．to treat others kindly	D．not to harm others on purpose