There is plenty for kids and teens to do in the Syracuse area during the summer, including some great educational opportunities. Here are the top four.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo Camp
The zoo offers separate camps for kids. The camps for kindergarteners run from 9 am to 12:30 pm, and cost $115 for zoo members and $135 for non-members. Kids entering 7th and 8th grades will have half a day from 1 pm to 4:30 pm. The cost is $149 for members and $160 for non-members. All camps feature numerous educational activities and animal encounters. The camps run from August 14 to August 19. Registration starts from July 10 for members and July 15 for non-members.
Active Learning Services at Christian Brothers Academy
From August 1 to August 5, Christian Brothers Academy will host Active Learning Services from USA Chess. Topics of learning will include Chess Camp (age 5-15), and Video Game Creation Program (age 8-15). Chess Camp promises improved chess skills through chess instructors utilizing demo(演示) boards and historic games. Half day sessions will cost $280 for the Computer Camps. A full day of Chess costs $400, and a half day of Chess followed by a half day of Computer Camps cost $430.
Syracuse University Summer College
From July 5th to August 12th , Syracuse University will host pre-college programs for high school students. The Summer College will offer a wide variety of programs including architecture, engineering and computer science, public communications, and eco-fashion. The programs are taught by the teachers of Syracuse University and include hands-on activities. The costs range from $2325 to $7642.
The Sheldon Institute at SUNY Oswego
The State University of New York will hold two-week educational enrichment programs for students entering grades2-4 from July 25 to August 5. Children will have a set program featuring art, science, technology, cultural appreciation and writing. Tuition for the programs is only $320 and a downloadable application is available.
小题1:If a preschool boy and his 8th-grade brother attend the Zoo Camps, they should
pay___________

A．$264

B．$275

C．$295

D．It depends.

小题2:When should a child start to attend the Zoo Camps?

A．On July 10

B．On July 15.

C．On August 14.

D．On August 19

小题3:What do we know about the Chess Camp from the passage?

A．Children can learn improved chess skills through it.

B．Only children aged 8-15 can attend it.

C．Whole day sessions will cost $250 for it.

D．It will last for two weeks.

小题4:Where can children attend the largest number of programs with low cost?

A．Christian Brothers Academy	B．The Sheldon Institute
C．Rosamond Gifford Zoo	D．Syracuse University

Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.www.examda.com
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays.
This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
小题1:Which of these sentences best describes the writer's point in Paragraph 1?

A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth.

B．Intelligence is developed by the environment.

C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid.

D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment.

小题2: It is suggested in this passage that_______.

A．unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence

B．close relations usually have similar intelligence

C．the closer the blood relationship between people, the more different they are likely to be in intelligence

D．people who live in close contact with each other are not likely to have similar degrees of intelligence

小题3:Brothers and sisters are likely to_______.

A．have similar intelligence	B．have different intelligence
C．go to the same university	D．go to the same factory

小题4:The best title for this article would be_______.

A．On Intelligence	B．What Intelligence Means
C．We Are Born with Intelligence	D．Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence

完形填空：（30分）
One morning all the employees reached the office as usual. And on the wall they saw a big 36  on which it was written：Yesterday, the person who has been  37  your growth in this company passed  38 . We invite you to join the funeral prepared in the  39 .
In the beginning，they all got  40  for the death of one of their colleagues.  41  after a while they started getting  42  to know who was the man that limited the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.
The  43  in the gym was such that security agents(保安)were  44  to control the crowd within the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement  45  up. Everyone whispered to each other:“  46  on earth is this guy?”
One by one the excited employees got closer to the coffin, and when they  47  inside it, they 48  became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in  49 , as if someone had 50  the deepest part of their soul.
There was a  51  inside the coffin；everyone who looked inside it could see himself, There was also a sign next to the mirror that  52 : there is only one person who is  53  to set limits to your growth：IT IS  54  !!!!!! Your life doesn’t change when everyone around you changes. Your life changes when YOU change，when you go beyond your limiting beliefs inside. Don’t be afraid of  55  ；build yourself and your reality. It’s the way you face life itself that makes the difference!

小题1:	A．card B．post C．sign D．1etter

小题2:	A．encouraging B．helping C．building D．limiting

小题3:	A．on B．by C．away D．down

小题4:	A．office B．gym C．way D．meeting room

小题5:	A．sad B．excited C．afraid D．calm

小题6:	A．And B．But C．Or D．So

小题7:	A．ready B．pleased C．curious D．serious

小题8:	A．surprise B．anger C．excitement D．sadness

小题9:	A．admitted B．forced C．forbidden D．ordered

小题10:

A．heated B．woke C．turned D．kept

小题11:

A．Where B．What C．How D．Who

小题12:

A．walked B．looked C．got D．turned

小题13:

A．suddenly B．gradually C．merely D．extremely

小题14:

A．sorrow B．order C．silence D．person

小题15:

A．stolen B．touched C．attacked D．seen

小题16:

A．1etter B．book C．mirror D．appeared

小题17:

A．wrote B．read C．showed D．reflected

小题18:

A．sure B．eager C．afraid D．able

小题19:

A．YOU B．ME C．HE D．ITSELF

小题20:

A．punishment B．praises C．changes D．blame

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Remembering that I’ ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors’ code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’ m fine now.
This was the closest I’ve been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn’t waste it repeating someone else’s life. Don’ t be trapped by dogma（教条）—which is living with the results of other people’ s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
小题1:The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because_________.

A．he had to rest at home	B．his disease couldn’t be cured
C．his disease was not serious at all	D．he had to wait for the result of the test

小题2:How did the author feel after the diagnosis?

A．Hopeless

B．Excited

C．Optimistic

D．Angry

小题3:What does the author think of death?

A．He thinks it is impossible to avoid.

B．He thinks it is not the end of life.

C．He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.

D．He thinks it is the beginning of a new life

小题4:In the author’ s opinion, we should ____________.

A．follow others’ advice	B．take no notice of diseases
C．take exercise and keep healthy	D．have the courage to follow our heart

I am a strong believer that if a child is raised with approval, he learns to love himself and will be successful in his own way.
Several weeks ago，I was doing homework with my son in the third grade and he kept standing up from his chair to go over the math lines．I kept asking him to sit down, telling him that he would concentrate better. He sat but seconds later, as if he didn’t even notice he was doing it, he got up again．I was getting frustrated, but then it hit me．I started noticing his answers were much quicker and accurate when he stood up．Could he be more intent while standing up？
This made me start questioning myself and what I had been raised to believe. I was raised to believe that a quiet, calm child was a sure way to success．This child would have the discipline to study hard, get good grades and become someone important in life．
Now those same people perhaps come to realize that their kids are born with their own sets of DNA and personality traits，and all you can do is loving and accepting them．As parents，throughout their growing years and beyond that, we need to be our kids' best cheerleaders，guiding them and helping them find their way.
I have stopped asking my son to sit down and concentrate．Obviously, he is concentrating just in his own way and not mine．We need to learn to accept our kids' ways of doing things．Some way may have worked for me but doesn't mean we need to carry it through generations．There is nothing sweeter than being individual and unique．It makes us free and happy and that's just the way I want my kids to live their own life．
小题1: At the beginning, the author tried to keep his son seated in order to make him________.

A．pay more attention to his study	B．keep silent in the room
C．finish his homework on time	D．get right answers

小题2: Inspired by the case of his son，the author began to doubt________.

A．the importance of parents	B．the old form of education
C．the relationship between kids and their parents	D．the good grades of some kids

小题3:According to the passage, which of the following statements is right?
A. We should help kids correct their wrong ways.
B. Parents should study their kids’ DNA.    
C. Kids should be taught to behave themselves.
D. Parents should love and accept their kids.
小题4: The author has stopped asking his son to sit down because __________.

A．he has changed his traditional ideas	B．his son wants to be unique
C．his son doesn’t follow his advice	D．his son’s DNAis different

小题5:Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Study hard and you'll be successful	B．Be friendly to your children
C．Children's success in their own style	D．Parents' help with their children's study

Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting.But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 ?15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day — which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way — by copying letters over and over again. Today’ s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself.Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility,_which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency — writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one?fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.
小题1:We can learn ________ from Paragraph 1.

A．teaching handwriting is a basic requirement in teaching job

B．most teachers prefer to teach handwriting

C．teachers spend little time in teaching handwriting

D．a keyboard has taken the place of the handwriting entirely

小题2:Which of the following is WRONG for traditional handwriting in the USA?

A．The students are taught by practicing a long period.

B．The letters are repeated many times.

C．Handwriting includes two skills.

D．To write in cursive is taught first.

小题3:The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means ________.

A．easy to read

B．complex

C．unexpected

D．unreadable

小题4:The best title for the passage is ________.

A．How to improve handwriting in school

B．Right or wrong: the death of handwriting

C．Handwriting involves two skills

D．Handwriting lessons are on the way out

小题5:The author’ s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is________.

A．negative

B．objective

C．critical

D．optimistic

Robert was a life insurance(人寿保险) salesman. Try 36 he might, he was still unable to get a couple to sign up for a policy(保单). “I certainly don’t want to frighten you into a 37,” he announced, standing up to 38. “Please sleep on it tonight, and 39 you wake up in the morning, let me know what you think.”
People can be motivated by many different 40. Fear is the common one. 41 many people find that other kinds of motivation are usually 42 effective in getting more out of those with whom we live and work.
A twelve-year-old girl took her younger brother, who 43 from a mental disability, Christmas shopping. As they went into a department store, the 44 accidentally hit a display, knocking shoes in every 45. at that 46 a(n) angry clerk grabbed the boy by the arm and 47, “Pick them up.”
“No,” the boy screamed in defiance(反抗).
“Pick them up,” the clerk 48.
“No,” the boy shouted back.
His older sister began picking up the 49. Then the boy started to 50. Before long, the boy, his sister and the clerk were 51 together to put the shoes back in 52.
When they finished, the girl taught the clerk a(n) 53 lesson with these words: “You have to encourage my brother to do it in action.”
If you live or work with other people, you may benefit from the older sister’s advice. If you want people to respond to you, try encouraging them in action. People prefer 54. When you fill people with what they want, you’re 55 to get what you want out of them.

小题1:	A．however B．as C．since D．in spite of

小题2:	A．trouble B．sale C．bargain D．decision

小题3:	A．defend B．fight C．leave D．argue

小题4:	A．should B．will C．shall D．may

小题5:	A．feelings B．plans C．means D．results

小题6:	A．Thus B．But C．Plus D．Since

小题7:	A．less B．more C．half D．just

小题8:	A．arose B．contributed C．benefited D．suffered

小题9:	A．boy B．girl C．clerk D．salesman

小题10:A. section B. direction       C. shelf             D. course

小题11:

A．occasion B．stage C．situation D．point

小题12:

A．demanded B．conflicted C．reminded D．arranged

小题13:

A．expected B．commented C．shouted D．acquired

小题14:

A．shoes B．books C．toys D．bottles

小题15:

A．cry B．help C．complain D．worry

小题16:

A．walking B．organizing C．working D．assisting

小题17:

A．process B．silence C．detail D．order

小题18:

A．thoughtful B．instant C．cautious D．complex

小题19:

A．gift B．stick C．honey D．tears

小题20:

A．positive B．likely C．confident D．probable

Today, innovations(创新) to make our lives more eco-friendly can be found everywhere. There are energy-efficient automobiles, eco-friendly light bulbs, and clothes made by fashion designers using sustainable(可持续的) environmental practices. Industries around the world have also begun to take a serious look at how their operations affect the local and global environment.
The university of Colorado has been named one of the top green colleges and universities in the United States. This university was one of the first to start a student-led recycling program in the 1970s and today supplies students with reusable shopping bags to use both on and off campus. The entire University of Colorado also uses low flow water fixtures(设备) and has reduced water usage by 40 percent since 2002.
When it comes to going green, Warren Wilson College has been recognized in many places. The Sierra Club and The Princeton Review have named the college as one of America’s greenest colleges and universities, while the school has also received the Outstanding College Recycling Award from the Carolina Recycling Association, as well as awards from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education(AASHE). For a small college, Warren Wilson has made enormous efforts to be an eco-friendly campus since its beginning, and today owns a campus farm, a seeding program, and an extensive recycling program. Warren Wilson was also the first College to have an LEED platinum certified(白金认证的) residence hall, and its building services department is also 100 percent GreenSeal certified. According to College Stats, Warren Wilson College is one of the first institutions in the United States to be almost completely self-sufficient(自给自足的) while also engaging students to incorporate sustainability into all academic programs.
Going green efforts at Oberlin College have not gone unnoticed. Oberlin College spends 22 percent of its food budget on buying food from local farmers, with most of the food raised or harvested with organic and sustainable practices. Oberlin has also stopped selling bottled water on campus and offers discounts to students who use their own storage containers when purchasing beverages and food items. Among Oberlin’s other eco-friendly accomplishments is a green graduation ceremony, which includes programs printed on 100 percent recycled paper.
小题1:The author writes the first paragraph mainly to tell us that ____.

A．we can find new ways to be eco-friendly

B．everyone is aware of being eco-friendly

C．industries are reducing their influence on the environment

D．American colleges and universities care much about environmental issues

小题2:What do we know about the University of Colorado?

A．Its recycling program is followed by other universities.

B．It produces reusable shopping bags by itself.

C．It uses special systems to save water.

D．It is the most eco-friendly university.

小题3:Which of the following about Warren Wilson College is TRUE?

A．The Princeton Review praised it for its teaching methods.

B．Its residence hall’s building material is platinum.

C．It owns a campus garden and a seeding program.

D．It sustains itself almost without help from others.

小题4:Students in Oberlin College can _____.

A．grow their own food on campus

B．pay less with their own containers

C．help the college make its food budget

D．recycle paper at their graduation ceremony

小题5:How is the text organized?

A．Main idea – Comparison.

B．Opinion – Discussion – Description

C．Introduction – Supporting examples.

D．Introduction – Explanation – Conclusion.

What is language for? Some people seem to think it’s for practicing grammar rules and learning lists of words — the longer the lists, the better. That’s wrong. Language is for the exchange (交流) of ideas and information. It’s meaningless knowing all about a language if you can’t use it freely. Many students I have met know hundreds of grammar rules, but they can ’t speak correctly or fluently(流利地). They are afraid of making mistakes. One shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes when speaking a foreign language. Native speakers make mistakes and break rules, too. Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Foreigners often speak English too correctly.” But the mistakes that native speakers make are different from those that Chinese students make. They are English mistakes in the English language. And if enough native speakers break a rule, it is no longer a rule. What used to be wrong becomes right. People not only make history, but they make language. But people can only make its own language. It can’t make another people’s language. So Chinese students of English should pay attention to grammar, but they shouldn’t overdo it. They should put communication first.
小题1:Language is used to ________.

A．express oneself	B．practice grammar rules
C．talk with foreigners only	D．learn lists of words

小题2: Generally, when an American or an Englishman speaks English, he ______.

A．never makes mistakes	B．often makes mistakes
C．can’t avoid（避免）making mistakes	D．always makes mistakes

小题3:“Foreigners often speak English too correctly.” The sentence means that ______.

A．foreigners speak correct English.

B．foreigners speak incorrect English.

C．foreigners speak English according to the grammar rules.

D．foreigners never make mistakes when they speak English.

小题4:If too many native speakers break a rule, ______.

A．what they will become right	B．they are against the law
C．they should say sorry to others	D．they will become heroes

小题5:When we speak a foreign language, we should _____.

A．speak in Chinese way	B．speak by the rules
C．speak to native speakers	D．not be afraid of making mistakes

Playing with toy blocks (积木) may lead to improved language development in young children, a new study reported.
Early childhood is an important period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain grows three times in size between birth and age 2. Scientists have said that certain activities during this important period may promote (促进) healthy development while others may hold it back, and development of memory and language may especially be helped by imaginative play.
After six months, language scores among half of the 175 children aged 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 who were sent plastic blocks were 15 percent higher than a matched group that did not receive the free blocks, according to the study by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Parents were given ideas about how to help their children play with the blocks, then were told to keep diaries of their children’s activities over four days. Finally, all the parents filled out questionnaires that judged their children’s vocabulary, grammar, and other language abilities. Study author Dimitri Christakis said unstructured play with blocks motivated children’s thinking, memory and physical skills at a time when a child’s brain is growing rapidly. “They are the foundation of thought and language,” he wrote of the skills learned from building blocks. “Older children begin to make up stories for these objects .”
Such play may also take the place of less helpful activities such as watching TV, he said, adding parents ought to have doubts about some toy-makers’ words. “An increasing number of media-based products are making ungrounded (无根据的) claims that they can make children smarter, more literate, and more musical,” Christakis said.
小题1:What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Parents should allow their children to play as long as they want.

B．The brains of kids develop very quickly before they are two years old.

C．Playing blocks can help children do well in sports at school.

D．Activities, like imaginative play, may delay the development of the brain.

小题2:According to the study, about ________ children’s language scores were 15 percent higher than those of children who didn’t play with blocks.

A．87

B．55

C．23

D．157

小题3:Building blocks helps kids gain language skills because _________.

A．young children always talk to themselves while building blocks

B．their parents can teach them when they are playing with blocks

C．their parents are given ideas on how to develop their brains

D．it can help them improve thinking, memory and physical skills

小题4:The aim of the passage is probably to _______.

A．raise the present level of children’s language ability

B．encourage parents to let their babies play with blocks

C．improve parents’ knowledge of raising children

D．encourage makers of blocks to develop more toys

小题5:We can infer from what Mr Christakis said that _____.

A．television will be definitely replaced by blocks

B．the market will be full of media-based toys

C．we can’t always believe what toy makers say

D．toy makers care about kids’ development very much