Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity. Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’re finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”

After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”

This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.

Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.

Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.

Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target(目标) for your disagreement.

Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates(蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

1.According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is _______.

A. to let them see the world around         

B. to share the children’s curiosity

C. to explain difficult phrases about science  

D. to supply the children with lab equipment

2. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by ______.

A. any questions                                              B. any problems

C. questions from textbooks                         D. any number of questions

3.According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults ________.

A. ask them to answer quickly

B. wait for one or two seconds after a question

C. tell them to answer the next day

D. wait at least for three seconds after a question

4.In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?

A. The second and third.                    B. The fourth and fifth.

C. The fifth and sixth.                                                   D. The fifth.

5.The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should ________.

A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts.

B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves.

C. be patient enough when their children answer questions.

D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own.

 

You probably know you should say “please” and “thank you” at restaurants. You probably know the rules of a library. You know you should respect and be nice to your classmates. But do you have music manners?
Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can’t hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. No one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears. So even if you are alone when listening to our MP3 players, you shouldn’t turn it up too high.
Take Them Off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 off and put it away. Libraries, and schools don’t allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don’t have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to listen on your MP3 player at event. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.
Take One Out! Once in a while it’s okay just to take out one earphone and not other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone and it’s not for you.
It’s Your Choice! There are times when you need to decide what is best. For example, some people can listen to music on their MP3 players when reading books, while others think it is disturbing. In cases like this, you need to do what seems right for you.
【小题1】The underlined word “volume” in Paragraph Two probably means “_________.”

A．the type of music	B．the amount of a sound
C．the length of a song	D．the colour of an MP3 player

【小题2】No one wants to listen to_________from others’ MP3 players.
A. a loud sound     B. sad stories    
C. a long movie      D. the words of a song
43. We should turn down the music when we are alone because loud music_________.
A. is not enjoyable      B. makes us tired  
C. is bad for MP3 players  D. hurts our ears
【小题3】 If we listen to our MP3 player at a play, _________.

A．the theatre won’t allow it	B．the actors will get angry
C．others won’t hear the play well	D．we will miss part of the play

【小题4】We can take one earphone out when we _________.

A．show others the way	B．talk to friends on the phone
C．watch a sporting event	D．have dinner with our parents

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Affordable plans that I can understand一and no contract to sign (签订）！ Unlike other cell phones，Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I'm never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won't find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign—so I'm not locked in for years at a time. The US-based customer service is second to none. And the phone gets service anywhere in the country.

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1. What made “I” finally think of getting a cell phone?

A．Being stuck by the highway.

B．Being urged by his grandkids.

C．Being persuaded by cell phone salespersons.

D．Being attracted by the friendly return policy.

2. On the monthly basis of 100 minutes, the Jitterbug weekly rate is about _______.

A．$3.75            B．$4.99             C．$14. 99           D．$19.99

3. An advantage of Jitterbug mentioned in the passage is _______.

A．its discount price with a free gift

B．its reasonable rate plans without a contract

C．its good customer service all over the world

D．its “global-positioning” system with 911 access

4. The main purpose of the passage is to _______.

A．tell a customer's story of Jitterbug

B．provide two ways to order Jitterbug

C．give a brief introduction of Jitterbug

D．attract potential customers to Jitterbug

 

根据短文内容，从下框的A-F选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项。

A．The secret of the writer’s success

B．A writer with enduring popularity

C．Well-received creation to encourage Brits

D．The insight into human nature

E. Writing styles in different stages

F. The story appreciate for school students

1. ____________

Charles Dickens is often thought of as one of England’s great writers. Yet for many his language is old-fashioned and his story plots often improbable. Why, Dickens, out of so many other great English writers, has made the list? How then to explain Dickens’s enduring popularity?

2. _____________

One reason undoubtly is the British government’s insistence that every child studies a Dickens novel at school. Alongside Willian Shakespeare, Charles Dickens is a compulsory (必读的)writer on every English literature school reading list. His stories, though often over-long by today’s standard, are superbly written moral tales. They are filled with colorful characters.

3. ______________

But what makes his books stand out from other English writers is his insight into human nature. Dickens, like Shakespeare, tells us truths about human behavior that are as true to citizens of the 21st century as they were to his readers in the 19th century. Readers have returned to Dickens’s books again and again over the years to see what he has to say about readers’ own time.

4. _______________

The BBC adapted one of his less well-known novels, Little Dorrit, into a popular television drama that introduced many Brits to the novel for the first time. A dark story about greed and money, it was the perfect story to illustrate the bad times. No surprise then that it was Dickens Britons turned to, during the economic crisis last year, to make sense of world rapidly falling apart.

5. _______________

Readers of the 19th and early 20th century usually prized Dickens’s earlier novels for their humor and pathos(悲痛). While recognizing the virtues of these books, critics today tend to rank more highly the later works because of  their formal coherence and acute perception(洞察力) of the human condition. For as long as Dickens’s novels have something to say to modern audiences, it seems likely that he will remain one of Britain’s best loved writers.