Say Yes to Reading
Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boy’s Life 2012 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.
The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words— 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories(类别)：
● 8 years old and younger
● 9 and 10 years old
● 11 years old and older
First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift certificate(礼券) good for any product in the Boy Scouts official retail catalog(零售目录). Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift certificate and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate.
Everyone who enters will get a free patch(眼罩). In coming years, you’ll have the chance to earn different patches.
The contest is open to all Boys’ Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry. Send your report to:
Boys’ Life Reading Contest
S306
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Entries(参赛作品) must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2012 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Winners of the 2011 reading contest will be announced in the July 2012 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.
And the 2010 first-place winners are:
8 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER
Tyler Bergmann chose “Can You Keep a Secret?” by PJ Petersen as his favorite book. “It talks about honesty and the importance of being trust-worthy, which really matter between friends,” Tyler writes.
9 AND 10 YREARS OLD
Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones” by Rick Riordan. Writes Nathaniel: “As I read, I learned about places I have never been and things I have only imagined.”
11 YEARS OLD AND OLDER
Devin MacGoy, 12 chose “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Grane. “A reader can take away many lessons,” Devin writes.
【小题1】The purpose of the passage is to ________.

A．persuade kids to enter a contest

B．ask kids to read more books

C．encourage kids to buy Boys’ Life

D．advertise some children’s books

【小题2】According to the passage, _________.

A．each first-place winner will get $100

B．the report should have 500 at least

C．whoever enters will get a patch for free

D．one can copy some words from the book

【小题3】 Who learns something about friendship from reading a book?

A．Tyler Bergmann	B．Nathaniel Griffis
C．Devin MacGoy	D．PJ Petersen

【小题4】 After Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones”, he might be ________.

A．puzzled

B．worried

C．bored

D．excited

It’s often true that jobs for students sometimes lead to employment after graduation, so it’s a good idea to think carefully before you begin working during your college years.
During my entire college life I worked as a bartender （酒吧招待）. I have to say that I really enjoyed that job, and was fond of the idea of making money without doing too much work. I also had the opportunity to socialize （ 交际） while working. I came to be known among the upper class, and gradually became popular on campus because of my job. However, working as a bartender can have the negative side that people tend to think that you enjoy drinking.
All in all, I wish I had thought more carefully before deciding to take that job. I got a Bachelor’s degree （学士学位）in English, qualifying（使···有资格） me to work as a writer, but so far I have only been able to use the skills I learned from that part-time job.
It would be different if I had searched for jobs related to writing or editing（编辑） instead of bartending. It’s commonly accepted that employment for students is only temporary （临时的），but we should never forget that it can connect to the work we get after we graduate. After all, employers not only look at the degree, but also your previous experience.
So before getting a part-time job while you’re at school, consider what you want to do for the rest of your life.
【小题1】Which of the following is a benefit（好处）of working as a bartender for the author?

A．He had a good time after school.

B．He made connect with many people.

C．He satisfied his curiosity about others.

D．He had learned how to make wine.

【小题2】The underline word “negative” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “ _______”.  

A．bad

B．same

C．wrong

D．bright

【小题3】The author writes the text mainly to _______.  

A．describe his part-time job during his college life

B．tell students to be careful with their part-time jobs

C．convince（使确信）students that bartender is the part-time job

D．advise students to look for their future jobs in the college

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon left their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim(模糊的) memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm had led me into varied investigations（调查研究）. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious（清醒的） mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, keen（敏锐的） eyes, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the excellent and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.
【小题1】The first paragraph tells us the author ______.

A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

B．lost his hearing when he was a child

C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters

D．was born into a naturalist’s family

【小题2】The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _______.

A．he didn’t live very long with them

B．the family was extremely large

C．he was too young when he lived with them

D．he was fully occupied with observing nature

【小题3】It can be inferred from the passage that the author was _______.

A．a scientist as well as a naturalist	B．a naturalist but not a scientist
C．no more than a born naturalist	D．first of all a scientist

【小题4】 The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _______.

A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way

Looking back on  my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made.  Although we were all brought up in the same way,my br others and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them,I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents,aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.

I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm had led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people's observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.

But curiosity,a keen eye,a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding  and essential qualities required is self?discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist, up to a certain point,can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two,you get the best of both worlds.

1.The first paragraph tells us the author .      

A.was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood 

B.lost his hearing when he was a child

C.didn’t like his brothers and sisters    

D.was born to a naturalist’s family

2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because         .

A.he didn’t live very long with them   

B.the family was extremely large

C.he was too young when he lived with them  

D.he was fully occupied with observing nature

3.It can be inferred from the passage that the author was         .

A.a scientist as well as a naturalist   

B.a naturalist but not a scientist

C.no more than a born naturalist        

D.first of all a scientist

4.The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he         .

A.has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

B.lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

C.just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

D.comes up with solutions in a most natural way

Looking back on my childhood, I believe that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and my sisters soon gave up their flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do maths well.

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I remember clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of the dogs, farm animals, local birds, and above all, insects.

I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love for the natural world and my passion has led me into varied explorations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something brings these observations together in my mind. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books.

But curiosity, a keen （敏锐的）eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist. A scientist, up to a point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.

1.The first paragraph tells us the writer        .

A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

B．lost his hearing when he was a child

C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters

D．was born into a naturalist’s family

2.The writer can’t clearly remember his relatives probably because        .

A．he didn’t live very long with them

B．the family was very large

C．he was too young when he lived with them

D．he devoted himself to observing nature

3.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer was        .

A．a scientist as well as a naturalist

B．not a naturalist but a scientist

C．only a born naturalist

D．first of all a scientist

4.According to the writer, a born naturalist should first of all be        .

A．good at maths	B．full of passion
C．knowledgeable	D．self-controlled