Are you carrying too much on your back at school? You’re not alone. Back experts in the United States are worried that young students are having back and neck problems as a result of carrying too much in their back-packs.

    “It hurts my back when I run.”said Oberlin Reyes, a student in Virginia. “It’s hard to get up the stairs with my backpack, because it’s too heavy.”

    Oberlin is among the students whose backpacks were overweighed in a recent study.

    They had regular backpacks with two straps to carry them, but a number of students with heavy loads had switched to rolling backpacks.

    Shirley Park, whose backpack weighed 10 kilograms, said she changed to a rolling backpack because she was starting to have back pain.

    How much is too much? Experts say students should carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of their own body weight.

    A few students had one suggestion to lighten the load: less homework.

    P.S.

    Doctor’s suggestions:

    （1）Lighten the load. Clean out binders and take home only the books you need that night.

    （2）Wide straps are better. They send out the weight over your shoulders more evenly. And be sure to wear both straps rather than hang the pack over one shoulder.

    （3）Pack smart. The heavier things should be packed close to the back.

    （4）Bend both knees when you pick up the pack, and don’t just bend over at the waist.

1. ___________ is the main idea of the text.

    A. The problems of backpacks is worth studying

    B. The problem made by heavy backpacks

    C. What is the best backpack for a student

    D. How to make students’ backpacks light

2. According to Oberlin Reyes and Shirley Park, we know ___________.

    A. students have to do much homework

    B. students have to carry heavy backpacks

    C. backpacks without wheels are bad for students

    D. too much homework leaves students no free time

3. The expression“switched to”in the text perhaps means __________.

    A. started to use                                 B. turned on

    C. caught up                                      D. used for

4. According to the passage, it’s better for a student of 40 kilograms to carry a backpack of ___________ at most by the words of experts.

    A. 10kg                 B. 8kg                   C. 6kg                   D. 7kg

5. If students follow the doctor’s suggestions they ____________.

    A. may lighten their backpack

    B. can learn how to help themselves

    C. may feel their backpacks are lighter

    D. will know how to wear backpacks

My teenage son Karl became withdraw after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent(缺席) 95 times from classes and has six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate(毕业), I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged(乞求) him. Nothing worked.

One night o felt so powerless that I got down on my knees(膝盖) and pleaded(恳求) for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope(绳子). I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”

  I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands. “For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up.

Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll .In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”

1. Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “withdrawn”?

A. Quiet and lonely.                                         B. Relaxed and excited.

C. Active and lively.                                          D. Happy and easy-going.

2.When the mother said “It’s out of my hands” to the headmaster, she meant that she ______.

A. didn’t know what to do about her son       

B. would drive her son away from the house

C. had no money to support the family               

D. would have to hang up

3.Who was it that telephoned Karl’s mother that day?

A. The headmaster                                          B. The school adviser

C. Karl himself                                       D. The passage doesn’t tell us

4.From the passage we can learn that ______.

A. children in single-parent families always have mental problems

B. mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life

C. parents should give their children everything that they need

D. school education still works well without the support from parents

My teenage son Karl became withdraw after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent(缺席) 95 times from classes and has six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate(毕业), I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged(乞求) him. Nothing worked.
One night o felt so powerless that I got down on my knees(膝盖) and pleaded(恳求) for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope(绳子). I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands. “For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll .In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”
【小题1】 Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “withdrawn”?