LONDON — Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent(永久的) fast-forward.
Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hanger also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club.
Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line.
Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child.
“Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress,” says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota.
Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four.
“There is a new parenting trend(趋势) under way which says that you have to tap all your child’s potential(潜能) at a young age; otherwise you will let him down,” says Terry Apter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist(青少年精神病专家).
“It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously(以前) seen as strange behaviour is now well accepted.” From the second paragraph of this passage we can find that _______.
| A．Hagner wastes much time helping her children's lessons |
| B．Hagner doesn't spend much time on her full-time job |
| C．Hagner is interested in sports and music |
| D．Hagner busies herself by following a trend |
British parents, as the writer described in this passage, _______.
| A．treat their children as sports players |
| B．pay no attention to their children's lessons |
| C．bring up their children in a simple way |
| D．give their children little time to develop freely |
The writer's opinion about after-school clubs is that ________.
| A．activities in the country are too competitive |
| B．children should attend four clubs at a time |
| C．some clubs result in competitive pressures |
| D．clubs should have more subjects for school children |
The last paragraph tells us that in Britain _______.
| A．parents used to take their children to every club |
| B．parents used to be wise on how to raise children |
| C．parents have all benefited from children’s clubs |
| D．parents have come to know the standard of education |
As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I’m writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it.”
“I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it’s more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei, the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. Through one’s handwriting, people can get to know one’s thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的) and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing. |
| B．To type or to Handwrite. |
| C．Writing by Computer will Replace Writing by Hand. |
| D．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters. |
Which of the following statements is NOT the advantage of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. |
| B．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| C．Handwriting can impress people well and build one’s self-confidence. |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined expression “taking stock in” probably means ___________.
| A．getting bored with | B．getting dependent on |
| C．becoming curious about | D．getting curious about |
We can draw the conclusion from the passage that ___________.
| A．more and more students will give up writing on a computer. |
| B．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day. |
| C．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting. |
| D．the typing article better expresses one’s emotion and quality. |
As for visiting Walt Disney World. People usually have trouble in arranging. The following will give you some practical suggestions on paying a valuable visit to the famous park.
When to go?
While it’s always busy, Disney World is slightly slower between mid-January and March. It’s summer when the visitors , combined with the heat and humidity(潮湿)， are crowded. Your best choice is either early in the morning or late in the day--- often you can enjoy more rides in the first or last two hours of the day than you can the entire rest of the day combined.
Where to stay?
The question: to stay on Disney World Resort property or not. Disney World offers three resort pricing: Deluxe(豪华的), Moderate, and Value, with good facilities and in-hotel attractions. That said, they all offer “Extra Magic Hours”(early access to the theme parks), guaranteed entry when the parks are over-crowded, and frequent shuttle service to the many attractions. Off-property hotels will have shuttle transfers, but often at less regular intervals(间歇)，wasting more time in transport. You’ll also need a rental car, which adds to the expense, making up for saving in the hotel rate. The “Magic Your Way Package” is a good value if you have a large family.
What to do?
Make use of the “Fast Pass” , which , for no extra cost, allow you to insert your entrance ticket into a particular machine at the attraction and receive a schedule ride time a little later on. For example, use your Fast Pass ticket at a ride just before getting lunch. Once you’re done eating, you can return to the ride and jump right on during the busiest time of day. At the Animal Kingdom, the animals are most active either early or late in the day, so plan accordingly. Thankfully this is fit for the least busy times of day in the park. Study the map of the park the night before to plan your visit. You’ll save time by knowing where things are and where you’re headed. Visitors who use Fast Pass tickets ________
| A．can get discounts on tickets |
| B．will have a well-planned ride time |
| C．will often be checked at the exit |
| D．have to pay more for their tickets |
If you have referred to the map of the park, you ________
| A．are sure to save time |
| B．will get the lowest-priced tickets |
| C．can learn the park’s location |
| D．may have your lost tickets replaced |
The underlined word “this” in the text probably refers to the fact that ________
| A．there are more visitors at that time |
| B．animals are active at that time |
| C．the Animal Kingdom attracts fewer visitors |
| D．Fast Pass benefits visitors a lot |
It can be learned from Part 2 that _________
| A．every visitor will have a rental car for free |
| B．all the shuttle transfers are convenient for visitors. |
| C．three typed of resort pricing are offered by Disney World |
| D．Young couples are advised to take the Magic Your Way Package |
"Get out of the plane!" Justin shouted. Teddy and he dropped to the ground…
When Kathy and Victor reached the edge of the meadow, flames of the fire were shooting more than five meters into the air．
Kathy couldn't believe what she was seeing．One glance told her they needed medical attention immediately．She questioned Victor, "Are you able to find someone nearby for help?"
"There are no farmers, nor villagers nearby," he replied．
"I'm a distance runner, and I'll go for help．" Looking at the seriously injured men, Kathy said to Victor, "It may take me several hours to get out．" She started out．
When she was 23, Kathy set a women's record in a Marathon of 42 kilometers．But now she was running the race of life. She had nearly 30 kilometers of hard wilderness to cover to get help．
Kathy had been running for two hours．This was far back into the wilderness．The country path was growing vague．She stopped to take a quick compass reading．Yes, she had run almost for more than 20 kilometers．Her heart fell, her muscle aching．And finally she saw her car in the distance．
She jumped into the car and sped away．She reached a holiday house and called the police．
During the wait, she walked around, relaxing her legs and drinking water. It took almost two hours for a police helicopter to reach her at the trail end．They needed her for one more task．Who actually had the airplane accident?
| A．Justin and Teddy | B．Kathy and Victor |
| C．Justin himself | D．Kathy herself |
The underlined part "Now, she was running the race of life" means that ____．
| A．Kathy would set up a new record |
| B．Kathy would run a race alone |
| C．Kathy was running for the lives of others |
| D．Kathy couldn't rely on Victor this time |
Kathy stopped to have a look at her compass because ____．
| A．she wasn't sure of her own memory |
| B．she had completely lost her way |
| C．the country path was getting vague |
| D．there was only the wilderness |
What do you think Kathy's final task would be?
| A．Giving the injured food and drinks． | B．Showing the police the crash site． |
| C．Going back to put out the big fire． | D．Taking the injured to the hospital． |
For some kids, old photos and baby pictures are embarrassing. For others, they are cherished keepsakes (纪念品). But for thousands of children living in orphanages (孤儿院) worldwide, these records of the past simply don't exist. Either the kids' parents weren't around to snap photos, or the pictures have been lost. Whatever the reason is, the Memory Project is giving orphans a lasting document of their youth.
Over the last two years, the Memory Project has provided hand-painted portraits to more than 4,000 children living in orphanages in poor countries. Ben Schumaker, 24, got the idea when he was visiting an orphanage in Guatemala in Central America. But he's not creating the portraits(肖像) alone. Students in hundreds of high school art classes across the U.S. paint them using photos sent from the orphanages.
Schumaker believes that the artists benefit from the project as much as the orphans do.“There are two purposes of the Memory Project,” he said. “One is to offer a special gift to the child abroad. The other is to help open the eyes of the student who is painting.”Staring into the eyes of another person, Schumaker believes, it creates a real connection. This connection raises awareness in U.S. schools about the needs of the world's poor children.“It's about planting a seed,” he said.
Schumaker is also working on Books of Hope, a project in which students of all ages put together homemade books for children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India will send books to the U.S. “It's important to me to have it be a two-way exchange,” Schmnaker says.Old photos and baby pictures are clearly unavailable to __ .
| A．the kids in rich families | B．the kids in common families |
| C．the kids in expanded families | D．the kids without parents |
How can the orphans in Guatemala get a continuing record of their youth?
| A．By hand-painted portraits that Ben Schumaker painted. |
| B．By the photos the orphanage taken for them. |
| C．By the photos taken by the U.S. students in high schools. |
| D．By the Memory Project started by Ben Schumaker. |
What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．The special gifts that the world's poor children received. |
| B．The benefits that the Memory Project brings. |
| C．The need of the US schools. |
| D．How to help the orphans. |
According to the passage, Schumaker helps the kids in .
| A．two countries | B．three countries |
| C．four countries | D．five countries |
A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.
Grimsvotn is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes
Grimsvotn different is that it lies under a huge glacier（冰川）of ice up to 12 metres thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer(层)
of water between glacier and the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava(岩浆) from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what is happening today.
Now airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane’s engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp, glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them eating ash-covered grass or the sharp objects.What makes Grimsvotn different from other volcanoes?
| A．It is under the sea. | B．Its lava affects the airlines. |
| C．It is the largest volcano. | D．It is below ice. |
What keeps Grimsvotn still?
| A．The slow flow of water.. | B．The thick glacier. |
| C．The water pressure. | D．The low water temperature. |
Which of the following is the result of the volcano eruption?
| A．It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside. |
| B．Famers have lost many of their animals. |
| C．Airlines suffer from the loss of planes. |
| D．People stop traveling in Europe. |
how many passengers were forced to stay in the airport?
| A．thousands of passengers | B．hundreds of passengers |
| C．ten thousands of passengers | D．20000 of passengers |