EscapetotheSunnyIslesoftheCari-优题课

Feeling blue about world? “Cheer up.” Says science writer Matt Ridley．”The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and for nature．”
Ridley calls himself a rational optimist—rational, because he’s carefully weighed the evidence; optimistic, because that evidence shows human progress to be both unavoidable and good．And this is what he’s set out to prove from a unique point of view in his most recent book．The Rational Optimist．He views mankind as grand enterprise that on the whole, has done little but progress for 100,000 years．He backs his finding with hard facts gathered through years of research．
Here’s how he explains his views．
1) Shopping fuels invention
It is reported that there are more than ten billion different products for sale in London alone．Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty, our own generation has access to more nutritious food, more convenient transport, bigger houses, better ears, and of course, more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us．This will continue as long as we use these things to make other things. The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we’ll be．
2）Brilliant advances
One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs -food, clothing, fuel and shelter- have grown a lot cheaper．Take one example．In 1800 a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work．In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for．In 1950 it was eight seconds．Today it’s half second．
3）Let’s not kill ourselves for climate change
Mitigating（减轻）climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself．A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel（化石燃料）electricity is forbidden by well - meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change．If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose - bleed by putting a tourniquet（止血带）around our necks．
What is the theme of Ridley’s most recent book?

A．Weakness of human nature．

B．Concern about climate change．

C．Importance of practical thinking．

D．Optimism about human progress．

How does Ridley look at shopping?

A．It encourages the creation of things．

B．It results in shortage of goods．

C．It demands more fossil fuels．

D．It causes a poverty problem．

The candle and lamp example is used to show that．

A．oil lamps give off more light than candles

B．shortening working time brings about a happier life．

C．advanced technology helps to produce better candles．

D．increased production rate leads to lower cost of goods．

American Girl
It's packed with the things that matter most to girls: party plans, games, crafts and girl-to-girl advice.
American Girl is an appealing, age-appropriate teen magazine that allows young girls to be themselves.
The magazine features fun contests, puzzles, giggles, and more! Stories, creative games, cool contests and great sports tips for girls aged 7-11 are available in each issue of American Girl magazine.
Issues per year: 6 Cover price: $ 27.95 Sale price: $22.95
Ladybug
Beautiful, colorful, and delightful to read, each issue is filled with charming read-aloud stories, games for memory and skill building, songs, poems, and activities for beginning readers. Parents can visit our online Parents Companion that recommends additional activities, crafts, and books.
Issues per year: 9 Cover price: $44.50 Sale price: $33.95
Cicada
A monthly magazine for teenagers and young adults aged 14 and up. It offers high-quality fiction and poetry dealing with the issue of growing up, leaving the joys and pains of childhood behind, and becoming an adult. Cicada magazine also encourages its teen readers to submit their own writing for publication. It’s so inspiring and humorous that you will not be able to put it down.
Issues per year: 6 Cover price: $51.00 Sale price: $33.95
Sorts Illustrated for Kids
It covers sports kids like. Featuring interviews with sports heroes, entertaining comics, breathtaking action photos, tips from the pros (职业运动员), news items of recent notes, games, puzzles, cartoons, fiction, advice from athletes, etc. Sports Illustrated for Kids is a magazine for children aged 8 and up.
Issues per year: 12 Cover price: $47.88 Sale price: $ 24.95
Which of the four magazines is the most suitable for a 4-year-old child?

A．American Girl.

B．Ladybug.

C．Cicada.

D．Sports Illustrated for Kids.

American Girl is a magazine different from the others because_______.

A．it features fun stories and great sports tips

B．it’s written specially for girls

C．it offers high-quality fiction and poetry

D．it comes out six times per year

If you order a magazine with interviews with sports heroes for one year, how much can you save?

A．$5.00

B．$10.55

C．$17.05

D．$22.93

Play is the basic business of childhood, and in recent years more and more research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest infancy （婴儿）, every child needs opportunity and the right material for play, and the main tools of play are toys. The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and assist play. To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often and will come back to again and again. Therefore, it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development.
In recent years research on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited(遗传的) abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life. So a baby's ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated. A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully.
The next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds. Every type of suitable toy should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability. Bricks and jigsaws and construction toys; painting, scribbling(乱涂) and making things; sand and water play; toys for imaginative and pretending play; the first social games for learning to play and get on with others．
By the third stage of play development—from five to seven or eight years old— the child is at school. But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school. It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys.
Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child. But once reading has been mastered, then books and school become the main source of learning. Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed —to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun.
The writer wants us to understand that a child_______.

A．cannot grow up without toys	B．matures（使成熟） through play
C．uses toys as friends	D．has to be taught how to play

According to the passage, the abilities a child has inherited from his parents ________.

A．determine his character

B．will not change after the age of three

C．partly determine the standard he is likely to reach

D．to a large extent determine the choice of toys

The passage tells us that children are the most curious when they are about______.

A．two years old

B．one year old

C．six years old

D．four years old

The article is about_______.

A．the importance of play

B．the importance of books

C．the relationship between play and work

D．children’s speech development

When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob(烤羊肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Easterner cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plate piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.
The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill (烤肉架).
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different styles of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.
When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________.

A．is splendidly decorated	B．has pleasant smells of kabobs
C．is crowded with dining tables	D．looks like a common restaurant

What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?

A．Watching news events on TV.

B．Drinking a kind of black coffee.

C．Reading local English newspapers.

D．Discussing world topics in low voices.

The food of the restaurant ________.

A．is served in small amounts	B．is rather expensive
C．is rich in variety	D．is very healthy

What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?

A．Rice.

B．Chicken

C．Bread

D．Beef

It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________.

A．occupies a large space

B．owns a favorable location

C．is popular for its special food

D．has a quiet environment inside

Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people(ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life—married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the large and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. “I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.”
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by “providing different feedback(反馈) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. “I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!
What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?

A．To offer students public services.

B．To help students improve their grades.

C．To organize sport activities for young people.

D．To provide partnership and fun for young people.

According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with.

A．advice from her teachers

B．a new way to assess herself

C．a new way to judge her schoolmates

D．more comments from her schoolmates

Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?

A．She used to be a volunteer.

B．She needed a part-time job.

C．She felt a bit bored with her life.

D．She wanted to get a challenging job.

According to the passage, “vulnerable young people” are probably those who are.

A．popular at school	B．rather weak physically
C．easily hurt emotionally	D．confident in themselves

Escape to the Sunny Isles of the Caribbean Snowmageddon! What a rough winter for so many parts of the country! All of that snow and cold only makes planning a trip to the Caribbean even more delightful. Although the true delight will be seeing sunny skies and hitting the beach, you can make it happen today — read on for some Caribbean escapes that fit every style and budget. Sunshine here we come.
Half Moon Bay, the Great Winter Thaw - through April 15th, 2010 Book a six-night stay on the crescent-shaped white sand beaches of Half Moon Bay and receive a 7th night free and 10% off all sun and spa activities. Golfers will delight playing the renovated Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed 18-hole golf course. The resort also boasts 13 lit tennis courts, equestrian center, fitness center, superb cuisine, 51 swimming pools, Anancy Children’s Village, water sports, Dolphin Lagoon and more. The Spa at Half Moon features beachfront spa suites, water sculptures, hydrotherapy swimming pools, yoga pavilions, and therapeutic/healing spa treatments. To Book use Voucher code GWT10 and book by March 31, 2010
Turks and Caicos Club Pictures in Paradise Package This 21-suite resort offers simple luxury with a touch of European sophistication. For $1,758 travelers can take advantage of the Pictures in Paradise Package which includes 3 nights in an oceanfront suite, daily breakfast, a half hour massage for two, a bottle of champagne and a one-hour photo session on the beach — along with a $75 credit towards pictures — to preserve your memories of beautiful Grace Bay Beach.