This is a dangerous world we live in. The number of murders goes up every year, people are dying of cancer, more people contract HIV, more teens are using drugs, ect. You know this because you’ve heard all the statistics on the news and in the paper. But do you really have an accurate idea what they mean? The numbers are going up, but how do they compare to the growth in population? Are more cases of these diseases being reported because of better testing techniques, or are the diseases more common? The fact is that without knowing the background statistics mean very little.
This growing trend of reporting only part of the information is becoming dangerous. For example, several years ago a high school student reported the dangers of the chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide. This chemical, found in most cancerous tumors, is often found in the blood of people drunk on alcohol, and causes complete physical and mental dependence for those who take the chemical even once. After reading his report, more than 75% of his Advanced Placement Chemistry class voted to forbid this dangerous chemical! Every one of the above statement is true, yet this chemical is necessary to all life on earth. The students made a mistake because they voted knowing only a few statements and statistics, rather than the chemical’s full background.
The point of this article is that one should be aware of what is and is not being said. When one finds a new fact or number, one should try to consider other important information before forming an opinion with only half-truths. Always remember that the author is trying to convince you of his or her own view, and will leave our information that is different from his view. For example, look again at the statistics that suggest skiing is safe. Only 32 people die each year when skiing, while 897 die from lightening strikes, but which is really more dangerous? If you think more about it, you will realize far fewer people go skiing each year than the number of people in danger of a lightning strike. When you think about it again, skiing is more dangerous than you might at first think when looking at the statistics. If we teenagers are to be left in this world, we had better be able to think critically, and form our own views, rather than be easily persuaded by another’s. to be warned is just to be prepared.
1.What’s the author’s attitude towards the growing trend of reporting only part of the___________ information?
A.sapproving B. Positive C. Indifferent D. Dangerous
2.In the first paragraph, what does the writer suggest?
A.We are now living in a dangerous world.
B.We get a lot of false statistics from the media.
C.There are around us more and more murders diseases, ect.
D.Statistics alone without full background don’t give us an accurate picture of things.
3.What’s the purpose of the writer’s using the two examples in the second paragraph?
A.To argue that high school students are easily persuaded.
B. To prove what is necessary to us might be dangerous.
C.To show the danger of reporting only part of the information.
D.To warn us of the harmful substance around us.
4.Relative information is often left out because ___________________.
A.it is not important
B.the author is trying to show what he or she says is true
C.readers will consider other important information
D.readers are able to form an opinion with half-truths
5.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Some measures must be taken to protect our dangerous world.
B.The growing trend of reporting only half-truths is getting out of control.
C.Teenagers ought to improve their ability of telling right from wrong.
D.We should learn to think critically and look at problems from all sides.
请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填人最恰当的单词。
注意:每空格1个单词。
Quality after-school programs are designed to improve academic performance, decrease youth crimes and other high-risk behaviors, and help young people grow into healthy, successful adults.
The effect of quality after-school programs on academic performance is clear. Studies show that students who take part in such programs show better work habits, higher rates of homework completion, improved grades, and higher scores on achievement tests. They also have fewer absences and are less likely to blame. After-school programs also influence high-risk teen behavior. Various studies show decreased rates of crime, drug-taking, and teen sex among youth who join in well-run after-school programs when compared to similar youth who do not. Finally, after-school programs play an important role in supporting different kinds of fields of development: physical development, mental development and social development. Thus, one can safely say that after-school programming is an effective method to help young people become contributing members of society.
Although there is enough proof from both small and large assessments that after-school programs can make a positive difference, it is important to note that not all programs are equal. First, dosage matters -- young people who attend the most hours over the most years benefit more than members who attend less often or over a shorter period of time. Next, after-school programs make a bigger difference for those students who need help most and have the fewest choices. Finally, program qualities matter. After-school programs work best when they create unique opportunities for youth. They should provide opportunities, skill building meaningful involvement, expression, suggestion, service, and work. Staff characteristics make an important difference in the quality of a program. The adults should treat youth as partners, create safe and fair environment, encourage personalized involvement, and actively create learning opportunities. In short, although after-school programs have a promising future, how they are designed and run matters.
Title: Quality After-school Programs
Purpose |
1. 2. Decreasing youth crimes and other high-risk behaviors 3. Helping young people grow into healthy, successful adults |
|
Effects |
1. Improved academic performance ● better work ● higher rates of homework completion ● improved grades and higher scores ● fewer absences and |
Helping young people become members making a contribution to |
2. Decreased high-risk teen behaviors ● decreased rates of crime ●drug ● teen sex among youth |
||
3. Various development ● ● mental development ● social development |
||
Factor |
1. Dosage matters. 2. 3. Qualities matter. |
|
The future of after-school programs is promising, |
Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure(结构), but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It's uncommon that many students who are bad speakers of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their idea in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence (自信).
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you succeed.What's the best topic for the passage?
A.How to Speak to Foreigners | B.How to Study English Well |
C.How to Organize the Idea in English | D.Practice Speaking English All the Time |
Many Chinese students can write English very well, but they cannot speak English fluently because
__________.
A.they seldom meet foreigners |
B.they seldom practice speaking English |
C.they had no chance to speak English |
D.they think it's enough to master the basic language structure only |
So many Chinese students are afraid to speak to foreigners because ______________.
A.they are afraid they can't understand foreigners |
B.they don't think their English is poor |
C.they worry about making mistakes in their speaking |
D.they didn't like speaking to foreigners |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A.We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking. |
B.If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English. |
C.If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well. |
D.Any Chinese students can't speak English fluently because they are afraid of making mistakes. |
In the last paragraph, the expression "get rid of" means_______.
A.throw away | B.free oneself from | C.give up | D.do with |
What exactly is a lie ?Is it anything we say which we know is untrue ?Or is it something more than that ?For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say “I wish I could help you, but I am short of money myself.” In fact , you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don’t want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie ?
Professor Jerald Jellison of the University of southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a “white lie”, such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it’s terrible. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise that they have no intention of carrying out. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at :the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has been done into the way people’s behavior changes in a number of small, unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying “I wish I were somewhere else now”. They also tend to touch certain parts of the face, particularly the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose is very sensitive to changes and the increased pressure makes it itch.
Another gesture that gives liars away is what the writer Decmond Morris in his book Man Watching calls the “mouth cover”. He says that there are several typical forms of this ,such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers, touching the upper lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side off the mouth. Such a gesture can be understood as an unconscious(未察觉的) attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth , moving about in a chair can not be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to happen more often in this situation. It is one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things , and in particular the context(上下文) which the lie is told.According to the passage, a white lie seems to be a lie ______.
A.that other people believe |
B.that other people don’t believe |
C.told in order not to hurt someone’s feelings |
D.told in order to take advantage of someone |
Research suggests that women _____.
A.are better at telling less serious lies than men |
B.generally lie for more than men do |
C.often make promises they intend to break |
D.lie at parties more often than men do |
Researchers find that when a person tells lies _____.
A.his blood pressure increases measurably |
B.he looks very serious |
C.he is likely to make some small changes in his behavior |
D.he uses his unconscious mind |
The writer of the passage______.
A.hates lying | B.enjoys lying | C.often tells a lie | D.tries to study about lying |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a sign of lying ?
A.Touching one’s ears | B.Rubbing the nose |
C.Moving in a chair | D.Covering the mouth |
A traveler hurried down to the hall of an American hotel and went to the cash-desk. He had just 15 minutes to pay his bill and get to the station. Suddenly he remembered that he had left something in his room.
"Look here, boy," he said to the bellboy, "run up to my room and see if I have left a parcel on the table there. Be quick about it."
The boy ran upstairs. Five minutes passed. The traveler was walking up and down the hall, looking very angry. At last the boy appeared.
"Yes, sir," he reported to the traveler," you have left the parcel there, it's right on the table in your room." The traveler _______.
A.ran down the street |
B.came downstairs hurriedly |
C.ran so quickly that he fell down |
D.came into the hotel hall very quickly |
Which statement is true?
A.He had to pay his bill and arrived at the station in 15 minutes . |
B.It took him 15 minutes to go to the station from the hotel. |
C.He could pay his bill in 15 minutes and then go to the station . |
D.He had nothing but 15 minutes. |
According to the passage, a bellboy is _____.
A.a boy whose work is to ring the bell |
B.a boy who plays with a bell |
C.a boy whose work in a hotel is to help guests with their bags |
D.the hotel owner's boy |
The traveler asked the boy _____ .
A.to go upstairs |
B.to look for his parcel |
C.to fetch the parcel he had left in his room |
D.only to see if the parcel was on the table in his room |
Five minutes later, the boy ______ .
A.ran up to the room |
B.came downstairs |
C.reported to the traveler in the room |
D.came down to the hall but brought nothing back |
One day a few years ago, a very funny thing happened to a neighbor of mine. He is a teacher at one of London's big medical schools. He had finished his teaching for the summer term and was at the airport on his way to Russia to give a lecture.
He had put a few clothes and his lecture notes in his shoulder bag , and he had put Rupert , the skeleton (人体骨架)to be used in his lecture , in a large brown suitcase. At the airport desk, he suddenly thought that he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the shop.
When he got back, he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase by mistake. He often wonders what they said when they got home and found Rupert. Who wrote the story?
A.Rupert's teacher. | B.The neighbor's teacher. |
C.A medical school teacher. | D.The teacher's neighbor. |
Why did the teacher put a skeleton in his suitcase?
A.He needed it for the summer term in London. |
B.He needed it for the lecture he was going to give. |
C.He wanted to take it to Russia for medical research. |
D.He wanted to take it home as he had finished his teaching. |
What happened at the airport?
A.The skeleton went missing. | B.The skeleton was stolen. |
C.The teacher forgot his suitcase. | D.The teacher took the wrong suitcase. |
Which of the following best tells the teacher's feeling about the incident?
A.He was angry. | B.He thinks it very funny. |
C.He feels helpless without Rupert. | D.He feels good without Rupert. |
Which of the following might have happened afterwards?
A.The teacher got back the suitcase but not Rupert. |
B.The teacher got back neither the suitcase nor Rupert. |
C.The teacher got back Rupert but not the suitcase. |
D.The teacher got back both the suitcase and Rupert. |