Mariah Evans at the University of Nevada, Reno, led a 20-year study which asked adults in 27 countries to tell the number of books that were in their home while they were growing up. Their answers showed that children raised around books spend more years in school, even if their parents are poor and illiterate (没文化的).
Mariah Evans said, “What we found was that there is a very big effect of growing up in a bookish home on children’s success in school. Children who grow up in homes where there are more books go further in education. And additional(额外的) books are especially important for children who come from families where the parents aren’t terribly highly educated. The books can be stories, sports, travels and anything. But there, we’re seeing that the books that have the most effect are history and science.”
“It says that there really is a contribution that parents can make to their children’s education. And it doesn’t mean that you have to turn into somebody like me whose walls are lined with books. “But it really does mean that if you spend a few minutes most days a week reading to your children, and if they see you reading from time to time, and if you talk about books with them from time to time, and when somebody asks a question, say ‘let’s look it up’ instead of discussing it as a matter of opinion—that all those things can actually make quite a great difference to children in their education.”
56. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. it is more difficult for children raised around books to finish school
B. highly educated parents prevent a child going further in education
C. more books are needed by children from poor and illiterate families
D. children with poor parents don’t spend as many years in school
57. According to the author, the books most important for the children are _______.
A. history and science B. sports and education
C. stories and travels D. all kinds of subjects
58. Wise parents can make quite a great difference to children in their education by_______.
A. turning themselves into somebody whose walls are lined with books
B. spending some minutes most days a week playing with their children
C. discussing them rather than looking up questions with their children
D. talking about books with their children from time to time
59. This passage mainly talks about_______.
A. the effect of bookish home on children B. the importance of parents
C. the necessity of reading more books D. the interest of children in books
第三部分:阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)选择题(共17小题:每小题2分,满分34分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Three armed robbers stole two Pablo Picasso prints from an art museum in downtown Sao Paulo on Thursday, which was the city's second high-profile art theft in less than a year. The bandits also took two oil paintings by well-known Brazilian artists Emiliano Di Cavalcanti and Lasar Segall, said Carla Regina, a spokeswoman for the Pinacoteca do Estado museum.
The Picasso prints stolen were "The Painter and the Model" from 1963 and "Minotaur, Drinker and Women" from 1933, according to a statement from the Sao Paulo Secretary of State for Culture, which oversees the museum. The prints and paintings have a combined value of $612,000, the statement and a museum official said.
About noon, three armed men paid the $2.45 entrance fee and immediately went to the second-floor gallery where the works were being exhibited, bypassing more valuable pieces, authorities said. "This indicates to us that they probably received an order" to take those specific works, Youssef Abou Chain, head of Sao Paulo's organized crime unit, told reporters at a news conference. The assailants overpowered three unarmed museum guards and grabbed the works, officials said. The robbery took about 10 minutes and the museum was nearly empty at the time. The assailants took the pieces — frames and all — out of the museum in two bags. The institution has no metal detectors.
In December, Picasso's "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch" and "O Lavrador de Cafe" by Candido Portinari, an influential Brazilian artist, were stolen from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art by three men who used a crowbar(铁撬棍)and car jack to force open one of the museum's steel doors. The framed paintings were found Jan. 8, covered in plastic and leaning against a wall in a house on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, South America's largest city. One of the suspects in that robbery — a former TV chef — turned himself over to police in January, who already had two suspects in custody(监禁).
56. What did the armed men steal on Thursday?
A. Two prints by Pablo Picasso
B. Two oil painting by Brazilian artists
C. Two prints by Pablo Picasso and two oil paintings by two Brazilian artists.
D. Two prints by two Brazilian artists and two oil paintings by Picasso Pablo.
57. Why didn't the thieves take other more valuable works?
A. Because they didn't know that the other pieces were worth more.
B. Probably because they had received an order for the prints that they took.
C. Because they didn't have enough time.
D. Because they were in such a hurry that they couldn’t get them all.
58. How many people were in the museum during the robbery?
A. A lot. The museum was crowded.
B. Not too many. It was almost empty.
C. There were a lot of people outside the museum.
D. Only three of them.
59. According to the passage, which of the followings is TRUE?
A. In December, "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch" and "O Lavrador de Cafe" painted by Candido Portinari were stolen.
B. There are steel doors and no detectors in Sao Paulo Museum of Art.
C. Three robbers defeated three armed museum guards and took away the works on Thursday.
D. Three suspects in the first high-profile art theft in less than a year were arrested.
The first bullet "train designed and manufactured in China with a speed of 300 kilometers per hour roiled off the production line on Saturday morning. The train was the latest model in the country' s China Railway High-speed (CRH) Series. This marks that China has joined a leading world club after Japan, France and Germany to become the fourth country capable of turning out such high speed trains. Previously, China' s fastest selfdeveloped trains ran at a service speed of up to 250 km per hour.
Those trains, which presented to public on April 18, served the Beijing-Harbin, Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou routes. The new streamlined train was made of aluminum alloy(铝合金). The train body was the lightest of its kind in the world; Such a design was for the sake of energy economization. The train' s power was 12.7 kilowatts, lower than other high-speed trains, which was normally about 15 kilowatts.
The new train, which features a bar in the dining car and double-faced LCD TV screens in the first-class cars, was equipped with shock absorbers between carriages. As the train is running at a high speed, the shock absorbers are used to reduce shocking force and rocking of the train body. A train with eight carriages could seat about 600 passengers. They were expected to run on the 115-km Beijing-Tianjin route starting from August before the Beijing Olympic Games. It would reduce the journey time from the current 80 minutes to around 30 minutes.
77. From the 1st paragraph we learn that_______.
A. The latest model of CRH Series ran at a service speed of up to 250 km per hour
B. China became the fourth country in the world able to produce bullet trains
C. The first self-developed bullet train roiled off the production line at a speed of 300 km per hour
D. China has joined a leading world club consisting of Japan ; France and Germany
78. The new bullet train_______.
A. has been put into use in China B. has double-faced LCD TV sets in first carriage
C. is slower than high-speed trains D. is made of the lightest material in the world
79. "It" in the last paragraph refers to_______.
A. a train with eight carriages B. the speed of 115 km per hour
C. the Ministry of Railways D. the use of the new train
80. What is mainly talked about in this passage.'?
A. The bullet trains designed and made in China have been put into operation.
B. The bullet trains serve many of the main routes between big cities in China.
C. The new bullet trains are equipped with some advanced facilities.
D. The new bullet trains are expected to run for the Beijing Olympic Games.
The Media Village and Media Hotel for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will provide a collection of convenient services to the host broadcasters, rights holding broadcasters, and other media this summer.
Located near the Beiyuanlukou North Station of the Line 5 subway, the Media Village is northeast of the Olympic Green and the Olympic Forest Park in the north of the city -- just five kilometers(km) from the Main Press Center (MBC) and two km from the International Broadcast Center (IBC).
It will take just 15 minutes by car to reach the National Stadium and other core stadiums. In addition, shuttle buses to the different stadiums will run daily. Journalists will be able to pass the security check for their destination stadium when they get on the buses and be able to enter the stadium upon arrival.
The Media Village is being completed in two phases (阶段). Composed of two sections, the 640,000-sqm Media Village will accommodate 7,000 journalists. The project can continue to adopt changes according to the requirements of the Olympics.
Journalists staying at the Media Village will enjoy an attractive selection of services, including completely furnished rooms, a 24-hour media workroom, ADSL, 24-hour dining service, UPS delivery service, banking, Olympic licensed product store, newspaper and magazine booth, dry cleaning, post office, and gym.
In line with the concepts of " Green Olympics," " Hi-tech Olympics," and " People's Olympics," the Media Village makes use of green construction materials and surpasses the city's energy-saving standards by 60 percent.
Completed last May, the Media Village is undergoing decoration and outside greening at present. It is scheduled to be open from July 25 to August 29, 2008.
73. The Media Village is _______.
A. in the northeast of the Olympic Forest Park
B. five kilometers from the Main Press Center
C. two kilometers from the International Broadcast Center
D. a-quarter car ride from the National Stadium
74. Journalists staying at the Media Village must receive security check when_______.
A. entering any destination stadiums before their arrival
B. getting on the buses or entering any stadiums
C. getting on the buses to their destination Stadium
D. entering any destination stadiums upon their arrival
75. As for the Media Village, we know from the passage that _______.
A. Journalists at the Media Village will enjoy all kinds of services they need
B. It is designed to provide excellent services and built with higher standards
C. The Media Village reaches 60 percent of the city' s energy-saving standards
D. It will be completed in May, 2008 and will be open in July or August, 2008
76. What does the whole passage tell us about the Media Village?
A. Its convenience, accommodations and decoration.
B. Its function, safety, standards and transportation.
C. Its location, security, services and construction.
D. Its importance, security check and use.
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes - they are failing because the "academic" classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well-rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art - there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge - certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
69. Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because_______.
A. the school committee pays no attention to them
B. the school is afraid of losing financial support
C. the students are not interested in both of them
D. the state standardized test is more important
70. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The sufficiency of the classes determines students' performance in the mastery test
B. Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today' s school system
C. Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons
D. The school committee completely influences students' attitude towards the arts
71. We can learn that music and art can _______.
A. motivate students in creativity and expression
B. make students round-shaped people in future
C. provide students with analytical thinking
D. prevent students graduating from high school
72. The best title of the passage can be _______.
A. "Who Killed Music and Drama?" B. "Can Curriculum Go Without Music?"
C. "Why is Music So Important?" D. "How To Prepare For the Real World?"
Four Insurance Policies You Can' t Do Without
A single gap in insurance coverage could wipe out the money that yon' ve earned for many years through your hard work.That' s why it' s important to give yourself a yearly insurance checkup, whether you buy your policies through an agent or from one of the growing number of insurance companies.
Health.Before selecting a policy from your employer or deciding among Medicare options, review your current health,predictable medical needs, and family status.This review should help you avoid a plan that fails to cover a necessary treatment or paying for services that you know you'll never use.
Disability. Your chances of becoming disabled before you retire are far greater than your chances of dying. So every working person needs some kind of disability coverage. If you are working for an employer who offers less than that, you can buy an individual policy to promote your coverage.
Homeowners or renters. Make sure you have replacement-cost coverage that would pay the current costs of rebuilding your home and replacing your personal possessions. A policy that would only pay for the decrease in value of these items isn' t good enough, because you could end up recovering just a small part of their costs. Don' t forget flood and/or earthquake insurance if you live in a locate that has a possible tendency to these types of disasters.
Life. Empty nesters and retirees may. no longer need life insurance at all. But if you have dependents who would suffer financially if you died, it' s still a must.
65. To have your insurance checkup every year is mainly because _______.
A. the gap in insurance coverage could cost you a large sum
B. the gap in insurance coverage could bring you benefits
C. some insurance agencies cover few of your policies
D. too many insurance companies prefer to sell coverage
66. _______ can be ignored while deciding among Medicare choices.
A. Your necessary treatment. B. Your personal health at present.
C. Your social status. D. Your predictable medical needs.
67. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Workers needn' t buy personal disability coverage if their bosses offer that
B. Insurance companies can secure the full value of private possessions
C. Earthquake insurance can cover replacement-cost caused by the disaster
D. Divorced or retired people may need life insurance for their dependents
68. We can infer that demand for insurance_______.
A. varies due to individual needs of coverage
B. stays the same whether you are working or not
C. increases when we move to a new place
D. decreases if we have a large family to support