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
You can tell a lot about a person from the clothes they wear, but you can also tell a lot about a person simply from the handbags they carry. It's hard to believe, but you can find out a number of things about a woman's personality just by looking at the type of handbag she carries. Below you will find a number of handbag styles and colors as well as what each specific type of handbag says about the owner.
Styles:
Under-the Shoulder – handbags which are smaller and fit tightly underneath the shoulder indicate class and sophistication. A women working in an upscale office or someone of high status would choose this form of handbag.
Big and Bulky – Big, bulky and oversized bags are casual and are often associated with younger individuals. These are used for individuals who carry a number of things (binders, books etc) and require a lot of space. Down-to-earth, lower-maintenance women would carry this type of handbag.
Designer – Designer handbags often cost an arm and a leg and therefore are usually associated with high-maintenance females. Females who are confident and require top of the line accessories will settle for nothing less than a name-brand designer purse. Guys watch out for these girls, they tend to be a handful.
Cigar Box Purses – A women who carries a cigar box purse likes to be unique and stand out from the crowd. These women have minds of their own and cannot be told what to do. They are comfortable in their own skin and tend to be very independent.
Leather with Buckles and Zippers – women who choose leather purses with lots of buckles and zippers are leashing out their wild sides. These women tend to act before they think and are always ready for a good time. The extra buckles and zippers tend to signify a "bad girl" image.
Colors:
Bright Colors – Bright colored handbags like pink, purple, bright blue and green indicate that the woman is fun, friendly and approachable. Women who are out-going and sociable will tend to choose these colors. This is the type of woman who will strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.
Black and Brown – women who choose black or brown handbags tend to be more formal in manners and are often mistaken as being snobby or restricted. These types of handbags are often associated with down-to-earth women, who are shy at first, but open up after a while. They tend to exude a shy confidence, which is sometimes mistaken as someone who thinks she's better than others.
The style and color of your handbag says a lot about you. Choose your handbag very carefully and remember you can choose more than one style. You may feel like being reserved one day and the center of attention another…it's natural to want different things in life. Who is likely to start a conversation with a complete stranger according to the passage?
| A．A woman with her handbag carried under the shoulder. |
| B．A woman carrying an oversized handbag. |
| C．A woman carrying a bright colored handbag. |
| D．A woman who chooses a black or brown handbag. |
Women who choose leather purses with lots of buckles and zippers probably ______.
| A．make careful decisions | B．enjoy having fun |
| C．act in bad manners | D．become bad girls |
A woman who carries a cigar box purse likes to ______.
| A．follow others’ steps | B．live a simple life | C．act to their own mind | D．work with |
Forget famous goal celebration such as “The Robot” by Peter Crouch and “The Dive” by Juergen Klinsmann, here comes the South African “Diski dance”, which is performed through heading and kicking an imaginary ball, may be a goal celebration to watch in the following matches.
South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala and his team mates performed this different dance when they celebrated his goal against Mexico in the opening World Cup game on Friday. The dance is already popular on YouTube and many soccer fans may want to learn the moves.
Even South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has learnt the Diski dance which could surpass Cameroon Roger Milla's corner flag dance celebration in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. U.S. actor John Travolta performed the dance shortly after landing his Boeing 707 at Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning.
Goal celebrations are now part of the biggest sporting event and players plan them in advance just in case they find the back of the net. In football, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration may be performed by the goal- scorer, his or her teammates, the manager or coaches and the supporters of the team.
The Robot goal celebration was so popular that England fans were surprised when Crouch , an English international footballer, said that he “wouldn’t be doing it any more unless England won the World Cup.”
The word Diski is a word used by the local people for soccer and may also describe the local style of football which focuses on dribbling（带球）and other tricks.Besides “Diski Dance”, how many types of goal celebrations are mentioned in this passage?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
The underlined part “find the back of the net” in Paragraph 4 means .
| A．score a goal | B．win the match |
| C．take a rest | D．take part in a match |
What do we learn about the word “Diski”?
| A．It has become the most popular sports word in the world now. |
| B．It was used to show how people were good at dribbling. |
| C．It was used to describe a football which was imagined by footballers. |
| D．It was mainly used in South Africa before the South Africa World Cup. |
If you’d like to go sightseeing, the following World Heritage Sites may be your best choices.
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
The Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, reaches a height of more than 4,800 meters, with a series of different forest ecosystems（生态系统）. There you can enjoy watching excellent waterfalls. Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637.
Khami Ruins National Monument
The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological（考古的）interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls（环礁）in the world whose ecology（生态）has not been touched by human beings. It is especially famous for the ten plants and four land birds that can only be seen on the island. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/487.
The Old City of Jerusalem
As a holy city for three different religions in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance. It was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” the following year. For more information, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148.What can we know about the Jiuzhaigou Valley?
| A．It sits at the foot of a 4,800-meter-high mountain. |
| B．It has different forest ecosystems. |
| C．Most of China’s endangered plants can be found there. |
| D．In all about 140 kinds of birds and animals live there. |
The discovery of some of the objects in Khami shows that the city.
| A．had a very short history |
| B．was ruined in the mid-16th century |
| C．was once Great Zimbabwe’s largest city |
| D．once played a great role as a trade center |
From the passage we can learn that Henderson Island.
| A．hasn’t been greatly influenced by human activities |
| B．isn’t suitable for humans to live on |
| C．has been open to visitors for years |
| D．is made up of a few large atolls |
If you are interested in religion, you should visit.
| A．http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148 |
| B．http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365 |
| C．http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/487 |
| D．http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/637 |
I have recently completed my college degree. The last project was called “Smile”. The class was asked to go out to smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake.
My husband, youngest son and I went out to McDonald. We were standing in line when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away. As I turned around I smelled a horrible body odour （气味）and saw two poor homeless men standing behind me. As I looked at the short blue-eyed gentleman closest to me, he was “smiling”. The second man fumbled（摸索）with his hands as he stood behind his friend.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, “Coffee is all, Miss,” because that was all they could afford.
Then I really felt it－I embraced（拥抱） the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked two more breakfast meals on and gave them to the men.
The blue-eyed gentleman looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.” When I sat down my husband smiled at me. We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that because of the good fortune that we had been given.
I turned in my project. My teacher said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s and every soul that heard the story in the classroom. But, I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn. Why did people around the author in the McDonald step back?
| A．Because they were very polite to the two men. |
| B．Because they were moved by the two men. |
| C．Because the two men smelt terrible. |
| D．Because the two men seemed unfriendly. |
Why did the two men only buy coffee?
| A．Because they didn’t have enough money. |
| B．Because they didn’t feel hungry. |
| C．Because they knew others would help them. |
| D．Because they were looked down upon. |
How did the teacher think of the author’s project?
| A．Hard to believe. | B．Interesting to read. |
| C．Very puzzling. | D．Very satisfying. |
What did the author think she learn from the story?
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Helping others can bring pleasure to many people. |
| C．Nothing is difficult to a willing heart. |
| D．Don’t judge people according to their appearance. |
Nowadays everybody seems to think that they know English. Many people speak it but few speak it really well. Practice is necessary in speaking English well.
Reading is also one of the things that will help you to speak English better. Read whenever you can and whatever you like! Read papers and Internet sites that you like in English every day. Then, you will see that the number of known words is increasing and you are able to speak with more skills. Then you will have made the foundations（基础）and a good basis of English. It is not good to stop and get stuck there.
Going to England or an English speaking country is a good choice, but many people cannot afford it. If you cannot go, reading and speaking with your friends will also help you to practice your English. However, I think that it is very good to visit some English speaking country to see and test your knowledge in everyday life. You will feel the everyday usage of the language in its natural environment. There your level of English is going to improve even faster. Your ability to speak English is better. Nothing can match the excitement and happiness when a native speaker tells you that your English is very good!
Finally, in order to speak English well, you must be persistent（坚持的）and do it every day. It is like playing the piano. Pianists play it every day and so should you. Include English in your life and you will see where it is going. Practice, practice! Read, write and improve your language skills and you are on your way when you will be able to speak it with more and more confidence! Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Improve Your Language Skills | B．How to Speak English Well |
| C．Speaking English | D．Practice, Practice |
What does the writer suggest doing about reading?
| A．Trying to improve your vocabulary. |
| B．Keeping on reading when you have time. |
| C．Stopping when you have a good basis of English. |
| D．Looking up every unknown word when reading. |
In the writer’s eyes, the essential way to improve your speaking skills is .
| A．practicing | B．going abroad |
| C．reading | D．writing |
According to the passage, what may make the author excited?
| A．Reading papers and Internet sites. | B．Having a good basis of English. |
| C．Going to an English speaking country. | D．A native speaker’s praise. |