Adventure in Africa
by Connie Lee Berry
Ages 7-9 85 pages Kid's Fun Press December 2007
Adventure in Africa is written for children aged between 7 and 9 and may just be my favorite book in the Incredible Journey Series. In this book the two main characters Max and Sam are taken to an African Safari camp. Even with all the care taken by the staff to ensure the safety and comfort of the camp, things do go wrong and the two brothers find themselves rescuing an elephant and their tour guide, while braving the native wildlife and habitat of Africa.
Adventure in Africa is one of four books in this series of fluent readers’ paperback travel adventure books by Connie Lee Berry. The font(字体) is quite large and there are roughly a dozen maps, images and pictures in the book, which will attract younger readers. As an extra attraction, the back cover of the book lists some activities for children to do.
The animal photos were exciting, especially when the boys were able to ride an elephant! The pictures on the cover look like regular photos of family vacations. A large, interactive (互动的) companion website (www.ijbooks.com) allows readers to join in activities, contests and a club.
The price of the book is only $3.95 (US) now,$1 lower than before, and Adventure in Africa is a bargain. Hurry up to order one.
60. The book Adventure in Africa is written for _________.
A. all the readers B. young parents C. young kids D. high school students
61. From the first paragraph we get to know _________ of the book.
A. the general idea B. the design C. the author D. the price
62. The last word in the passage ‘bargain’ probably means ‘something _________.
A. cheap B. expensive C. useful D. priceless
63. The purpose of the writer is _________.
A. to tell readers something about Africa B. to ask readers to join in contests
C. to introduce the book D. to attract young readers to buy it
In so many ways, cyberspace(网络空间) mirrors the real world. People ask for information, play games, and share hobby tips. Others buy and sell products. Still others look for friendship, or even love.
Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer screen. Identity and appearance mean very little in cyberspace. Rather, a person’s thoughts—or at least the thoughts they type—are what really count. So even the shyest person can become a chat-room star.
Usually, this “faceless” communication doesn’t create problems. Identity doesn’t really matter when you’re in a chat room discussing politics or hobbies. In fact, this emphasis on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation. Where else can so many people come together to chat about their interests?
But some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with. They’re looking for serious love relationships. Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some of these relationships actually succeed. Others fail miserably.
Supporters of online relationships claim that the Internet allows couples to get to know each other intellectually first. Personal appearance doesn’t get in the way.
But critics of online relationships argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace. Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them. Internet users can carefully craft their words to fit whatever image they want to give. And they don’t have to worry about what their “faceless” communication is doing for their image. In a sense, they’re not really themselves.
All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace. But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship. With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination “fill in the blanks.” This inevitably leads to disappointment when couples meet in person. How someone imagines an online friend is often quite different than the real person.
So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll: “Life in the real world is far richer than anything you’ll find on a computer screen.”
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)We learn about a person in cyberspace only through _________________.
Why is the Internet a great place for exciting conversation?
What makes online love relationship often fail?
From the passage we can learn that the writer __________________________ looking for love on the Internet.
Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone manufacturers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. Voice calls - Americans chat on cell phones 2.26 trillion(万亿)minutes annually - earn $109 billion for the wireless carriers.
Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.
Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.
“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable(易受伤的)to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid(易吸收的液体). No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen(腹部).According to Ms Davis, brain cancer increase ____.
A.among children | B.among old people |
C.in the twenties | D.among pregnant women |
Why do children easily be affected by radiation?
A.Because they haven’t grown up. |
B.Because they are too young to protect themselves. |
C.Because they use cell phones more often than adults. |
D.Because their skulls are thinner and their brains are easily hurt. |
What can we conclude from the last paragraph?
A.Pregnant women should keep cell phones away. |
B.People should use cell phones in the correct way. |
C.If you are a child, you’d better text than make phone calls. |
D.When you use a cell phone, use a wired headset or the phone’s speaker. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.Be careful when using cell phones. |
B.Don’t hold your cell phone against your ear. |
C.Rats exposed to radiation have damaged DNA in their brains. |
D.Low-energy radiation could damage cells that could lead to cancer. |
Wherever she goes, Molly leaves her mark. Without saying a word, she speaks to people with her kind eyes. Even when she walks away, she leaves an impression.Molly's mark is a smile, stamped into the ground by the horseshoe at the bottom of her false leg.
A few years ago, Molly was badly attacked by a dog.The dog bit all four or Molly’s legs and left large cuts in her face. Molly's owner, Kate Harris, took her to an animal hospital.Doctors there were able to save Molly’s life, but soon one of her legs became very infected(感染).
At first, doctors thought Molly would have to be put to sleep.But Molly changed their minds. This pony, doctors noticed, shifted her weight, and rested her good leg from time to time. Doctors knew t hat Molly had amazing intelligence, and that she wanted to live.
Several doctors operated on Molly, and removed her infected leg. A false leg was made for her. The leg was a hollow cast with a pole at the bottom for balance. Doctors gave Molly a special horseshoe at the bottom of the leg. This horseshoe she had had a stamp of a smile face in it!
After the operation, Molly walked around on all four legs, as if nothing had ever happened to her! Now, with every step she takes, she stamps a smile in the dirt.But she leaves her m ark in other ways, too.
Kaye Harris took Molly to the false leg center. There were children there who, like Molly, had artificial arms or legs. They were amazed to see a pony with a false leg. Molly made them smile and gave them hope. Soon, Molly began to visit schools, nursing homes, army bases and hospitals. A book was even written about Molly!Molly is the name of a__________.
A.dog | B.horse | C.parent | D.child |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.Molly can speak to people in kind words. |
B.Kay Harris took Molly to a children’s hospital after the attack. |
C.In the beginning, doctors had planned to end Molly’s life. |
D.Molly sometimes leaves smiling marks on people’s faces. |
What is unique about Molly?
A.Molly has a false leg with a horseshoe shaped like a smiling face. |
B.Molly ran a race and won the first prize. |
C.Molly often visits places such as schools and parks. |
D.Molly has become a symbol of hope for people of all ages. |
Squirrels often communicate with whistles, chirps and chucks, which sound like the word “chuck”. Whistles and chirps are like the sounds that many birds make.Now scientists have translated some of their squirrel-speak.
Hare, a professor of zoology at the University of Maniloha in Winnipeg, and his team managed to record squirrels' alarm calls.The researchers studied the sounds and then played them back to 60 wild squirrels, which the scientists approached individually with a video recorder to capture(抓拍)their reponses.Some squirrels lifted their heads up and became.Alert(警惕的).Creatures that were more frightened simply ran for their lives and dived into caves.
"In effect then, whistles that mix with chucks say 'there's an enemy of average threat that's here', and whistles without chucks say 'there's an enemy of seemingly average threat around here somewhere', while pure chirps say, 'I'm hiding here because there's an immediate danger.' " Hare told.Discovery News.
Hare and some other researchers believe such sounds arc part of an advanced language that develops just as all other communication systems.
Although squirrels risk their lives when they call out to warn others of threats, other squirrels might admire this behaviour, thus increasingly the caller’s social status, like humans who look up to heroes. Hare added that other animals, such as birds, probably understand at least some squirrel language, since they also may benefit from the alarm calls.
In fact, another Canadian study found that deep-voiced, black-capped chickadees have their own language too.According to certain research, there are a lot of tidings in chickadees' calls, such as directing fellows' activities, keeping in contact between mates, and raising alarms.
While chickadees and other birds are often welcomed into gardens by homeowners, squirrels are frequently viewed as pests(害兽). Hare wishes a greater understanding of the complex social lives and communication systems of squirrels will provide “hope that humans will gain a greater appreciation and stop doing harm to these animals”.The text mainly talks about
A.the study on the language of squirrels |
B.the comparison between squirrels and chickadees |
C.the calling for the protection of squirrels |
D.the ways for squirrels to escape from their enemies |
If a squirrel is in a very dangerous situation, it would probably make ____.
A.whistles with chucks | B.pure chirps |
C.whistles without chucks | D.repeated chucks |
The underlined word “tidings” in pardgmph 6 probably means ____.
A.difficulties | B.poises | C.messages | D.languages |
What can be learned from this text?
A.Squirrels communicate with cach other as humans do. |
B.Some squirrels understand the recorded alarm calls. |
C.Other animals also well understand the language of squirrels. |
D.Birds such as chickadees don’t have their own language. |
Moral science is taught as a subject in most schools but with little effect. Perhaps part of the problem lies in the fact that morality is not a science, strictly speaking. It is too much of a social phenomenon, and also has too much of the personal and subjective things mixed within. Besides, morality itself changes with generations. So it is impossible to be defined in a textbook.
I remember sitting through forty minutes of moral lessons, which told stories about little children who never told lies and were rewarded for their goodness. It had little effect and left no impression on me, though.
If moral science has to be taught as a subject in schools, it needs a participatory(参与其中的) approach. When you tell a child about morals, you also have to deal with social norms(规范)and cultural differences. You have to explain that morality can be subjective, and be able to co-exist in society. You will probably have to refer to the morals of the present time.
The best way to tell a child how to live is to show him what is valued. If a child likes his friend, you have to make the child think about why. Once the child notices and recognizes goodness in others, he or she is likely to develop it as well.
In fact, children learn most of their morals by watching people around them. They absorb behavior patterns from teachers and older students. They watch to see what is rewarded and who is punished. They learn on the sports field and through social work. Moral science lessons should simply consist of letting them live and interact, and watch you support correct values and reward good behavior. Which is NOT the reason that moral science is taught in schools but with little effect?
A.Morality doesn’t strictly belong to a science. |
B.Morality is more like a social phenomenon. |
C.Morality can’t be written down in textbooks. |
D.Different generations have different moral ideas. |
The author describes his own experience of having moral lessons in order to _____.
A.explain telling lies is not moral for little children |
B.advise people should be rewarded for their goodness |
C.show he has no opinions about moral science |
D.prove moral lessons in schools have little effect |
When you tell a child about morals, you should________.
A.teach him to share personal moral ideas with others |
B.tell him about social norms and cultural differences |
C.explain that nobody can influence his moral ideas |
D.say that the present morals are likely to be changed |
What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.The influence of people’s behavior on morals. |
B.The value of teachers’ setting a good example. |
C.The best way of teaching children about morals. |
D.The importance of rewarding good behavior. |