Are the lives of city kids the same as those in villages? In lots of ways, they are very different. But what are those differences?
Hu Peng from Wuhan and four of his friends decided to find out. Earlier this month, they went to live for a week in Caidian, a village near Wuhan. Hu and his Junior l classmates went door to door in Caidian and asked kids lots of questions. They want to learn more about village kids' everyday lives, so they asked questions like this: Do your parents teach you how to do the housework? How much money do you usually spend on dinner? What would you do if a thief came into your house? They also asked 150 city kids the same questions.
On April 12, the team gave a report to their class. They told about many differences between children's lives in cities and those of children in villages. The biggest difference is about independence. Hu's team found that 60 percent of city kids can't do much housework, but 90 percent of village kids can care for themselves.
City kids told Hu they care about schoolwork a lot, and they have no time for washing clothes or making their beds. Village kids said they help their parents a lot : cooking, cleaning the houses and feeding pigs. Hu's team also found that village kids have less pocket money. Many have never used computers. They like playing in rivers or on mountains. Some don't even like to make new friends.
Hu and his friends said their trip gave them more self- confidence (自信) because they have done something by themselves. But it also worried them a bit because they found they still have a lot to learn. "When we grow up, our parents can't take care of us," Hu said. "We have to learn to take care of ourselves. " Shen Guanquan, one of Hu's friends said, "When people learn to care for themselves, they learn to do lots of difficult things. "How many city kids went to learn about village kids' everyday lives?
A.Three. | B.Four. | C.Five. | D.Six. |
Their report showed that most city kids __.
A.help their parents a lot | B.have less pocket money ![]() |
C.can take care of themselves | D.still have a lot to learn |
The underlined word "it" in the last paragraph means __.
A.their trip | B.their report | C.a village kid | D.a city kid |
Hu Peng and his friends finished their report by __.
A.visiting schools in the village |
B.questioning village and city kids from door to door |
C.watching village ![]() |
D.questioning village and city kids' parents |
Dogs already guide blind and disabled people and now they are to be trained to help people with dementia.The idea developed by some university students will now be put into practice by Scotland Medical Center.The research is meaningful, for there are 670, 000 people in Britain who have dementia and by 2021 this is expected to rise to one million.
Dementia can make people confuse night and day or forget basic things such as washing or drinking enough water.The dogs would be trained to help to guide them through the day.
Joyce Gray from Scotland Medical Center said, "People in the early stages of dementia are still able to live a relatively normal life, and dogs help them to maintain routine.M For example, people with memory loss will tend to forget to take medicine, "but if a dog presents them with a bag with pills in it, there's a greater chance of them taking it."
Ms.Gray also said dogs were perfectly suited to remind their owners to eat."Dogs have an ability to say 'it's my feeding time^, so there would be a note in the cupboard next to the dog's food reminding the dog's owner to eat too."
The dog would also encourage the owner to take them out for walks."It gives a reason for the owner to go out into the community," Ms.Gray said, "We did a test with an elderly person walking down the high street on his own.Then we gave him a dog on a lead and he did the exact same walk.That time people would come up to him, chatting or smiling and making eye contact.We hope we'd see this with people with dementia too."
There is one more advantage of using the pets as companions.Since conversation can be increasingly confusing for people with dementia, dogs can give them a sense of silent support and companionship.Ms.Gray said, "We have found that people may forget familiar faces but not pets.People light up when they see animals.There is a speechless bond between the dog and its owner.wWhat's the common symptom of dementia?
A.Going hungry. | B.Feeling lonely. |
C.Forgetting things. | D.Waking up at night. |
According to Ms.Gray, after feeding the pet, the owner may ______.
A.do some washing | B.take his medicine |
C.have something to eat | D.go out to walk the dog |
For people with dementia, pets can ______.
A.give them wordless help |
B.contribute to their recovery |
C.help them to recognize people's faces |
D.ensure them to gain support from other people |
What's the best title for the passage?
A.Guide Dogs for the Mind |
B.Pets, Faithful Companions |
C.Mental Support for the Disabled |
D.Dementia, a Curable Disease |
Gift Idea
The other day I was shopping for Grandma when I realized I had no gift ideas at all.It was not a birthday gift or anything like that.It was simply sort of a hello gift.That is how we do things in my family.We don't really give gifts for special occasions.Instead, we occasionally just give presents to each other to tell other people that we are thinking about them.
That was why I wanted a gift for Grandma.But it was like my imagination had dried up. I have gone through all of the gift ideas in previous years, fruits, wines, cheeses, little handmade crafts, and anything else that you can give to a grandmother.I had even given her gift watches, and CDs.What else was there?
I have always found gift ideas for men a little bit easier than for women, because for men, you can always get the usual things, such as video games, power tools and things like that.With a woman's gift idea, however, you have to know more about her.You cannot just get someone a book or a CD.You have to know all about her taste in movies, music, and literature.
My grandmother likes to read a lot, but what she likes is always pretty popular.I didn't want to get her a book that she might not like, but I was running out of time.I needed a gift idea for this weekend and went to visit her.After all, I hadn't seen her for a long time.I wanted to give her a gift so she would not feel ignored.
Finally, I came up with the perfect gift idea.I made a collection of all the stories I had written in the past year.It wasn't a typical gift idea like a bunch of flowers, but it really worked in the situation.You see, I am a writer and my grandma has always been my fan.
Anyway, I had been learning about bookbinding recently, and had pretty much mastered the art.I figured that I would add a little bit of handmade artwork to the stories, bind it altogether, and give it to her.It took hours to complete, but it was well worth the effort.She absolutely loved it.The writer chose a gift for Grandma to _____.
A.celebrate a special family occasion |
B.please her during a weekend visit |
C.congratulate her on her birthday |
D.beg her pardon for ignoring her |
What gift did the writer finally decide to give his grandma?
A.Gift watches. |
B.A bunch of flowers. |
C.Artwork made by hand. |
D.Stories written by himself. |
How does the writer feel about giving gifts to women?
A.Interesting. | B.Challenging. |
C.Time-wasting. | D.Popular. |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
A.the writer is a successful novelist |
B.most people are particular about gifts |
C.the writer's grandma has a good taste in art |
D.the writer's family will give gifts on regular days |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
AWhat does the underlined part "Congenital Heart Defect” refer to?
A.An activity. | B.A disease. |
C.A program. | D.A disability. |
Children aged 5 can take part in ______.
A.Camp Bon Coeur |
B.Girls' Summer Camp |
C.Kidcam Summer Camp |
D.Tulane University Ripples Camp |
Children taking part in Ripples Camp will ______.
A.have the chance to try cooking |
B.stay in the camp for two weeks |
C.meet kids from across the world |
D.have different camp places to choose from |
Discover the beautiful, silent, white world or Antarctica on the holidays of a life-time.Head South to Buenos Aires and then transfer to the world's most southern city, Ushuaia.From there, it's about 1,000 kilometers on a special icebreaker ship to the freezing temperature of Antarctica.
Getting off the ship and taking your first step onto the ice, you will imagine what it is like to be an explorer.Meet penguins(企鹅) sitting on their eggs, or see an Antarctic seal that lives all the year round on the ice.But do not get closer than five meters to any animal, in case you frighten it or make it angry.
The friendly crew of the ship will look after you as you explore the ice continent. We promise you fantastic meals and a comfortable bed — you sleep in a four-person cabin — as well as many special treats.If you don't think it is cold enough, try the ''polar plunge" — jump into a special hole dug in the ice and dip your head under the water.You can then jump into a hot bath and if you succeed we will give you a certificate.
After you wake up for the first time in the Antarctica you will understand why everybody who goes there falls in love with the place.The scenery is different every day because the sea ice is always moving.
Our ships travel to Antarctica from November to March — phone today and book your dream holiday!How should you behave when you see animals on Antarctica?
A.Don't take photos with them. |
B.Sit on the legs of the penguin. |
C.Don't watch them too near. |
D.Never make them angry. |
If you want to get a certificate, you have to .
A.try the "polar plunge" |
B.sleep in a four-person cabin |
C.have a bath in hot water |
D.dive in the sea |
The author writes this text mainly to .
A.describe what Antarctica is like |
B.tell about the scenery in Antarctica |
C.call for people to discover Antarctica |
D.attract more tourists to Antarctica |
Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
“I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home’, but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education.” says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution. They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition(学费)continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade.
“If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education,” says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. “The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt.”
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem?
A.They asked their kids to come home. |
B.They borrowed $20,000 from the school. |
C.They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs. |
D.They got help from the school and the federal government. |
Financial aid administrators believe that .
A.more families will face the same problem as the Jacobs |
B.the government will receive more letters of complaint |
C.college tuition fees will double soon |
D.America’s unemployment will fall |
What can we learn about the middle class families from the text?
A.They blamed the government for the tuition increase. |
B.Their income remained steady in the last decade. |
C.They will try their best to send kids to college. |
D.Their debts will be paid off within 25 years. |
According to the last paragraph, the government will .
A.provide most students scholarships |
B.dismiss some financial aid administrators |
C.stop the companies from making student loans |
D.go on providing financial support for college students |